Occupy Movement in Madison This Weekend

This weekend in Madison marks a serendipitous convergence of two Occupy events in Madison. Together they offer an opportunity to reflect upon the often overlooked spiritual dimension of the Occupy movement. 

On Saturday, January 7th at 1 p.m., Occupy Shoreline CT will hold its 10th rally in front of Academy School in Madison, at the corner of Boston Post Road and Academy street, next to the town green and right down the street from Madison's commercial district.

This will mark our last outdoor rally of the winter months.

On Sunday, January 8th, at 10:30 a.m., Dan McKanan, Ralph W. Emerson Senior Lecturer in Divinity at Harvard Divinity School, will speak about the 200-year-old spiritual heritage of the Occupy movement at the Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society, 297 Boston Post Road.

Religion as a way to explore ideas of justice and equality

In a recent article, McKanan writes about how religion has contributed fundamental ideas of justice and equality: “… religious institutions and ideas have made vital contributions to every movement for social change in the United States.”

Examples he cites include Philadelphia Quakers who excluded slaveholders from membership, and the mainline Protestant “Social Creed” of the early 20th century that demanded collective bargaining rights, old-age insurance, an end to child labor, and a living wage as a minimum in every industry.

For the members of Occupy Shoreline CT, a large number of them from Madison, overt discussions about the role of religion have been rare except to note that most churches, the traditional allies during the civil rights movement, have been indifferent to the Occupy movement. How are we not reaching our natural allies?

Before we seek answers, asking the right questions

At our last meeting someone pointed out, “Sometimes it’s not the answers that matter, but asking the right questions in the first place.”

In an effort to redirect the conversation, let us share with readers some questions that we grapple with at our rallies and discussions.

Social Safety Net:   Congress is balancing the budget by cutting programs instead of closing tax loopholes for the rich and restoring tax rates to what they were. For instance, the U.S. federal fuel assistance program has been cut dramatically.  Connecticut’s allocation has been reduced from $98 million in 2010 to $47 million in 2011, putting 450 Madison households at risk of being left in the cold sometime this winter. Meanwhile, it was recently reported that the poverty rate in suburbs has increased 50% over the last 10 years.  Is this the kind of country we want to live in? 

Foreclosures:   An estimated fifth of CT families have been or now are in foreclosure, or have negative equity because of illegal lending practices.  The banks responsible received tremendous government bailouts at taxpayer expense and their CEOs are currently enjoying huge bonuses, while those foreclosed have received little help. In spite of the massive wealth destruction at all levels of society, very few financiers have gone to jail.  Why is it that only the lower 99% have suffered while the culprits are rewarded?  How does this square with our definition of justice?

The Pay-Gap: In 1982, the ratio of CEO pay to the wages of an average worker stood at 42 to 1. Today, it is beyond 300 to 1. America is now 27th in a field of 31 countries in its overall social equality.  Does this vast economic inequality benefit our society?  Does it benefit our democracy? 

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These questions and others like them are essentially spiritual: What is a just society? How do we care for the least in our population?

Our activism does stem from deeply held spiritual convictions. To use the terminology with which many of us are familiar--we are, in fact, our brothers’ keepers.

Occupy Shoreline CT is a grassroots organization representing people from all walks of life that supports the interests of the 99%.  As your friends, neighbors, and colleagues, we seek economic, social, and environmental justice.  We organize local rallies and educational events, develop appropriate responses and demands, and coordinate with other Occupy groups. We work to make government responsive to the well-being of all American people, not just to those with economic power.

For more information visit:  www.occupyshorelinect.org