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ICJPE conference as Tea Party antidote
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Although I'm usually a shoo-in at protests, yesterday's Tea Party was an exception; not only did I have no intention of going, I couldn't even decide whether the whole thing was laughable or scary.
But now I'm scared. The crowd wasn't nearly as large as in other cities — mainstream media said hundreds, tea partisans said thousands, and based on my years of experience documenting anti-war demos at Federal Plaza I have to say that it looked like hundreds. But let's not forget that there were other Tea Parties in the suburbs, and all in all this was a very respectable showing for Obamatown.
And it was all about Obama. No matter what their signs said, these folks weren't just protesting about taxes. They were really expressing their fear and loathing of Socialism, Islamism, Black nationalism, secular humanism, or whatever un-American "ism" they think the Obama administration is about to visit upon them.
So if you're a liberal who thinks Obama can do no wrong, you're probably just poo-poohing this would-be insurgency as the latest right-wing delusion, and if you're far to the left chances are you're secretly pleased because you think if Obama fails the opportunity for real, systemic change may present itself.
But if you dismiss or enable the tea partiers, you're doing so at your own peril. The specific grievances voiced yesterday may be imaginary, but the discontent sweeping the land is real; allowing the right wing to take the initiative at this critical juncture would be a serious error. Whether you support Obama or you're looking for an alternative, now more than ever it's time to educate and organize for your cause.
Locally, a good place to start would be the 4th Annual Conference of the Illinois Coalition for Justice Peace (ICJPE) and the Environment, starting tomorrow. A roster of nationally renowned speakers — Riane Eisler, Dean Baker and Robert Naiman — will come together for a Friday night panel; on Saturday, three panel discussions and breakout sessions focused on sustainability, peace and justice will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
As an ICJPE member who really hasn't done anything for the group over the past year, I can tell you that dedicated volunteers have worked hard to put together an informative program with plenty of networking opportunities. It won't make nearly as many headlines as the Tea Party thing, but it will be a much-needed chance to strategize a way forward for justice, peace and environment activism in Illinois.
