People often ask what the Occupy movement is all about. So far there is only one central theme that draws everyone together. Economic and political inequality and unfairness. All of the other goals and aspirations derive from this one central idea.
I had a discussion with a friend about what heaven would look like. I didn't think we would really all be standing around wearing robes and big chicken wings plucking harps. My friend thought that any serious discussion of heaven would have to include petting puppies.
The point is that heaven would be all of the stuff that makes you feel good.
If we in the Occupy movement are trying to create a better world, we try to imagine the ideal world we would like to live in. It shouldn't just be about what we are against. Yes we are against inequality and injustice, but we are also in favor of compassion for the poor, the homeless, for the uninsured, and for the jobless. We are against the abuse of power we see in government and are in favor of a return to democracy and bringing more power to the people. We are not just against corruption and crony capitalism, we are in favor of openness and fairness in government.
People often equate the Tea Party to the Occupy movement because they both began with the anger of the common people against the corruption of government. But in all other aspects the two movements are polar opposites.
The Tea Party seemed to feed off from the baser instincts of humanity. It encouraged the darker human emotions. It was fueled by hatred and fear.
The movement started with racism, and the hatred of Obama. Of course everyone denied that it was racism, but how else can you explain the "Birther" movement where most Tea Partiers didn't even think our president was born in this country. They preferred believing he was Kenyan. Next came the fear of Islam where Obama was considered a Closet Muslim. He was called a terrorist because he knew a controversial college professor. They called him a socialist, a Marxist, a Nazi, and a Fascist, even as he catered to big business, Wall Street, and capitalism. The movement has a thousand other rationales for hating Obama, but the basic reason is skin color.
But the Tea Party didn't just hate Obama, they also hated anyone who was different than them. Latinos were targeted, as were the gay community, women who believed in choice and control of their own bodies, anyone with a different religion (Mormonism is a sect). Tea Party intolerance is endemic and even long time conservatives like Romney, Paul and Gingrich, are called liberal and Socialist.
The Tea Party appealed to the greed of the 1% who refused to support their government financially or to sacrifice a bit so 50 million others could have health care. They are the same people who want eternal war, the ones who cheer capital and corporate punishment, and think the uninsured should just die. They boo our brave soldiers if they happen to be gay. The Tea Party embraces ignorance, refusing to believe 98% of the scientists when they talk about global warming or evolution.
The Tea Party seems to encourage corporate pollution and applauds economic inequality. They think that America should be allowed to rule the rest of the world, steal their resources, and dump our toxic waste anywhere. At times they seem to favor everything that is wrong in the world today.
If the Tea Party can be associated with everything that is bad, the Occupy movement should aspire to be associated with everything good. Our basic defining urge is for fairness and justice in economics and politics. We welcomed the homeless, and by getting to know them, we learned empathy and compassion. When confronted with violence we responded with peace.
When we talk to each other and try to figure out where the movement is going and what our goals should be, we are overwhelmed because there are so many things wrong with the world that should be fixed. We are for eliminating poverty, universal health care, better more affordable education, a legal system that has the same rules for all. We favor protecting mother earth and an end to war. The list goes on.
We are for all of the things that society considers good, and against everything that society considers bad. We appeal to all of the positive aspects of human nature and are opposed to the darker hateful emotions.
I thought it would be good to have a flag for the movement, A sign that people could put in their front yard to signify support. The yellow Tea Party flag with a viper is strangely appropriate. What would be a fitting symbol for all that is good in the world? I don't think a black clenched fist is appropriate.
How about someone petting a puppy?