6 Revolts the Tea Party-Obsessed Corporate Media Overlooked

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
-Martin Luther King Jr.

Some of the most undercovered stories of 2010 were actions taken by ordinary people standing up for a more just and equitable society. People are taking to the streets on a regular basis across the country, but unlike the corporate-sponsored Tea Party -- whose spokespeople can't answer basic questions about the deficit they claim to be so worried about -- those who believe in health care, affordable housing, economic justice, education, a living wage, and a better life for all rarely, if ever, get the attention they deserve. Instead, the media, even the alternative media, spent the better part of last year obsessing over the Tea Party and manufactured personalities like Sarah Palin, while ignoring people like 85-year-old Julia Botello.

Last month, Botello was among 22 people arrested for blocking the doors of a Chase Bank branch in downtown Los Angeles. Over 200 people, many of them homeowners facing foreclosure and eviction, took part in the action organized by Home Defenders League and the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment.

According to the Alliance, these families have never participated in an event or protest before, but they have exhausted all other options. Imagine if over 200 Tea Partiers took part in a similar action. Imagine if an 85-year-old Tea Party member was photographed being led away by two cops, one holding each arm. Not only would this video footage be shown over and over again on the cable shows, Julia Botello would be bombarded with interview requests, but because she's standing in solidarity with people who are losing their homes, she's only been contacted by two other reporters.

"If we're united, we're a better force. We need to stand together," she says. "I use my voice for the people. I know all of the councilmen and councilwomen in my area. I'm not afraid to speak and ask for better conditions for my community."

http://www.alternet.org/news/149562/85-year-old-woman_arrested_for_bank_protest_--_6_revolts_the_tea_party-obsessed_corporate_media_overlooked_/