Forum Post: Growing From Protest To A Movement
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 4, 2011, 12:03 p.m. EST by rudy711
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Please get the message to the general public that the protest is about financial fairness, opportunity, and security and not anarchy trying to dismantle Wall Street. For the protest to become a real nationwide movement it needs people who thought they would never join a protest. This issue can be fought together by both social liberals and conservatives together without giving up their beliefs about other issues like abortion, gun control, etc. In order to have such an eclectic mass of people the protest needs to not scare away mainstream people who are fed up but are reluctant to be in the streets with "anarchists".
Let's not belittle any protester, or impugne the sincerity of some for the misguidance of others. In fact, let's just try to see every person as a human being first, and not be so quick to assign motives. I believe the Bible says don't pass false judgement. We need this country to pull together - liberals, conservatives, rich, poor, unemployed, bosses, white collar, blue collar. It starts in each of us. Let's try to be more careful in what we type and what we say. I've personally started this over the past week or so. Just last week I was blasting union workers on yahoo message boards. This has got to stop.
At heart, I am (and always will be) an anarchist. I believe there is something in the system in place that restricts human creativity and innovation. However, I am also realistic. The issue with the anarchists at the rally is that they are mostly devoid of ideology (crust punks who enjoy living on the streets). These are the people that are giving the movement a bad name. Using anarchist ideology as a justification for change is not a bad thing. It becomes a problem when immature teenagers want total lawlessness because they are frustrated that mommy and daddy won't pay for their gauges. In order to be a true anarchist, you have to actively engage with the system you wish to dismantle. A lot of these kids just want an excuse to live in a park and eat free food.
I'd go a little further than the prior comment.
Seems the system is broke, in more ways than one. To change it you need new thinking. The old has to be put aside. Include in the old your old labels, your old knee jerk reactions of assigning blame. Using terms like conservative, liberal, rich, poor, these will always divide by definition. Your movement needs to try to end division, not embrace it. You need to win over all folks, not just those who agree with you out of the gate.
Good luck getting anything done without radicals/"anarchists".