I fervently support the worldwide revolution.

I came of age in the early 1980’s as a punk/freak. I live in solidarity with misfits of all casts.

The labels on my sign were used against Occupiers by the likes of Mitt Romney (a mob), Kevin O’Leary (left-wing nut job), Bill O’Reilly (anarchists, hippies, freaks), and many news sources (vague).

Also, I ain’t a “lady”.

I regret any offense my sign caused any protester.

Peace.

It was taken on October 15 2011, at Occupy Vancouver. To be there that day, I traveled 6 hours by bus and ferry with my baby. I left my older daughter (age 6)at home with her grandparents.

I live in a rural community (pop. 2000) on the Sunshine Coast of BC, Canada. Since the pic went viral, I have enjoyed participating in several threads about my sign. As it happens, that was only one of my three signs. My other, larger banners stated:
“rEVOLution!”
and
“Stand Together/Advance Together/Occupy Together”.

The controversial sign under discussion was a response to the labels I had been hearing used by the mainstream media to categorize and invalidate all Occupiers. Yes, the label, “Left Wing Nut Job” was specifically in response to Kevin O’Leary’s shameful interview.

Ironically and quite amusingly, I have myself been labelled by people who are offended by my use of labels on my sign.

I am an aging hippy/punk/freak who now participates in building my own community by working part time and volunteering in the area of maternal and child development. Middle class, well perhaps we were back before 2008, but the economic woes have pushed us many steps back financially, and now we struggle as virtually everyone else does, to make ends meet for our family of four.

I definitely identify as a left-wing nut job; I was proud to be part of that particular mob on that day (and on other days, other demonstrations).

I happen NOT to be an anarchist; I am straight.

There. Does that cover it?

Anyway, I thought I’d drop by and contribute to the discussion by letting you all know, that, yes, the “lady” has a clue….

Peace,
Sarah Blythe Pond

Um, no, it’s a sign about how her concerns for her kids are more important than identity or labels.

First, if you’re left-wing and not a nut-job, you certainly don’t want to say “yes, I’m a nutjob.”

Second, this woman clearly isn’t there to reclaim any labels; she’s there to say she’s concerned for her kid’s future and to protest policies she thinks (rightly) are endangering said future. Why is your demand that she “reclaim” something more important than her own concerns? You want to reclaim a label? Do it yourself. She’s not there to do your work for you.

And third, why should she say “yes, I’m [whatever]” if she really isn’t? Did it ever occur to you that maybe she really isn’t any of those things she says she’s not? Did it ever occur to you that maybe that’s a major part of the point she’s trying to make? What’s so horrible about saying even mainstream white Americans are hurt by Republican misrule? It’s not like that statement is false.

I think it’s just plain ridiculous (not to mention insulting) that people here are telling this woman what she should and should not be saying, and completely ignoring what she IS saying. Small-minded, selfish, AND patronizing.

I would think that atheists would have a better understanding of where (at least I think) Greg is coming from. If some group like Fox News is degrading a group, you take the term back! You don’t say, “No, I’m not a left-wing nut job!” You say, “Yes, I AM a left-wing nut job!!!” You don’t say, “I’m an agnostic, not one of those arrogant atheists!” (And I know atheists who almost say that word for word, as I would bet many others here do, too.) You say, “Yes, I AM an arrogant atheist!!!” (OK, maybe leave out the arrogant part, but hopefully you get the idea.) Don’t run away from the derogatory terms; run toward them! Accept them. Take them back so that they are no longer derogatory terms. I would hope most people know what happens when a group runs away from a derogatory term – the discriminatory group invents a new derogatory term!

No, it wouldn’t be. Missed my point, though.

Well, yeah, hand-written signs look kinda crude when you’re on a low budget. What were you expecting — Times New Roman?

So what? If I tell you I’m not black, gay, Muslim, or a Southerner, is that an attempt to insult or “otherize” any of those groups? Of course not — it’s just a true statement, and it says nothing at all about my feelings toward either group.

The Republicans have only one response to legitimate criticism of their idiotic mindset and failed policies: label their critics and use the labels (and the bogus stereotypes associated with said labels) to divide, demean and marginalize all critics and criticism. This woman was only addressing the predictable right-wing response to her concerns. Seriously, dude, you’re an intelligent guy — are you really not able to understand what this sign is saying?