A political movement begins with faint awakenings, a dim awareness that something is amiss, whispers of concern that later become cries of outrage. Initially just a few people talk among themselves. Someone says, “Let’s get together at the park at noon.” The word goes out through social media — meetup.com, Facebook, Twitter, cell phones — “join us.” At noon at the park, the first few are joined by a few more, and the community discovers there’s another issue, another group of concerned citizens.
At this point, there’s no formal organization, no leaders chosen or appointed. Leaders have emerged informally, of course, as have sets of tasks and divisions of labor, but it’s all at a very low level with people instinctively knowing what to do and taking the initiative to get going.
That’s were we now find Occupy Wall Street, and the Occupy Kalispell genre events that are springing to life in hundreds of towns and cities across the nation. They’ve taken to the sidewalks and parks because they believe their blessing in Congress and the White House are listening to high rollers in stretch limousines instead of to Working Joes whose budgets are stretched.
And the message? It’s in the handmade signs, the in-public presence of the sign-wavers, in their courage and conviction to stand up in public. These Americans, many our friends and neighbors, are outraged over income inequality. They’re convinced that scoundrels on Wall Street are stealing the American Dream from the Middle Class. They believe that government’s duty is feeding the poor, not fattening the rich. They believe we should do better, and that we can do better. That’s why in Kalispell and elsewhere, they’re on the sidewalk or in the park, displaying the courage of their convictions, delivering personal testimony with their signs, and encouraging those who agree to make a sign and join them.
As yet, there’s no widely endorsed statement of principle, no list of demands, no campaign to get demands enacted into law. There’s no guarantee any of those things will emerge — and no necessity, either. Some find that frustrating, even frightening. “What do you want?” the establishment thunders. “What are your demands? Who are your leaders? With whom can we cut a deal?”
Which means some still are not listening, or not listening closely enough. The message is there, in the signs, in the presence of the protesters: we want economic justice; get money out of politics; share the wealth; let our children’s lives be better than their parents’ lives; we want our country back and a prosperous future restored.
Meanwhile, inside rent-a-cop secured penthouses on the 95th floor, Wall Street titans, visages of Marx and Lenin bubbling in their champagne, fear of class warfare overpowering their eau de cologne, urge Mayor Bloomberg: evict the Bolsheviki from the park. Maintain the status quo. Do not share the wealth.
It’s not neat. It’s not easily sorted out. There’s no organization chart. It’s a movement in the making. It’s the chaos of creativity that ensures the vitality of a democracy. It’s serious. And it’s genuine.
There are several possible futures for the Occupy Together phenomenon. It could crystalize into a new organization (more likely, several new organizations). A new political party could emerge. It could lose steam, with weary, discouraged occupiers abandoning parks and town squares. It’s message delivered, it could choose to stand down, to watch and wait. It could channel its energy and ideas into existing institutions, organizations, and political parties, hoping to nudge the establishment in the right direction. And in a few places, it could turn violent and ugly, with fools and provocateurs in Guy Fawkes masks breaking windows and burning cars.
Locally, I think Occupy Kalispell will continue its Saturday noon honk-n-waves. That kind of action is visible, memorable, non-threatening, requires few resources, and can be sustained for months or years. And during each week’s remaining 167 hours, the citizens with the signs will be writing letters, making contributions to worthy causes, and working in a multitude of ways to make a better world.
I think you’ll find that’s also what happens in most communities in America. It’s how change starts, and how movements for social justice mature, endure, and prevail.