Where are the Occupy Mennonites?
by Nathan Graber-McCrae, Denver
On Nov. 3, 2011, I visited Occupy Denver, just a dozen blocks from my office. I was amazed to see and hear the protesters expressing sentiments that Mennonites, Anabaptists and other Christians have been claiming for decades, even centuries: hunger for social justice, solidarity with the poor and struggling, resistance to increasing corporate control of government and deep suspicion of Wall Street and banks that are too big to fail.
As I watch the Occupy movement gain in strength and popularity nationwide, I can't help wondering, Where are the Mennonites?
Mennonites have had a history of participating in nonviolent protests and social movements for generations. Hundreds of Mennonites participate annually in the protests against the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga. Mennonites protested against wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mennonites were active in protests against the Vietnam War. Mennonites even participated in the Civil Rights movement with Martin Luther King Jr. I don’t know yet where Mennonites will fit into the Occupy Wall Street movement, but I will be disappointed if our voices are not part of the conversation. Our own dearest core values of social justice and solidarity with the poor are finally receiving national attention. Let us not squander the opportunity.
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