Originally Published in Coffee Party USA
Debilyn Molineaux, Coffee Party USA
Just today I read an article by Frances Moore Lappe’ “Six Pieces of a Real Democracy Movement We’ve Never Had Before”. Here they are, in short:
- We’re angry.
- We know the system is rigged.
- We are finally connecting the dots.
- We agree on the solutions.
- We are uniting across old divides.
- A massive and savvy citizens’ movement is taking off.
Lappe’ goes on to promote Democracy Spring (April 2-11) and Democracy Awakening (April 16-18), inviting people to participate in these demonstrations and protests bringing awareness to Congress of the need for campaign finance reform. She closes by calling out the need for a catalytic agent to bring this all to life.
Ironically… I was also reading about the underlying cause that has led to the popularity (or symptom) of Trump. Ravi Iyer of CivilPolitics.org speculates in this article about the moral motivations of Trump supporters, which many people would recognize.
Trump supporters have many moral motivations that many who disagree with him would recognize and value.
- They worry about the lack of jobs for hard-working, but under-educated Americans.
- They fear that the system of lobbyists and special interests is stacked against them.
- They think that politicians cannot be trusted to fight for everyday Americans, due to their reliance on donors who line their pockets.
- They feel that their identity and their ability to express their opinions is under attack
Recognize these motivations? They are nearly identical to the motivations of Sanders’ supporters. Iyer goes on to encourage us to acknowledge the common ground we have, especially around the corruption of our elections and lawmaking that gives corporations, special interests and lobbyists more influence than voters. Iyer closes with this:
As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that” and there is ample research that suggests that forging positive empathic relationships across divisions is indeed the only way to truly heal a great moral divide.
This video demonstrates one person’s dedication to finding common ground.
Let’s live up to the ideals of our country by joining together for the political revolution that is clearly needed. What will you do? Please share your experience and plans with us!