The Backbone Campaign has achieved some stature in the world of political theater with its delightfully sardonic Chain Gang, those oversized puppets clad in prison wear depicting the worst of the Bush administration. Now, this home-grown group is taking it to the next level: They’ve developed puppets that show not only what’s amiss in this country but what they’d like to see instead: universal health care, immigrant rights and a world where polar bears might survive.

It’s a maturation we applaud.

Always, it seems, and particularly these days, there’s no shortage of slogans noting what’s wrong: End the war; stop the violence; redefeat Bush. But far more compelling and powerful is an articulation of what we want. As others have noted, Martin Luther King Jr. did not say, “I have a nightmare.” He said, “I have a dream.”

Just as the Chain Gang has delighted spectators, so too did the Backbone Campaign’s new polar bear when it made its Vashon debut on Saturday. But it brought out something else, too: Not only that head-shaking, god-what-a-mess-this-world-is response, but a deeper appreciation for what the world has to offer, for its beauty, power and hope.

Most of us, ultimately, are motivated by what moves us, not by what depresses us. May this bear, a powerful and iconic symbol of the Earth’s rich diversity, do just that — move us to work with greater heart and more conviction towards protecting and restoring our planet.