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On Friday evening a group of Montrealers braved the cold at Square Victoria to hold a small vigil for the children of Syria. They gathered with their families to light candles, draw pictures, and to stand for peace. Those in … Continue reading
Another year winds down, and I raise my glass and offer you this toast – wherever in the world you may be…
Here’s to new friends and old ghosts,
reluctant ends and making most.
To strangers with things yet to teach
And patience for the ones who preach.
To tears from which insight is born,
And laughter that can mend what’s worn.
To love of every kind that’s true
And minor chords that cure what’s blue.
To once great pain that now seems small,
And standing up more than you fall.
To good drinks, worthwhile fights,
And courage in your darkest nights.
May you live what you are meant to do
And may this new year be good to you.
~HM
Even in this quiet moment between protests and political rhetoric, there remains a good deal of hostility toward “the protesters” in Montreal. Perhaps by looking back over the last few months we can identify how our city ended up so divided, and how to move forward toward a more inclusive political climate.
Because I believe in the right of a people to protest, I’ve been wary in the past few months of criticizing the Montreal protests too strongly. But it’s not just “protest” in general that I support – and what’s happening here doesn’t make sense to me. So I’m discarding the foolish idea that not supporting the protesters means I’m supporting the government’s actions – because I’m not doing that either. What I DO believe is that intelligent, well orchestrated tactics of nonviolence (including but not limited to protest) can effect greater and more lasting change than violence. I believe, too, in a peoples right to challenge their government when they feel it does not represent them. But somehow, no matter what you’ve taken to the streets to oppose – no matter how just your cause – your message gets lost when you don’t engage the community, you don’t exercise discipline, or you just start acting like assholes. In a nutshell, those are my three big issues with this protest-in-progress.
Over the past few months, I’ve been pouring through live feeds, mainstream and independent media coverage and the propaganda from both sides. Talking to as many people as I can here in Montreal. Even with all that information, the whole thing has left me with a feeling of frustration – a discomfort with both sides – that’s been difficult to articulate. And I know I’m not alone. It feels like we’re all too anxious to make this a black and white issue – good guys and bad guys, right and wrong. That would certainly make it easier to judge, easier to support or oppose, to fix or to dismiss. But it’s not that easy. There are some elements of the protests that truly demonstrate the powerful beauty (and creativity) of a people united – specifically the pots and pans protests against Law 78. But to date, the actions of both the protesters and of the government have polarized the city. The protesters have made choices that have ultimately helped create the environment of public criticism that allowed the government to pass an indefensibly oppressive law. And the government, in turn, with a patronizing and short-sighted handling of the protesters (made all the more obvious by the incredibly creepy public service announcements about how fair they are being), has in turn given the protesters an international legitimacy they would otherwise not have earned. As if the issue wasn’t complicated enough, the protesters have been emboldened by that international support (mostly against Law 78) in spite of a lack of local solidarity. And forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but if we’re talking democracy here, LOCAL is where solidarity matters most. At the very least, it’s where solidarity needs to start.
In it’s most basic form, a protest that wishes to hold up the tenets of democracy (or to protest the lack of that democracy in it’s own government) must seek to unite – to find a common ground on which to stand against the action it wishes to oppose. A movement that does not seek the support of the people cannot succeed, and worse, risks becoming as tyrannical as the ruling power it opposes. The protesting students, while united with each other in large groups and powerful student unions, has still not reached outside the student community. It appears that from the beginning, they operated on the assumption that the rest of us were simply part of the problem, and needed to be treated as such. Their tactics, including blocking bridges and subways during rush hours, and tolerating the destruction of personal property during marches and protests, turned much of the city against them. Real people lost money. Local business owners suffered greatly as insurance companies refused to cover the repeated damage done to stores and restaurants along regular protest routes. They immediately alienated the very people whose support they should have been actively soliciting, and the backlash of that arrogance created the hostile environment that continues to work against them.
It bothers me when I see spokespeople for the protesters speaking about how they’re fighting for everyone – for me, for future generations. While I can identify with their sense of purpose, I just don’t buy it. Because when you haven’t actually spoken to the people you claim to represent (or claim to be fighting for) that’s a pretty arrogant thing to say. Good intentions aside, there is no – I repeat, NO – substitute for actual human conversation; person to person interaction. Not online petitions. Not websites. Not social media. We all remember what our parents told us about what happens when you assume. And when you skip the legwork – the real life interaction with the people you should be engaging – you don’t get to assume you know what we want. Again, despite what might be the best and most noble of intentions, if you don’t do the work, don’t expect the rewards. Authentic democracy does not have shortcuts. That’s arguably how we got here in the first place. Don’t presume to fight for me, take the time to fight with me.
When speaking about the violence and property damage caused during the marches and protests, I’ve heard it argued (and have argued myself) that it’s only a small group of idiots causing damage, and that despite the media’s obsession with focusing on those few, we should not judge the protesters based on that violence. On the one hand, it’s a valid argument. There has been little focus on the thousands of peaceful protesters because there are broken windows to point cameras at. However, I do not accept the idea that that the protesters as a whole should not take responsibility for preventing that violence and destruction. As an example, I point to a recent protest in Mexico as part of the YoSoy132 Movement. The organizers of YoSoy132 are facing a far more overtly oppressive government, and seem to understand that organization and discipline are instrumental to building the support and credibility of their movement. They seek unity – not spectacle. I refer you here, to the guidelines and rules they set out for those who wish to join them (read the full article here on Narconews.com).
“All who attend the march pledge to:
• Attend on Sunday, June 10, 2012 in the Zocalo without any partisan political displays. The recommendation is to dress in black.
• Not engage in any prosletism in favor of any candidate or party. This means not wearing the colors associated with political parties, images that allude to the candidates, cheers for any of their names, etcetera.
• March PEACEFULLY and on the indicated route.
• Remain in only one lane of traffic so as to not impede the travel of vehicles.
• Respect all who attend the march, pedestrians and vehicles along its path, irregardless of their political inclinations. There will be some guides during the march solely to indicate what that means, but we trust in your civility and if we act according to these guidelines everything should happen exactly as it is planned.
• Do not respond to any provocations by infiltrating groups nor occur in acts of vandalism or violence, such as taking down, damaging or destroying campaign signs. We must not damage any public services.
• Do not bring your voter ID of the Federal Elections Institute nor expensive objects of value that could be robbed or a target of provocations.
• Expose vandals and people who occur in acts of violence. If this occurs we suggest stopping the march and sitting down with arms crossed around the violent person, filming and taking photographs. This is how we will expose the aggressor.
• Deliver any person who conducts acts of vandalism or violence to the authorities.
• Inform the people of the truth about candidate Enrique Peña Nieto: his errors, goof-ups, evil governing, inexperience, ignorance, etcetera.
• Inform about the dishonest news by media companies bought by the PRI party (like Televisa) that have edited or ommitted relevant information that would expose the true face of Peña Nieto.
• In the event that any of these cited agreements are violated, retreat from the march.
Attentively,
The Organizers”
Specifically, I point to this:
“• Deliver any person who conducts acts of vandalism or violence to the authorities.“
You cannot protest a government with chaos. Governments – and authority in general – know very well how to deal with chaos. You must approach them – challenge them – with more powerful weapons, namely organization, unity and discipline. In essence, a protest that wishes to gain the critical support of the greater public must be self-governing. And a protest cannot boast the will of the people without that critical support. Without that support, your actions are not holding your government accountable – you’re simply holding your city hostage. Just imagine, for a moment, what a powerful statement it would have been if the peaceful protesters had turned the rock throwers and vandals over to the authorities themselves. What sort of statement would that have been about the true focus and priorities of their message?
The single most important thing that our Quebec protesters seem to misunderstand about protest – about the effective practice of nonviolence in general – is that it is not spontaneous cooperation. Or impromptu anger that reaches some tipping point and simply spills out into the streets. It is not disorganized. It is not repeating the same tactic over and over again expecting something different to happen. Lack of strategy and disorganization weaken the purpose of their protest, and the true practice of nonviolence is not weakness. Like the warfare that includes weapons and casualties, nonviolence is strategy, organization, discipline and unity of purpose. It is not simply taking to the streets. It is understanding what one wishes to change, the obstacles to that change, and the strategy required to remove or overcome those obstacles in order to effect that change. Above all else, it’s working (yes, working) to unite people behind your cause. It’s all about the people. The very premise of nonviolent struggle is that the real power ultimately lies with the people. So if you want the power, you need the people.
For now, there really are no heroes in Montreal. Everyone is angry and everyone is behaving badly. But it isn’t the government or the police that have the most potential to learn from their mistakes and move forward toward finding more positive, inclusive solutions. It’s the protesters. Truth be told, I want to support them. Many of us do. But for that to happen, they need to demonstrate the discipline and strategy necessary to engage and include the rest of the city.
Students have been protesting the scheduled tuition hike since it was announced in March of 2011. They have organized marches involving hundreds of thousands of people. So why has Montreal become so hostile to their message? Are they fighting for something worthwhile, or simply whining about the increase because they’re used to being so spoiled?
******************
In the beginning I was very skeptical. I attended university in the U.S., saddled with student loans up to my and my parents’ eyeballs, and the idea of Quebec students protesting a relatively small tuition increase to the lowest tuition in North America seemed rather absurd. After all, I paid far more in one year than any of them will pay for their entire education. Who were they kidding?
And I had statistics on my side – that well-timed press release that Quebec students were only actually paying 12% of the cost of their education. Only 12%? Seriously? Many of us – parents, job-holders…the ‘grown-ups’ – had a hard time seeing these student protesters as much more than spoiled, self-entitled kids who just didn’t want to go to class. After all, shouldn’t students have to foot some part of the bill? If it’s free – if they have no stake in it – how can we expect they will take it seriously? We worked for our educations, so who do they think they are complaining about tuition while they march down St. Catherine Street in their $800 Canada Goose jackets? Get a job. Problem solved. Much to the glee of Mr. Charest, the arguments and condemnation continued to pile up. People I know who hardly ever get riled up over political issues started hurling insults across social media. Stupid spoiled kids.
Then it got worse. While our provincial government must have hoped that the lack of public support would kill the protests quickly, that’s not what happened. The students blocked a major bridge during rush hour. The ‘grown-ups’ were not impressed. We were late for work and we cared even less about their stupid tuition problem. We wondered what the hell they were thinking. Sure, they had our attention, but only long enough to piss us off. What purpose could their poorly-timed temper tantrum possibly serve?
As time went on, each new protest was reported by the media not in terms of growing solidarity, but in property damage – furthering damaging their credibility. From what we continue to see on the news, each new protest appears to bring some variety of mayhem along with it. Close-up shots of rocks through windows. Broken glass. Damage. Violence. Stupid, self-entitled kids. End of story.
But that ISN’T the end of the story. In fact, it’s not the story at all.
Let’s go back, because this didn’t happen overnight. In March of 2011, a small group of Quebec students took to the streets to protest after the government announced that it would raise tuition by 75% in 2012. Just 8 months later, on November 10th, 2011, 20,000 students marched in Montreal to protest the upcoming tuition hike. 20,000. If you’ve ever tried to organize anything you know that’s impressive. It’s one thing to gain the support of that many people – but to organize and mobilize them into a 20,000 person march is remarkable. With numbers that big, one has to wonder if it’s even possible to rally that many people over nothing greater than a sense of self-entitlement. That doesn’t make much sense. The trouble is, aside from being “the students,” we don’t really know much about what they are asking for.
Recently, Julius H. Grey wrote an article for The Gazette explaining his view on why the students have a good case. Instead of talking about the protesters and their actions, he speaks to what they are actually protesting about – access to education. I encourage you to read his article, but in it he concludes:
“We should reject out of hand the right-wing populism that masquerades as common sense and promotes “user fees” of all sorts to cut taxes. The end result will be a constant increase in inequality. Instead, Quebec should reiterate our belief in an open, free university, not encumbered by the goals of the business lobby or the push toward productivity. Such a system should be accessible to all who desire to learn.”
He makes a decent case for the pursuit of free education. But is that realistic? We do, after all, have the lowest tuition fees around. Don’t they eventually have to increase for us to remain competitive? Aren’t the students – even if they are well-intentioned – being a little unrealistic? Well, according to Alexander Shields at Le Devoir, the answer is no. In his article, The Cost of Free, Shields estimates that it would actually cost the government less than 1% of its expenditure budget to offer free education. Less than 1%. Maybe we should be talking about this.
So let’s recap. If this movement wasn’t simply a collective temper tantrum, but a carefully planned initiative that has grown over the last year, the simplistic media caricature of the spoiled student doesn’t fit. And, more importantly, if what they are protesting actually merits our attention, then how did our reactions veer so far, so quickly and so drastically against them? The short answer – it’s everyone’s fault. Collectively – as grown-ups, students, friends and neighbors – we screwed this one up.
First, the students have made some pretty critical mistakes. While the strength of the student unions and their ability to mobilize students is very impressive (the envy of many student unions elsewhere in Canada), they lost the public’s support mainly because they never bothered to ask for it. Judging solely by the actions they took, there appears to have been no attempt to reach out to anyone outside the student community.
Finding ways to disrupt daily life is certainly a tactic, but it shouldn’t be the ONLY tactic. You don’t win arguments (or supporters) by standing in someone’s way and yelling at them. You also don’t win supporters throwing rocks through windows.
Now, to be fair, it’s obvious that it’s a very small percentage of protesters actually causing any damage. However, the leaders, spokespeople and organizers should have been MUCH quicker in denouncing the violence. When you allow it, or condone it through silence, you allow both the government and the media to paint you as the enemy they wish you were – no matter who you actually are or what your message is. You lend credibility to their assertions that you are nothing more than reckless children.
While there are other critiques to be made, the students’ greatest and most surprising mistake is that they have largely allowed the media to define them. As a generation raised to become experts of social media, I can’t imagine how they let that happen. They could easily have made and circulated YouTube videos explaining their goals, telling their stories and encouraging others to join them; or encouraged their enormous network to spread information created by the unions themselves. Maybe even get their striking students, perhaps an economics major or two, to crunch the numbers that might make their case. Anything to serve as an alternative to the evening news – which cares little for facts and balance when there’s a shiny broken window to gawk at.
I did say the blame was shared, and I meant it. As Montrealers, we are used to being divided – and for the most part, we are complicit to this division. English and French. Quebecois and Immigrants. Students and Grownups. It’s all essentially the same thing. And since the protests began we have treated ‘the students’ as if they were some foreign invading army. Them. But it’s not ‘them’, it’s ‘us’. Our neighbors, our kids, our friends’ kids. We don’t have to agree, but let’s at least admit that basing our opinions on a few traffic jams and the 6 o’clock news is not the same as listening to what they have to say. And not one of the people whom I questioned after I saw their hate-filled status messages took the time to attend a protest or speak to a single student to find out what was actually going on. Shame on us for that. As grownups, we’re being awfully childish. Why do we keep turning on the TV to find out what’s happening outside our windows?
We’re better than this. And we really should be able to come together on something other than hating Toronto. Again, I’m not saying we have to agree, but before we vent our hate on Facebook, we should at least know what we’re railing against – and what it means for the future of our province.
So now what? It’s apparent that the protesters aren’t going anywhere. Let’s focus on the issue at hand instead of how it has been delivered. Consider for a moment: Is raising tuition really necessary? Is not raising it truly unrealistic? Are increased grants and bursaries a more equitable solution? Should all people have equal access to post secondary education regardless of financial means? Is it in the government’s (society’s) best interest to facilitate an educated population?
It bears repeating that nothing is gained on either side by standing in the way and yelling. Enough yelling. Enough division. Enough hate. Let’s have the conversation.
Dear World,
I hope this reaches you in all of your corners. You – especially you. Citizens of the world. I feel that it’s urgent that I speak with you directly. There is something I need you to know. You see, I am an American. And while there are a number of things about my community and my country that I am proud of, I know that right now - from the outside – it really does appear that the entire United States has gone batshit crazy. In some cases, I fear that it has. But the rest of us are still here.
I know that you haven’t seen me on the news. I don’t own a soapbox – nor do I belong to a church or club that might provide me with one - and I don’t believe in winning an argument by simply yelling the same thing over and over again hoping my opponent will simply get too tired to continue to oppose me. I don’t think that “because my God said so” is a valid argument in ANY political forum. I don’t look like a dirty hippy and I often wear suits to work, so the media is unlikely to use me to represent protest or dissent. I also – perhaps most importantly – don’t hate anyone, which apparently isn’t very newsworthy. I believe that all people are created equal until they prove themselves to be idiots or assholes. I know it seems that people like myself are vastly outnumbered here, but that isn’t true. It’s only that being rational and accountable doesn’t make good television. It doesn’t make anyone richer.
Unfortunately, I don’t imagine I’ve been alive long enough to understand (or explain) when it really happened – when this government of ours truly ceased to represent its people, but I suspect it has been a very long time. I’m not certain when ”it” (because this government is very much a thing and not a collective “who”) decided that “for the people” could and should exist independently from “by the people” – that questionably elected officials could decide what was best for us without our voices or our consent. I don’t know when it happened. But it has. My government thinks that corporations are people and that pizza is a vegetable. It has all but stopped even the pretense of listening to what we need. With each wasted day in our legislature, this could not be more obvious – that its decisions (when they are able to make them at all) are not in any part governed by the will of the people. We see this. And we are realizing how absurd it was for us to believe that we could expect to be responsible citizens of our nation by simply having a job or watching the six o’clock news. That we didn’t necessarily have to be involved in the political processes of our nation. We have gotten the memo. We were wrong.
And even as we wrestle with how to best fix this mess, the right hand of our political machine (no more corrupt than the left but certainly more prone to circus-like behaviour) has chosen my uterus as its political battleground. We stand in awe and embarrassment. And anger. They are selling their newest political candidates as spiritual leaders. We are not fooled. We know how dangerous that is. We know that faith is a component of personal freedom, and not something to be imposed upon a nation that celebrates that freedom. They have decided to spend millions of dollars – that could actually be used to help people - campaigning to cultivate the worst in our nature – fear, hate and judgement. They seek their power by dividing us. They have forgotten what comes after “United we stand, …” We see this. These people, this political cesspool, does not represent us. Behind their faces on your televisions, we are still here.
The fact is that no matter who you are – no matter what country you read this from – you and I have more in common than I have with my government. Chances are the same is true for you and yours. No matter what your faith or what hardships you have endured – some that I cannot even imagine, possibly even at the hand of my government (or because it has ignored you) – we are not so different. For all the voices of division that grow louder, more and more of us are growing smarter. More informed. More aware. Talking to each other. Working together. We are learning that there is power in our voices, and power for others in our silence. That active social responsibility is not optional in a society that seeks personal freedom and equality.
I don’t know, World, what the future holds. But even in the face of all this uncertainty and tyrannical political power – we do believe that change is possible. Some of you, in fact, are the ones inspiring us. Thank you. We see you. We know what we are up against. And I wanted to make sure you knew that most of us are not the bigoted millionaires and extremists that claim to speak for us, nor do we admire or support them. It’s important to me that you know that. Please share this message with your friends and your family. It’s important that they know, too. My voice is not loud, but that does not mean that it is not strong.
Behind our grandstanding prime time political freak show, we are still here. And while the media might not cover it, there are many of us working to change things. In the meantime, while I know they are disastrous, please don’t hold our politicians against us.
Sincerely,
American Raksha
If we truly desire that our government be by the people and for the people, then accountability must begin with the people.
Whether you support them or not, there has been a new dialogue created by the Occupy Wall Street Movement. If my own colorful circle of friends is any indication, the reactions to the ongoing protests are anything but unanimous. While some commentary is fairly predictable of those standing stubbornly behind their elephant or donkey (respectively), I couldn’t help but notice that despite our seemingly enormous differences, there is – believe it or not – a thread that seems to unify the dialogue of supporters and detractors alike. An actual patch of common ground. We all – except maybe for that one guy in Zuccotti Park getting too many hits on YouTube for yelling that the world owes him stuff – believe in the idea of being responsible for our own actions – and holding other people accountable for theirs. It seems that everyone weighing in on both sides speaks to this idea of accountability. The trouble is that no matter which side you are on, the fingers are always pointing in the wrong direction. Because accountability is not a justification for placing blame. In fact, it’s the opposite. It is an onus – a duty of each of us as citizens of a democracy – to know (at the very least) what the hell we are talking about.
A Strategic Shift
So let’s start from scratch for a moment. Because this is important. For the first time in a very long time, people are talking seriously about something other than the impossibility of change within our system of government and the financial system it is so closely tied to. The very fact that people believe in the possibility of change is what makes change possible. That’s a big deal. We cannot afford to waste this moment in history – this extraordinary opportunity – having the same ideological arguments that got us here. If we can all agree that we are each responsible for our own actions – held accountable for them – let’s start there. That can be the first thing we ALL have in common. That “American Dream” we were all raised on is based on that idea – that personal responsibility and hard work make all things possible. We believed that long before the grownups taught us how to divide and resent each other. Whoever you are and whatever you believe – republican, democrat, fed up or just freaked out – you are probably both right and wrong about things. We all are. Not one of us is right about everything. And, more importantly, we are each personally responsible for our own education. It is no one elses job to keep you informed. Education – just to be clear – is more than school and degrees. It is perpetual learning. Let that be the place where our accountability begins. If there is something you don’t know or don’t quite understand – you are responsible for learning about it. Informing yourself. Seeking out new ideas with the understanding that what you know today is not enough for tomorrow. There is always more. If we want our country to change – to listen and to evolve with the will of it’s people – then we must each be willing, at the smallest person-to-person level, to do the same.
It starts with the smallest thing. Conversation. By altering – ever so slightly – the way we relate to each other in conversation, we can learn volumes. That’s important. We can effect enormous change. We are powerful. It starts with a small shift in perspective. We can demonstrate our belief in personal responsibility by changing our objective in each conversation we have. Instead of aiming to be right, aim to end every conversation smarter than you were when it started. That is personal accountability (and social responsibility) at the most basic level. Don’t expect to ‘win’ – expect to learn something. In order to really take responsibility for our beliefs, we have to be willing to take in all the available information to base those beliefs on – and the information available to us changes with every moment, every interaction – every conversation that we have, and every new person that we meet. Our belief system has to be an active thing. Open to every new experience that will either change or reinforce what we think.
It is that shift in the focus of our conversations that has begun to allow for change. It is happening because the beliefs (judgements, cynicism and apathy) we have held onto for so long are destroying our country. But now, people who have found themselves homeless and unemployed despite hard work and expensive educations have become so desperate to find a solution that they have begun listening to each other. Imagine that. To share their experiences. To look to each other for ideas, solidarity, and a means of changing their conditions. Because they have to. Conditions have to change. More people every day are being forced to reevaluate what they believe – and what (or who) they are willing to believe in. The validity of our blood feud political system is very much in question. And perhaps it took having our TVs repossessed to finally get our attention, but here we are.
Clearing the Air
When we don’t listen to each other, we are easy to manipulate. Ignorance and misinterpretation spread faster than a celebrity sex tape. In the world of sound bites and short attention spans, we grab at clever sarcasm and ill-informed, out-of-context rhetoric so that we can pass judgement quickly and go back to bashing Twilight. It’s not news to anyone that most people would rather read about misbehaving debutantes than educate themselves about electronic voting fraud or corporate tax laws. And – conservatives and liberals alike – we are all guilty of not paying much attention to what the other party appears to be ranting about – unless we can use it against them to prove one of our own points. But before we can point fingers across the aisle we at least need to know what we’re arguing about. What BOTH sides are arguing about. Not with sound bites, or by copy/paste quoting your favorite political commentator onto Facebook. Be responsible. Be educated. Whether you’re sporting business suits or Birkenstocks, this is your problem. This is accountability.
There are misconceptions on both sides of the Occupy Wall Street debate. And again, it’s because this dialogue is so important that it’s worth taking the time to clear them up. There are a lot of people out there with a vested interested in keeping the waters muddy. In keeping we-the-people divided. Sadly, we live in a time with such obvious corruption that you no longer have to be a conspiracy theorist to know our government is bought and sold. If you had any lingering doubt about who our politicians work for, it was surely erased when they decided that chemical-rich pizza was a vegetable – for our children. It would be a bad joke if it wasn’t indicative of something so devastating. So when we watch the news or listen to politicians and commentators, it’s essential that we always consider the source – what that person or organization has at stake. Why let someone you have never met – with their own opinion, angle, and bias – tell you what to think? Sure, it’s easier. But in doing so you ignore your personal responsibility to educate yourself. To learn what is true. To have an opinion that is informed as opposed to convenient. Think of it this way. If you walked into an umbrella store on a sunny day and the clerk told you it was raining, you wouldn’t think “hey, maybe it’s raining now,” you’d think “hey, this asshole is trying to sell me an umbrella.” You would recognize that he was trying to sell you something. At the very least, you’d walk back a few steps and look out the window. You have to look out the window. News networks are no different. Accountability is informing yourself. Be accountable for your thoughts. Don’t ever let anyone (including me) give you your opinion. It’s yours. It matters. Be responsible for it. Gone are the days when we can hide behind the idea of being ‘misinformed’. There is simply too much information available out there. Yes, it takes work to understand and consider several viewpoints, but it is your social obligation to do so.
Do you remember what our parents taught us about what happens when we “assume” things? Well they were right. And it’s even worse to use an assumption to form an argument. If you think that the Occupy Wall Street protesters hate rich people, believe they are owed something for nothing, or are made up primarily of spoiled young people and aging hippies, you need to take a closer look. Those things are categorically untrue – perfect examples of false assumptions being used to form arguments. I know the press enjoys interviewing the dirty, pajama-clad revolutionary demanding the rich people give him some of their money, but he is no more indicative of the movement than a gay-bashing, openly racist wife-beating car salesman represents republicans just because he shows up at their rally. It’s absolutely true that if you only watch network news, it’s hard to know what to make of these folks. They are often presented as vague, poorly organized kids and crazies with no objective beyond some irritating urban camping. But why not find out for yourself? Do some research? Drop by the local occupation? Whatever your opinion, nothing makes you look more like an ass than basing your argument on something that was never true in the first place.
Here are a few things that are true. All walks of life are represented within the movement. Yes, lots of young people – but plenty of everyone else. From bonds traders to police officers. Real estate agents and artists. Employed and Unemployed. The whole spectrum of their 99% mantra. OWS believes that the wealthy should be subject to the same tax laws as everyone else. They are part of the same society and therefore should be subject to the same rules. Currently, they are not – thus the protesting. They believe our political process should be based on the vote of the populous – as opposed to being bought and sold by special interest groups and corporations willing to buy or bully anyone that might get in their way – even if it means poisoning our children. That if you still believe your vote counts (if you vote at all), you’re really not paying attention. The illusion of democracy is unacceptable to them – thus the protesting. They are not asking for hand outs – they are demanding that hard work and education will bear fruit beyond eventual layoff and perpetual debt. They are demanding, and attempting to create, an actual democracy to replace the current pretense of one. It is messy, it is dangerous, and it won’t look like the roomful of organized, well-shaved suits on C-span, but it is far more patriotic.
A Decade Brought to You by the Letter “A” (and the number 99)
We cannot dismiss this movement because they are gathered in the streets. To do so is to surrender your voice – to acknowledge that the individual does not matter. When our system of government ceases to represent us, what other choice is there? We support such movements in other countries. We applaud their demand for democracy. That’s why I find the backlash to Occupy Wall Street by fellow citizens so odd. They are demanding democracy. If you think they are messy and disorganized, help them get organized. If you feel they don’t represent you, go to the next rally and use your voice. They are fighting for YOU. Perhaps that’s what most of their detractors don’t realize. The beauty of the movement is that all are welcome. Every belief. Every voice. From left to right. They don’t care how much you make or what you worship. They practice a rough democratic process in their meetings because they are living their only demand. That each voice matter. That each person be educated and informed. That personal responsibility be rewarded with opportunity. That ALL are accountable. Whether Occupy Wall Street ultimately succeeds in changing our government remains to be seen. What is true right now, however, is that the movement has already begun to shape the direction of this new decade. It has challenged our cynicism, our ignorance and our apathy. It has inspired the support of thousands by insisting that change is possible. It has made us hopeful. And make no mistake – hope is powerful.
When people in other countries rally in protest, many of us somehow feel as though we stand with them. As far removed as we may be, when they decry their governments and peacefully demand change we applaud them. When they are physically attacked, we demand accountability. They garner our support as they exercise their rights to demand democracy, equality, and all the things we like to think we stand for. When talking about “state controlled media” in other countries, we accept that these broadcasts are biased. We know what propaganda is, and when we look elsewhere – or in history – we see how effectively it can be used.
So then why, when those same protests happen here in our own country, are we so quick to dismiss them as a small group of 20-something, disorganized, dirty hippy, nothing-better-to-do college radicals – who can’t even agree on what their demands are? Why do we feel we are immune from the same bias of state and media? If we are actually democratic, shouldn’t we – at the very least – hear what they have to say? Do we honestly believe we have nothing to legitimately protest? Have you happened to notice that the bulk of network ‘news reports’ on the movement read strangely more like angry, dismissive editorials than, well, news? That instead of simply providing facts, they want to make sure they tell you how you should feel about it? I hope you’re paying attention.
No matter what political party you hate the least, as Americans we can usually agree that our government – the country itself – is supposed to be “by the people and for the people” (even if you’d rather it be your people than someone elses). We learn it in school. It’s the reason we vote. It’s the reason we argue about what we believe in. We can see clearly that our government is broken. That is not a radical belief, it’s a fact – one supported by soaring unemployment and a crumbling economy – and a congress that couldn’t pass gas. Our elected officials are childish and petty and selfish. It’s not getting better. And it’s so big that we, as individuals, aren’t sure what to do about it. We feel powerless. So why are we all so quick to dismiss protesters? Well, we’re jaded. We don’t protest anymore because voices are not power. Money is power. Elections are won with finances, not with good ideas. It appears that we’re waiting for someone to fix it for us. Many thought it would be Obama. His speeches inspired people to give a shit about the world around them – he dared us to hope for something better. But, as it turns out, you can’t fix the government by changing it’s figurehead. It’s the government itself that will have to change. That is a HUGE thing. A seemingly impossible thing. And because it demands such enormous change to the status quo, it won’t be one person that saves us. It will have to be us. All of us. Yes, that means you.
I know, I know. The trouble is, we’re used to it. We are comfortable here. We’re busy. We like to bitch and moan and point fingers but, ultimately, as long as we are not personally unemployed – if it isn’t ME that’s lost my home – it’s easier to ignore than to get involved. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the louder our news seems to report that the recession is over, the worse things seem to get. What we worry about is true. Every day it seems more inevitable that eventually, it WILL be us too. So perhaps now is a good time to at least ask a few questions. Maybe open one eye and see what other people are doing about this mess we’re in. If I could just have your attention for a moment over here…I will not tell you what to think. I only ask that you think. That’s kind of the point.
So now back to the folks on Wall Street. Who are they? What do they stand for and why should I care?
‘Occupy Wall Street’ is not a single protest. It’s a movement. It is not simply made up of students who recently discovered their degrees lost all resale value when they stepped off-campus. They bill themselves as “The 99%” (as opposed to the 1% that control all the wealth). They are made up of every age group, every demographic, and every (yes, every) political affiliation. There are people there who were present in other such protests around the world. There are educated, articulate people. From grannies to 9/11 1st-Responders. Retired cops to (yes) college students who want their future back. Thousands and thousands and growing. Similar occupations are materializing all over the country…and support is coming in from all over the world. The reason the media thinks they “can’t even agree on a list of demands” is because they are NOT holding the park hostage. They are occupying it. There is no list. They only want one thing. While they wait, they are creating an example of open democracy. In their twice-daily General Assemblies they discuss topics brought forth by those in attendance. They march because they’d really like your attention – just long enough to explain what they’re marching for. You see, they are demanding exactly that enormous change that all of us have come to think of as impossible. They are saying “1% of this country controls everything. Well, we are the other 99%, and we want our country back.” Our network media (yes, controlled by that pesky 1%) has made it clear that they think the movement is stupid, pointless, and that it will fail. Why do you suppose that is?
This movement is organized – they have a social media machine, live video feed of the occupation, posted guidelines for peaceful protesting, legal information, online resources and a po box for sending donations and support. They know that everyone can’t be there in person, and they make it easy for others to help. Even if it’s only to spread the word that it’s finally time. To inform and be informed. And the world is watching. They are getting the help they’ve asked for. Much to the surprise and disappointment of those trying to discredit them, arrests and insults have not deterred them. They are fighting for their future…so where else are they gonna go? They’ve won support from the likes of Noam Chomsky and Michael Moore. They are using their voices. Not to scream – but to stand up, speak and be heard. Not to alienate but to include. Not to divide but to unite. It’s not political, it’s human.
By extension, ‘they’ are all of us. We are also the 99%. We don’t need to be united by any other commonality besides our desire for the democracy this country started with. An actual dialogue, instead of just the pretense of one. Yes, it is one enormous demand, but what if…
Remember…”All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
So now that you know, what will you do?
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