My ‘Occupy’ experience — and the rest of the story

AMERICANS, AND I AM SURE to a lesser degree people worldwide, often complain about their corrupt and deceitful governments while doing little to participate or solve the problem. I consider myself a doer, and to some extent an activist for progressive change. My goals for change do not necessarily run along political party lines but rather along moral and ethical ones. Those who know me either applaud me as a moderate liberal activist or demonize me as a “communist un-American socialist traitor.” Fortunately, most people see me as a moderate, reasonable person, though they may not agree with everything I espouse. The bottom line is that the “99%” — and even some of the reasonable “1%” like Warren Buffett — know that our way of doing socio-politico-economic business in America is broken. The time is long overdue for major changes in our corporate government system — and Occupy Wall Street is the forefront of that coming wave of progressive change. While a small portion of activists may behave in an uncivilized fashion, damaging property, impeding traffic, assaulting others or leaving debris in public areas, it’s important to remember that democracy is usually not an efficient process. Sometimes things get messy. The actions of a few immature or unstable people do not tarnish the whole movement, which is overwhelmingly intent on peaceful, meaningful change. Compared to the egregious machinations of government war criminals and government-aided corporate greed, a few messy parks are inconsequential. Of course, we see mostly slanted reporting from corrupt corporate media that depicts the unacceptable behavior of a small minority of Occupiers. Those who operate with a political agenda seek to tarnish the movement for other, equally nefarious reasons. Yet despite these and other ill-informed efforts to portray the Occupiers in an unfavorable light to the electorate, as the movement grows it continues to draw more support and participation from the 99%. I have made a commitment to be part of the solution, and to date have participated in two local protests. Several weeks ago, on “Occupy Bank Day” I participated in a very peaceful demonstration with about 30 other local residents in front of the JPMorgan Chase Bank in the main Vallejo shopping center across from Target. Many of us had signs — “Audit the Fed,” “Take your money out of big banks,” “Stop corporate corruption of politics,” “We are the 99%,” etc. — and we walked in a circle in front of the bank for several hours. It was very encouraging to see many people drive by, honking their horns in solidarity and showing support in other ways. I met a bright, enthusiastic community organizer I plan to connect with a consumer financial protection organization. Then, last month, my partner Jane and I participated in Occupy Martinez in front of the post office on Alhambra Boulevard at the junction of Highway 4. We counted approximately 100 respectful participants carrying signs and chanting slogans on both sides of Alhambra. I spoke with a volunteer named Frank who paid for the sign materials and personally made more than 75 signs. I was so moved by his dedication that I offered to donate two dozen cans of spray paint to aid him in making more signs. At that moment I felt hopeful that if enough people participate in this positive movement, there is a possibility of real change coming to our broken political system. Violence by protesters and police is unacceptable. The recent incident at the University of California-Davis, and uncounted incidents like it, should never have happened. But it is telling that this blatant abuse of power is seen as an isolated incident, while few discuss the ramifications of the timely donations of millions of dollars to the NYPD Foundation by JPMorgan, Bank of America, Barclays, Jeffries & Co. and other banking institutions. These banks know, it seems, who is keeping them from having to face the growing crowds who seek economic justice for having driven the economy into a ditch from which it has yet to recover. This, of course, highlights the OWS protesters’ chief complaint: that the rules don’t apply equally to all, that the Friedman/Thatcher/Reagan “trickle down” myth never really worked, that “corporate personhood” is an affront — and that capital protects itself by engineering the curtailment of constitutional rights. But there is a message and focus of the Occupy movement that is stronger and more powerful than the sum of its parts, and this cannot be curtailed. That message is that the “99%” will sleep no more. We are fed up with the corruption, exploitation and deceit and we are ready to take steps to effect change. My partner and I plan to participate in many more nonviolent demonstrations in our local communities, be it Vallejo, Benicia, Martinez or Concord. I strongly urge any of you who have not yet participated to demonstrate your patriotism and be part of the solution. Show your support in your local communities. One of the biggest threats to democracy and justice is not only the government, but the silence of good people. An active majority can definitely make a positive difference in our society. I am getting out there to be an active participant for change, and I hope you will, too.