Where in the world is the Golden Calf?
Remember that huge golden replica of the Wall Street Bull that led the faithful of New York to Zuccotti Park a couple months ago? Well, it’s back! And this time the iconic sculpture is serving as more than spectacle.
Members of Catholics United, along with faith leaders and residents of Occupy DC, marched with the Golden Calf from McPherson Square to the Capitol on Thursday to deliver a petition in support of a bill that would raise taxes on the rich.
“If we’re really concerned with the ‘least’ of our brothers and sisters, then cutting their resources isn’t the way to do it,” said Jason Miller, one of the artists who worked on the Calf and a member of Catholics United. “We need to get rid of the deficit, but not on the backs of the poor.”
The bill, which was endorsed by the Vatican last week, supports a $3 tax on banks for every $10,000 of transactions, with plans of reinvesting the tax revenue into social services. More than 8,000 Americans signed the petition.
So, where will the Calf appear next?
Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure — yesterday’s action marks a new role for the Golden Calf, and perhaps a new direction for the Occupy movement.
“When we were in New York, the Golden Calf was a sign of solidarity,” Miller said. “In DC, it was about sending a concrete message.” Miller went on to say that the Occupy movement changed the discussion in our country from debt to jobs and inequality.
But now that the discussion has changed, it’s time to shift the focus away from simply occupying space toward promoting concrete bills that will lead to real change.
Anne Marie Roderick is an editorial assistant at Sojourners.
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