The conservative Tea Party movement is celebrating its first anniversary right about now. It’s created a stir throughout the nation, best known for lots of shouting, rallies and media attention protesting excessive government spending. Now, in response, comes the Coffee Party movement.
Only about a month old, Coffee Party USA is a testament to how quickly an idea can spread through social media. “Viral” is an accurate term. There are already Coffee Party chapters in 30 states, including one in Minnesota and more requests are pouring in every day. It’s Facebook Fan page already has more than 37,500 fans.
Its founder, Annabel Park of Silver Spring, Maryland, “did what any American does when she feels her voice has been drowned out: She squeezed her anger into a Facebook status update,” according to a Washington Post article published in this past Saturday’s Star Tribune.
A few months ago, my post, Are we losing the fine art of argument, talked about a local group called “The Argument of the Month Club” which debates both sides of an issue in a civil manner. The Coffee Party movement is one more example of people coming together to carefully consider facts and issues. Yesterday, I caught part of a program on CNN, hosted by Don Lemon, with six Congressman, representing both parties, discussing why we’ve become so partisan and ideas to try to end the bickering and name-calling to fuel collaboration and meet in the middle-ground on issues.
This morning, on my way into work, I felt good. Hopeful even. It feels like the pendulum is swinging to middle ground once again. That people want to talk about issues, to really understand them and make some progress. Of course, it might just be those “hopey-changey” vibes coursing through this liberal’s veins getting me all discombobulated.
We are losing both the skills and spaces for fact based argumentation. Anything that builds and creates both I am on favor of. This is the basis of democracy.
I hope you’re right… but when I watched the Health Care Summit… or as the Governor and the legislature clash over GAMC… I start to have my doubts. Maybe I need a little more coffee this morning so I can get some “hopey-changey” vibes going too!