LatinaLista — Between coffee and tea, I really do like my coffee. So when I heard over the weekend about a new political movement called The Coffee Party, it caught my attention.
When I heard the founder of the new movement, Annabelle Park, being interviewed on CNN, it piqued my interest further. And when I read their pledge on their website, I liked what I read but wondered just how effective they can be — being the “nice guys.”
Their pledge reads:
As a member or supporter of the Coffee Party, I pledge to conduct myself in a way that is civil, honest, and respectful toward people with whom I disagree. I value people from different cultures, I value people with different ideas, and I value and cherish the democratic process.
It’s a refreshing mission and one that resonates really well with Latinos — to the point that if this evolves into a political force it won’t take much for Latinos to leave behind the burros and the elefantes to establish a new political loyalty.
The priniciples of The Coffee Party — value people from different cultures, different ideas and the democratic process — are just a few of the elements that can be found in every Latino’s life.
Though we allow ourselves to be covered by the same umbrella description, we each know that we all don’t share the same roots. As such, we have grown up hearing different ideas and opinions, sometimes expressed passionately but not personally insulting, threatening or demeaning that is too often heard in the political parties/movements that exist today.
According to their website:
Coffee Party USA aims to reinvigorate the public sphere, drawing from diverse backgrounds and diverse perspectives, with the goal of expanding the influence of the People in America’s political arena. We do not require nor adhere to any preexisting ideology. We encourage deliberation guided by reason amongst the many viewpoints held by our members. We see our diversity as a strength, not a weakness, because we believe that faithful deliberation from multiple vantage points is the best way to achieve the common good. It is in the responsible and reasonable practice of deliberation that we hope to contribute to society.
Coffee Party USA is made up of people acting independently of political parties, of corporations, and of political lobbying networks. To this point, all products created and hours logged for Coffee Party have been carried out in the spirit of volunteerism. In the coming months and years, we hope to transform our disappointment in our current political system into a force that will return our nation to a course of popular governance, of the People by the People for the People.
We are diverse — ethnically, geographically, politically, in age and in experience.
If The Coffee Party does uphold its principles and continues in the same vein, and Democrats abandon immigration reform and the GOP continues its anti-Latino attitude among its ranks, then there’s no reason The Coffee Party won’t be embraced by Latinos nor can’t be known as The Party de Cafe.
Something to sip on.
Comment(3)
adriana
Marisa,
I was listening to a local public radio station about the coffee party this week too, and my impression was that they didn’t want to run candidates but instead wanted to have debates that weren’t based on hype or falsehoods. I do think that since we already have a coffee culture that there is something to build upon though.
tara
the latino vote has shown us that this relatively small voting population willgo wherever the wind blows in their favor. 73% of latinos voted against a Dem candidate in Massachussets in favor of ananti-reform Rebulican. Please note: THE COFFEE PARY HAS BEEN ORGANIZED & SUSTAINED BY VOLUNTEERS. Please don’t show up with your hand out, but with the willingness to contribute.
Alonzo
My impression is that they had no agenda, except for a “can’t we just get along” attitude. Just what are their principles, Marisa? I can’t find a thing anything concrete.
“The priniciples of The Coffee Party — value people from different cultures, different ideas and the democratic process — are just a few of the elements that can be found in every Latino’s life.”
This tells me nothing.
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