Rick Staggenborg, MD

Experience

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  Soldiers For Peace International

  Jan 1990 - now

  Founder

  Soldiers For Peace International is an organization founded by veterans and active duty service members and open to all social justice advocates from around the world.We understand that war is an obsolete concept kept alive by the prevalence of the belief that it is inevitable. If not for the lies and misinformation of corporate politicians and corporate and state controlled media, the US government would not be in the business of starting wars for corporate profit and Empire.These short-sighted and self-interested individuals continue to create the conflicts that are used as excuses to further the Imperialist goals of the Anglo-American Empire against those of Russia, China and nonaligned nations The extra-governmental agencies who represent them are waging a global game of Risk with human lives as the game pieces.While it is clear that war profits no nation or any average citizen in the world, the process will continue until enough Americans awaken to the fact that we can restore democracy to America by reforming campaign finance through a Constitutional amendment. For more on how that is to be done, please also visit our website and check out Pledge to Amend: http://www.soldiersforpeaceinternational.org/2011/01/asymmetrical-warfare.htmlYou can also join us on Facebook! Show less

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  Coos County (OR) Mental Health

  Jul 1996 - Sept 2004

  Medical Director

  Coordinated medical services for a county mental health clinic serving low-income people with chronic mental illnesses.

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  VAHSC Roseburg

  Sept 2004 - Mar 2010

  Staff psychiatrist

  I provided direct psychotherapy and medication management services to hundreds of vets from WWII through the current wars.I listened and learned from these traumatized men and women what they were experiencing and what it takes to help them.In my work with combat veterans traumatized by war and military sexual trauma, I became convinced that it was my life's work to help build a united international front against fascism and war. Accordingly, I left the job in March of 2010 to campaign for the US Senate. Show less

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  Take Back America for the People

  Feb 2009 - Jan 2016

  Ex-President of the Executive Board

  The mission of the 501.c3 Take back America for the People was to educate the American public of the dangers of allowing corporations to control our government,media and military.Our hope was that by helping all Americans put aside self-imposed artificial distinctions, they could come together to forge the consensus that will prevent the total collapse of the US economy, society and morality.If Americans work together in the common cause of returning control of the government to We the People, we can amend the constitution to establish that corporations do not have constitutional rights and end the ability of corporations and the rich to buy candidates who will put their interests over those of the people of the United States and the world.Limited liability is a privilege that is granted by We the People. Rights are reserved for humans, who "are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. Among these are the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Humans should have the absolute right to control corporations so that they have to work in the public interest or lose their charters.In ending the ability of corporations and those whose wealth and power stem from corporate connections to pay for the campaigns of their Puppets in Congress, we will restore the Democratic Republic intended by the framers of the Constitution.Once We the People are again in control of our government we will be able to promote the general welfare by returning jobs from offshore tax havens, compelling corporations to contribute to the common wealth of the nation, decreasing the size of a government bloated by corporate welfare, ending our dependence on oil, preserving the environment, ending these and future wars, educating our children and assuring affordable access to a system of universal health care. Done properly, we can pay down the deficit even while reducing individual tax rates. Show less

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  Staggenborg For US Senate

  Feb 2010 - Nov 2010

  US Senate candidate

  I appeared on the ballot as the candidate of the Progressive Party of Oregon. The centerpiece of my platform was a promise to introduce a constitutional amendment establishing that money spent to influence elections could be regulated and that corporations do not have constitutional rights. I also campaigned on single payer health care, ending free trade agreements that failed to provide real worker and environmental protections or protect national sovereignty, improving education, protecting the environment and putting diplomacy over military action. I am working through Soldiers For Peace International, Take Back America for the People and other networks and organizations to help build a national movement for democracy in American and peace in the world.With most politicians failing to recognize the central importance of constitutional reform in establishing a government truly of, by and for the People, it is up to non-professional politicians with no ties to incumbents or their corporate backers to force them to do it.I support the election of third party candidates to national office, but reject the idea that party is more important than the individual candidate. I believe that any candidate willing to support a constitutional amendment of the type I have outlined deserves my vote unless another candidate who pledges to support such an amendment more closely represents my views on issues that are most important to America and the world.At this point it is unlikely that I would stage a run for office in 2016, but I have not ruled it out. Show less

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  Alliance For Democracy

  Apr 2010 - Jun 2014

  Member of the National Council

  Met monthly (virtually) to discuss and plan projects AfD was involved in around the country.

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  Retired VA shrink

  Oct 2010 - now

  Political pundit