Culture Clash: We OccupyLA
This movement has demanded more from any one of us than has probably ever been demanded of us before. In different ways, through different means, we have all taken up this cause within our personal lives. For some of us, we no longer have distinctly ‘personal’ lives. On the most individual level our lives have begun to reflect the changes we seek to encourage; our lives have been revolutionized by the Occupy Movement.
Each person involved in Occupy is empowered to contribute what they can, according to themselves, within whatever context they desire. Together, we hope to operate on understanding and the power of collective will, united under our principles of solidarity. We suppress our ego’s to empower collective decision making, we check our ‘privilege’ to acknowledge that some of our voices and experiences, by the very nature of social dogma and discrimination, carry more power than others. We attack ideas, but not people. And we recognize that traditionally, the current political arena is a divisive distraction to keep every day people from engaging in constructive dialogue with each other. Hence, we are creating an alternative, an outlet.
In times of revolution or preceding such revolution, you cannot contribute work or perspective without in turn contributing your self. We have put our entire selves into this experience, to the point of emerging differently because of it. Whereas before activism was considered a hobby, something you do on the side, an indulgence, charity or volunteer work.. today it is a viable life alternative. We live to work and organize peacefully and politically. We seek to thrive.
We are all leaders. Some write and research, create media, update social media, coordinate general assemblies, attend marches/actions, court support, people’s collective university, and regular committee or affinity meetings. Certainly not the habits of lazy, dirty vagrants searching for a hand out. Certainly no reason to victim-blame those so disenfranchised with a corrupt and mis-representative political process that they would sleep on the ground, or risk arrest so that others might realize that social unrest is alive and well in this country.
For most of us, there is no other choice. And for that, we do not ask for your support we only ask that you do not demonize us. Do not taint our actions with the smear campaigns of Mainstream Corporate Media. We are doing nothing, if not carrying out the essential values and principles that make this country American. We choose to speak truth to power, no matter the cost. We choose to be free, even if it requires that we be brave.
We have decided that we cannot do nothing and live in a world in which we are told that poverty is acceptable, homelessness is villainous, and continue perpetuating hatred and discrimination as they persist in people’s hearts. We will not scapegoat migrants because of bad governmental policies, when we are a nation that needs to recognize we were founded upon colonialism and have perpetuated war at great human cost. We will not be silent as our rights are stripped away slowly, and free speech is criminalized. We have not forgotten Japanese Internment Camps, or how easily the US government compromises our freedom for supposed security with propaganda and fear mongering.
I mean, truly, who are you going to trust? The person, who very easily could have been your sister, cousin or uncle, who is so committed to their beliefs they will forgo showers and regular meals to meet other politically-minded individuals in the hopes that finally, somehow we can all come together to create new ideas and generate real resolve and action.
Or the politician reading from a teleprompter, who answers only to money and self-preservation?
Granted, there are some politicians who will continue the good fight. But as long as they carry allegiance to a polarized party structure, instead of principles, then we will always be compromised. As long as they insist upon using a two-faced color coded middle man to run our country, we will not have democracy.
