My Thoughts On Occupy San Diego

This is a living article and may change in a a few minor details to clarify my expansive thoughts so that I am clear and unbiased. Thanks for your patience.

Disclaimer: These are my own thoughts on Occupy San Diego. And this is long as I am truly excited about another avenue for me to support!

I’ve followed Occupy Wall Street since the beginning because they triggered my hope like no other group has in a while. I started following Occupy San Diego when I heard it was coming, but I couldn’t get down there as quickly as I had wished for a variety of reasons. I managed to go down there a few times to work with the planning sessions. I’m a new vocal activist, unlike many who have been walking that path for years. I admire those people who follow their convictions so fearlessly, and hope to become like them.

What I saw and heard brought back my faith in people caring about something bigger than themselves. In an essence, I saw the creativity of a group of concerned citizens inspiring themselves and those around them to work together to build something unique and different, yet still so familiar to them. As I spoke to one of my fellow occupiers after the march through San Diego yesterday, he said “We are building a community from the ground up from nothing!” We were both blown away by the thought. Pretty awesome vision, if you ask me.

I support the occupation how I can. There are many that have done a lot more than I have. I joined their education group, and help with gathering a few of the numerous necessities for the stay to make those true heroes who are occupying comfortable during their day after day support for the entire movement. These people, like everyone who is supporting this cause, are putting their lives on hold when they can so that they can somehow help to start a necessary conversation in this country. A conversation about why the 99% are drowning under everything that comes from being responsible. They did everything right, followed the rules, and still got screwed.

Who can blame anyone who buys themselves a few comforts or objects of inspiration? There is one main argument naysayers put forward that irks me more than any other. It says that those “protesters” are hypocritical because they are using the products made by capitalism. Well, if any of those naysayers had been paying close attention to the words coming from those involved in the occupation, then they would understand that capitalism itself isn’t under attack. It’s the rampant irresponsibility of those financial makers who have decimated what was once a valuable tool in making civilization prosper. Making money in and of itself is not the fault, but those who let greed blind their moral vision to grab unlimited growth potential at the detriment of everyone else is. So, yes, in my mind, those who committed the financial frauds in business, economics, and politics have a large fault for the global shutdown and the suffering of the world.

But I’m getting off topic, because I want to talk about Occupy San Diego. See, how easy it is to become sidetracked when you stop listening and start emotional arguments?! This is why the Occupy Together movement is growing around the world. We want to keep a conversation going where we address the liabilities and start making possibilities. We’re tired of doing the responsible things, like voting and working in low-paying jobs, only to get further behind in our lives.

So, without any valid avenues to participate in what once was a democracy, we are taking hold of the only avenue available to us, and reaching out to others around the world who want to join hands together in making this world better by highlighting all of that greed that has actually stopped innovation. That greed that even mainstream media touts as “good”. We were glad that the media was there this time, but I sure wish that they would go back to unbiased media coverage. The condescension that I heard from some reporters is the reason why I don’t go to any of them for the purpose of learning, and haven’t in a long time. Is there any real media left in mainstream news that are doing it for the growth of the populace?

Occupy San Diego has nightly GAs (general assemblies) where people talk about how to make their little democracy work for everyone. No one gets ignored, if they choose to speak their mind. And no one gets stepped on because everyone takes each other’s opinions very seriously. People of all age groups and diverse backgrounds are getting involved. Sometimes, the conversations go on for long periods of time and are exhausting and frustrating. But no one said democracy was easy. And this isn’t all that they will do during the occupation. Just go to the OccupySD site to find out the details.

In addition to being responsible to one another, they are being equally responsible to the community. They have reached out to the police for responsible coordination to use a public venue. They have reached out to the business community for inclusion, and to make sure that we are all coexisting with equal respect. They are taking care of the space that they use. Probably more care than those who financed the area. The only people that seem to be “suffering” are those that refuse to stretch their minds out of their own comfort zones by accepting that Occupy movements are valid. And to those, well, there isn’t a whole lot anyone can do, because they have to do it on their own.

October 7, 2011 is a day that I will never forget, because it was the start of the true Occupy San Diego. I am new to “civil disobedience”, but it didn’t feel that way to me. San Diego Assistant Police Chief Boyd allowed for the peaceful rally because he believes in people exercising their First Amendment rights. And I was so moved by the sheer numbers that showed up for this rally. It had all of the elements of a parade. I should know because I’ve done quite a few of those while I was a student. The movement, the passions, the joyful expressions, the dedication to one’s beliefs, the camaraderie, it was all there and more. The feeling that we were all moving towards a single light of inspiration was palpable. The blocks that we covered melted into one another, because we were all moving in unison and feeding off of one another’s excitement. A chant started from one person, and was carried to the next person, and so on until a whole section was chanting the words. Words like “We are the 99 percent”, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, corporate greed has got to go”, and many others. People chanted, and sometimes they just cheered because their emotions burst into moments of joy. It’s hard to explain the feeling unless you were part of it. All I can say is that it was like every truly joyful moment where I was actively involved (like when I used to fly in those Cessnas I trained in). Pure, unadulterated JOY! The kind of joy that if you bottled it inside of you, you would never ever have a single moment where you weren’t inspired. That kind of joy. I was privileged to share it with all those who felt moved enough to participate in our pursuit of democracy as we envision it.

I’ve had to stop listening to the surrounding outcries from people who say things like “Get a job”, “If you protest, then you’re not an American”, “Go live somewhere else if you don’t like it here”, and a litany of ugly words that used to make me ashamed of humanity.

• Why is war and violence good?
• Why is taking business from someone else good?
• Why is a corporation allowed to have an equal voice as a citizen, yet exempt from paying their fair share after they use unlimited resources at cut rates?
• Why is our government non-functional (we passed dysfunctional decades ago)?
• Why can money rule the world at the expense of humanity?
• Why is it ok to destroy our limited resources for the sake of the never-ending pursuit of profits?

I have these questions and hundreds more that I would like answered by those people who complain on public forums, but do little else. I decided that I’m sick of complaining, so I’m making changes to try to do more. I wish that I’d started years ago, instead of stewing as a victim while doing only small pushes. I wonder what those who disagree with the Occupy Together movement have done lately that’s helped the entire world, and not just their own neck of the woods? Hmmm, another question I’m waiting to have answered.

If you agree with the sentiment behind Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Together, find one near you and join the movement. It’s nothing about destruction, and all about construction! We all want to construct a land and a world that we all can share equally. We want to do it together in consensus. Isn’t that just a small part of what democracy stands for? As the movement grows and matures, the answers that the mainstream are demanding will come.

But, I have to say, why are they expecting such large answers from a movement that is now about passion in its infancy (and NOT about politics, ideology, and other things that are driving mainstream America over the cliff), when the mainstream has had decades and can’t even vote for politicians who have a clue that might help humanity get back on our collective feet? I’m sure that the numerous Occupy movements, like Occupy San Diego, will have our answers a long time before the mainstream has its answers on how to get out of the recession. That will be another moment of pride for the Occupy movements. It’s all about doing something that we believe in together. And it’s beautiful, inspirational, joyful, and motivational.

p.s. Listen to the video guys talking while filming. We even started a passionate yet respectful discussion between them. This is what we’re about!