Us vs Them, Changing the face of the 99%

Us versus Them

I've been tossing around the idea of how to integrate new members into the movement. I've come across a few stumbling blocks and rather than proceeding forward with the current plan and watching us lose members and momentum I would like to offer a suggestion.

When asked "What is Occupy about?" We don't have a simple answer. It's hard to encompass everything that occupy is without seeming like a pie-in-the-sky dream. This is a dividing point of an ideal we can not articulate without a lengthy explanation of a subjective perspective on a unrecognizable ideal that hasn't yet been consensed upon.

At Occupy we are a community lending each other information and the means to discuss solutions to the issues of employment, sustainability, environmental alerts of our respective areas. We are the network of our region collaborating in full view of the public eye with an open ear and an inviting twinkle in our eyes. We are a grounding discussion, free of the distractions of race, religion, sex and income. We are a locality self-aware and conscious of our voice in Washington, the Houses, Capitol and City Hall with the ability to agree to fire a voice that speaks for us but does not represent our best interests. Our vested interest is to encourage discussion to find solutions that we can make in a park within the full view of our children because it is their future that our decisions will impact.

I propose we tweak the image of Occupy Gainesville a bit to move forward with the momentum we have and start finding the solutions by identifying and inviting answers to our issues. In order to spread the message of community I ask if we can make a presence as a peaceful discussion group with a sign stating our issue of choice and an invitation to join us. We can Occupy parks or street corners to change the image of the angry protester to a more inviting image of an intellectual discourse geared toward inclusiveness and finding solutions.

Democratic Consensus

We're here to claim our voice, our vote. Somewhere in the span of years we've allowed our voices to be hushed as we quietly cast our votes. Our voices unheard and cast aside as we find our politicians ear whispered into by one lobbyist promising favors and spewing gifts and then another lobbyist steps in to take their turn. The representatives of our voices have been put into gilded cages their wings clipped and coddled as they let their ideals become a thing of dreams. The speakers for our voices have been bought and paid for, thank you, move along.

I've tried to explain politics to my children and lobbyists and corporate influence confused them as they asked me how one person can have a bigger vote than the others. Corruption was the only answer that came to mind but they're young and idealistic and already somewhat jaded with the process.

One by one the protesters speak as the circle of nearly strangers from various walks of life introduce themselves with name, preferred pronoun and favorite uncooked food. The nodding of a head in agreement while trying to decide which food is your favorite as the names, pronouns and selections are called out. Hummus, carrots, bananas, "rice and beans","everything they said", and "every kind of fruit.", we smile but time is precious and short. Political ties are cast aside and the group goes about explaining and tweaking a method of communication for peaceful debate of passionate topics. This is a nebulous, organic procedure. It's modified and adapted so that these steps are significant and become more significant and efficient through repetition. A bit tedious but the results are worth the collaboration.

Operating by consensus and committees which are open to join and input we are working toward something we have not known before but it seems attainable. Somewhere between political affiliations, capitalism, progress and the environment we've lost our connection to those in our communities, our environment and in ourselves. We believe that is we secure our influence in the government we can find our way to a consensus of the prosperity of an area as a whole and in doing so we will find a richness that is more fulfilling than monetary wealth can hope to achieve. We feel this is possible because this entire movement has progressed to this point on a global scale superseding religion, political, sexual orientation, race, and class to the pursuit of a greater good based on large group consensus.

It's an awkward process as some of these voices have not been raised before. The bullhorn is handled awkwardly and mostly tentatively and from a distance. They seem unwilling to speak for the whole and conscious of the need to represent everyone who isn't present. Peace is the word here. We're angry and feel the need to vent but there's work to be done. It's a simple request.

The voices of the people, the representatives of the people should be free of corporate bribery. This movement has been one of equality in democracy. Everyone has a vote and all vote are equal. There are no leaders here but there are task directors in lieu of anyone else wanting the responsibility for the position. Choices should be made for the benefit of the community as a whole and not the lining of one's pockets. Taking the voice of the people into account and the area of the community and resources it provides there is a balance and a price to pay an area to maintain.

We deserve the right to know what's happening in our world. Journalism has a responsibility to give us the facts and let us come to our own conclusions. If we wanted someone to placate the masses we'd do so for entertainment. Unbiased coverage of pertinent events not sensational topics to blind us to the ramifications of the actions taken by our country without our knowledge.

Education should be available to all not just to the affluent who can pay for private schools. Educated voices will go the furthest to secure our prosperity and future and the more voices we have the better. It's not because we're jealous of the affluent. We're about doing the right thing. Not just for wealth but for connection with our communities and world. It's about bringing back that feeling of unity with the world around us. It's about Hope.