I’ve always found the word co-opt confusing.  And it turns out there’s a reason for that.

Co-opt
1 a : to choose or elect as a member b : to appoint as a colleague or assistant
2 a : to take into a group (as a faction, movement, or culture) : absorb, assimilate <the students are co–opted by a system they serve even in their struggle against it — A. C. Danto> b : take over, appropriate <co–opted by advertisers>
— co–op·ta·tion noun
— co–op·ta·tive adjective
— co–op·tion noun
— co–op·tive adjective

Origin of CO-OPT
Latin cooptare, from co- + optare to choose
First Known Use: 1651
Synonyms: absorb, assimilate, co-opt, incorporate, integrate

There is a conversation going on now about whether or not certain progressive activist groups and others, Democrats, unions, are attempting to co-opt the OWS movement.  Some fear this in the sense of  “co-opt” meaning  “take over.”  In conversations I’ve had, Moveon.org and Democracy for America have been mentioned.  Unions and the Democratic party have been mentioned as well.

I’m not that cynical on this particular topic.  If it seemed like these groups were co-opting the OWS movement, in the sense of taking it over, I would be opposed to that.  And it makes sense for the movement to guard against it. But I think that what is happening now among the liberal, Democratic, and progressive groups and yes, some say even tea partiers,  is an integration rather than a co-optation.  We all see this movement as hope, and want to help it grow.

Moveon.org has more than paid its dues in keeping hope alive by being the first to go after George W. Bush and creating a resurgent progressive movement during those very dark years.  Moveon sprang up out of nowhere,  a small group of like-minded individuals online that was the start of a grassroots movement. I credit Moveon for making grassroots politics local through their house parties organizing tool.   We held three house parties through Moveon who helped us connect to local progressives. We could not believe the people in our neighborhood who showed up. One party was to show a video about the truth about the war in Iraq, one was around Michael Moore’s movie, Fahrenheit 911, and one was exposing the truth behind Fox News. We had a house full of people each time.  I do not believe Moveon.org is attempting to co-opt the OWS  movement now. They’ve always been about progressive change, and it makes sense that they want to support this movement.

About the same time as Moveon appeared on the scene, Howard Dean, founder of Democracy for America, came along and based his presidential campaign on speaking out against the war in Iraq, successfully organizing a  progressive resurgence and giving Democrats a chance to become more progressive. He spoke out against the corporate media and said his first act as president would be to break up the media conglomerates. He urged every progressive and every  young person to show up, get involved, take back their party,  their communities, and their country.  The Democratic establishment in Washington never liked Dean for his independent ways.  They participated in his demise.  They seem to have ostracized him now.  But Democrats at the state level  loved him and fought for him to be party chair because he knew as they did that change needs to happen at the grassroots and local level.

Liberals and progressives who have been trying for years, decades in their own way, to affect the system, are gratefully signing onto this movement.  I do not believe this means they are trying to take it over. On the contrary, I think they are trying to nurture and support it. I think it is possible for everyone to own this movement and work together, from tea party activists to unions to soldiers to elected officials to students and retirees, Democrats, liberals, everyone – well almost everyone – that’s why it’s called the 99%.

If the Occupy Wall Street  movement belongs to any one group, I feel it belongs to the young.   This peaceful, democratic youthful movement is rightfully rebelling against a system that needs a complete remodel, because whatever we have been doing hasn’t been working.  They are rejecting cynicism as they envision and demand a better country, a better world, a better system of justice.

They are attempting to take their country back and we should all do whatever we can to support them. And we should not ask this movement to compromise or be less than what it is.