This vacation has been my first real downtime from work in about a year. It's been good to be with family in a part of the country where I once lived and may live in again. Most of all it's given me some good distance from my social justice activities. As I've explained the Occupy movement, Rebuild the Dream and other efforts to family, it only serves to make clearer in my mind that now is the time for us to act -- to WAKE UP as a recent post has said. Political "business as usual" was not working. As we go back into this new year, we need to empower ourselves, and especially our young people to act to clean up the mess made by previous generation. This is not an indictment of these generations but simply seeing things as they are. As we return to our fields of labor in this new year, I hope we resume the movement forward to fix our world and take care of all of our people!
I am glad to see next steps for the Occupy movement and the other movements taking form, including those mentioned above. "Occupy Foreclosure" is a good example.
It's important to not let this awakening be marginalized by those who wish to dismiss it as the work of a "few malcontents too lazy to get a job". It's also important not to let others appropriate these efforts for their own reasons good or bad. This includes allowing violence or anarchism for the sake of anarchy.
Finally, we in the movement need to listen to all who show up. We are coming off a tremendous period of world apathy. People in these movements locally and nationally have taken the time to show up and protest and in some cases camp. If people show up and ask to help, LET THEM! Do not dismiss those who have jobs, and those who may have some means but still want to effect change. I heop to join this discussion when i get back to town.
Here are my hopes for a happy and active and blessed New Year where we may see progress for everyone, especially those in the"99%" world wide.
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