Occupied (Or how to go camping,get stoned, and run a city)

This is going to make some people angry...

I wish I could sit in a park all day and bitch about the injustices in the world. Dont get me wrong, in examining the convoluted messages coming out of Occupy Portland I have heard a lot of complaints that I completely agree with. I just dont see how sitting around in a park is going to accomplish anything other than sitting in a park. It is about as effective as a bunch of people sitting in my living room except my living room is comfortable and smells better. Additionally sitting in my living room carries no danger of being stabbed with a used needle.

The parks are a public space, in other words they are owned by the good citizens of our fair city. The damage done to the parks will cost us money that could be spent elsewhere. I mentioned that on the Occupy Portland website and my remarks were called slanderous because I did not cite proof of the money being spent. OK valid point. I made that remark based on the myriad of headlines proclaiming that the city is bleeding money to accomodate the Occupiers. My counter would be prove to me that sitting in a park is working.

"How did you get this number" has been the opening lines of several personal assistants for CEO's of various corporations. The answer is not always straight forward but it is never "I found it in a park while I was sitting there with a sign". The folks running the corporations dont give a fat rats ass about folks trashing a city park. Want to make a point? Go to the corporate headquarters of BofA and "Occupy" the parking lot.

"We are standing in solidarity with the Occupiers of Wall Street" is a phrase I have heard thrown around a lot. That's great...I totally understand that. Shortsighted and lacking in conviction but if that makes you feel like you are accomplishing something then by all means I wont stop you. But, if you really want to make a difference then stand with them on Wall street. It's obvious that there are a lot of people with a lot of spare time so why not go to New York? The folks occupying Wall Street have a great idea...they are in the financial center of the US. Take the gripe to the folks that can make a difference.

The freedom rides helped to bring massive change to this country. A group of people who wanted to right the wrongs that were sanctioned by the law of the land took direct action and made change happen. Conviction and appropriate action...and every last one of the folks on those buses are unsung heroes who walked the walk as opposed to just talking the talk. If all of the protesters occupying public spaces all over the US were to show up on Wall Street people would take notice. It would still put a huge burden on the taxpayers though. Now if all of the protesters occupied the corporate headquarters of Bank of America the financial burden would be on Bank of Americas private security...not the tax payers. If the folks that run the joint cant get to work things will change.

Making change happen peacefully is a challenge. Not an insurmountable challenge by any stretch, but I don't really see anyone in Portland stepping up to that challenge. Sitting in a park is easy...