The Occupation at 2 months and 24 days

Last night Occupy Austin held a General Assembly at the Capitol. (We've been doing this for about a month now). It might have been the shortest GA in Occupy Austin history. It clocked in at just under 25 minutes. I know, pretty amazing huh! I think it's amazing though that we still came out and we still followed our process and we still are doing what we're doing.

Maybe this doesn't make much sense, but I think Occupy Austin is doing okay. I don't want to say there aren't things we need to improve (and many of them!) but I do want to say that we're doing pretty well.

Three months I had never even heard of Occupy Wall Street, Consensus Process or Guerilla Gardening. Now, I know what all of those things are. Two months ago I could not even make it through an entire GA before I thought it was 'too late' or this is 'too boring'. Now, I am part of the facilitation team and moderate GA's at least once a week. I have edited more Press releases and newsletters in the past two months than ever before in my life. We are making this Occupation a reality.

Reality is not necessarily pretty, but it is real. Our Occupation has much to improve on, but I think we need to start seeing that we're not doing too badly.

We're doing something that has never been done before. We're writing the new American History. We are creating the future that we want to live in right now.

I attended a 'Strategy and Tactics' meeting a few nights ago. This meeting made it clearer than ever before that the Occupy movement is not a political movement. We are not concerned with just making politics better. We are concerned with the whole society. We are trying to find a way to build a society that values people over money. We have lived for so long in a world where everything is based on monetary value. You pay for what you learn in school. If you have a job, you are valued based on how much you earn for that job. As a culture we say that the money we earn gives us value. That is why people have been spending more than they earn because they are trying to create the illusion of value with things. Yet, we all know, somewhere deep inside us, that our value does not lie in anything monetary. Our value lies in our humanity.

Last night I caught the very tail end of the women's meeting. We had an incident of domestic violence that caused many of us in the movement to realize just how much we need to educate and empower all people. If people are empowered than they will say something when they see something. Speaking up is valuing someone else's humanity.

We are learning to Occupy. We are learning to live.


Check out the Austin Chronicle Photo Spread on Occupy

What is 'endorsing'?

A few weeks ago a proposal came before the General Assembly of Occupy Austin. (I was on the facilitation team so I was not an active part of this discussion - but an observer). In my opinion the proposal was ill-formed and should not (and could not because it was not clear what was in fact being proposed) be consensed upon. Nevertheless, the General Assembly gathered that night consensed on the proposal.

It was, more or less:

"I need $125 dollars for some supplies for an action. We are either going to have this action in this city or in another city."

Although the supplies needed for the action were the same, the action itself would be different depending on the location. Furthermore, the legal ramifications of these actions would be completely different depending on which action was actually undertaken. During the discussion of the proposal it became clear that not only was the proposer asking for the funds to purchase the unspecified supplies she was also seeking Occupy Austin's endorsement of the action. This is where it becomes tricky. If she was only seeking funds and the same supplies were needed no matter which action was actually chosen then this could have been done. Seeking endorsement for two completely different actions with different outcomes should not be done in one proposal. (However there are questions about if simply giving money is a form of endorsing)

This proposal has been hashed out in many facilitator meetings as an example of what not to do. Yet, it still passed. If that had been the end of it that would have been, simply, a learning experience.

However, when the action took place eight occupiers were arrested, three of them from Austin. They are possibly facing felony charges. Since Occupy Austin endorsed this action at a previous GA we are facing a litany of legal and ethical questions. Does Occupy Austin owe those that were arrested bail and legal support? (Occupy Austin can, and does, bail anyone out who is arrested while engaging in an act of Civil Disobedience for the Occupy Movement.) The tactics that were used were beyond normal Civil Disobedience tactics. Where does Occupy Austin, as an organization, draw the line on what it can endorse? Does giving the money to support this action mean that we, as a movement, endorsed this particular instance of Civil Disobedience? This action was poorly planned and, in my opinion, hurt the reputation of the movement and it's relationship with Labor. What does it mean that Occupy Austin endorsed this? Did Occupy Austin endorse this act?

I know I'm ending with a lot of questions - but I guess I still haven't figured everything out in my own head yet. I'm putting this out here to get feedback and see if anyone else has any ideas/opinions/feelings about this.

Some time off and some time to reflect

This past week I've only been down to Occupy Austin a few times. I could only make it to one GA. Although, I really wanted to participate in other GA's previous commitments prevented me from doing so.

What is great about this is that Occupy Austin is still going strong. This movement is so much bigger than me. The Occupy movement is so much bigger than Austin. We have just gotten started. All of us that are involved in Occupy on a daily basis need to take some days off. We need to remember that as much as much each of us brings to this movement, we will not bring anything if we burn out.

I plan to be part of this movement for a long time. Whatever happens this movement will shape American history. Some of my friends at Church were saying on Sunday that the Occupy movement has restored their hope in this generation. We look to the 50's, 60's and 70's and think of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam protests. This generation has never protested on such a large scale. We are finally standing up for our rights.

We are writing history right now. I am offered an opportunity that only comes once in a lifetime. I am part of the positive change that is sweeping this country. I am so honored that I can bring my voice to this movement - I am also deeply aware that this movement is so much bigger than my voice. It's not about me - but it is all about each of us individually coming together.

I am going to go back on Monday, refreshed and ready to keep on fighting the battle for justice. I'll leave you with one of the chants we said at Monday night's GA.

One - We are the people.
Two - We are united.
Three - This occupation has just gotten started. (repeat)

Problems in this country

Here is a Rick Perry campaign video:




I am disgusted. We have so many problems in this country. Number one is the way that money has corrupted our politicians so that they no longer represent the interest of the people. Gay people are not a threat. There is no 'war on religion' - unless it is a war on Islam.

I pray that this man is not our next President. God, help us!

Good job news?

Today many stories in the news were about the amazingly low rate of unemployment, 8.6%, I believe. What I find striking is that while they were saying the private sector gained 120,000 jobs the Government cut over 20,000 jobs. Overall employment is going up, but it looks to me like good, decent paying jobs with benefits (i.e. public sector jobs) are being cut and then they are being replaced by seasonal work that is paying lower wages without benefits. When I hear the term service sector employees I do not think high wages and benefits. How many of these jobs will be cut again in January?

Sure, more people have more jobs. But the real question is not how many people are employed. The real question should be whether or not those jobs can sustain the people that are doing them. When an employee loses a decent paying job with benefits and then is hired somewhere else with minimal wages and no benefits those two jobs are not equal. We are getting sidetracked by the sheer number of unemployed people or the number of jobs created that we are ignoring that fact that people are working so that they can have their lives and their livelihood.

Let's stop looking at facts and figures and instead focus on individual's ability to live.