i beg of thee!

"...it is their right, it is their duty ..."

From a multitude of sources and leanings, the 'Occupy' movement is being covered, and scrutinized. Only a couple months in to the movement, it has gone from a relatively small group of disenchanted occupying New York to hundreds of cities around the globe.  Amazingly, no recognized leadership is being claimed by the occupiers, as if they're waiting on the leadership to come to them.  Well, maybe that's the point.

Even before the occupy movement started, recent years have seen an increase in civil uprisings against their respective leaders.  Movements declaring "we're tired of your shit!"  The occupiers in this more recent movement are basically saying the same thing.  They are also proving to everyone that they do not individually have to agree on everything, but they all agree on one thing: the system has been corrupted by profit and power.  It's difficult to argue that.

Watching or reading the coverage by multiple news media, we are bombarded with phrases of police brutality, vandalism, prolific drug use, rape, incoherent statements, mis-education ...to the point that the overall message is being stifled.  This is much more than just a faction rising.  This is not a liberal or conservative propaganda machine, nor is it just a bunch of hippies and sympathizers.  This is a movement by the people against the corrupt, despotic state of bought leadership who have shown little or no concern for the well-being of its citizens.

To them:

Although i personally prefer a more civil and formal approach to addressing grievances, it is difficult to find blame in much of the behavior of the occupiers.  Many feel there is little option left and time has passed to regard civilities.  They have been pushed in to corners and see no point in regarding formalities to address the grievances anymore.  We will listen or they will get louder.  They have forgone respect for process because processes can be bought.  They have lost respect for elected offices because they also can be bought.  Even when groups have tried to be civil and do things 'by the book,' they have been 'allowed' to protest in the corner, removed from public.  Riot police are called in to 'keep the peace' at a peaceful assembly, then videos and testimony show law enforcement beating protesters.  The reason the occupiers are not listening to your ordinances and warnings is because you haven't listened to them.  They are trying to tell you that "of ...by ...for the people" has been replaced by "show me the money."  Do you really expect them to respect you?  I, for one (of the 99) do not respect you, and i will without hesitance throw my voice in with the occupiers and, we will not stop occupying until you get the point.

To us:

This movement gives me a more ensured hope that my faith in humanity is not a lost cause.  To see such a wide demographic in solidarity is inspiring.  The voice is empowering, knowing that "We the people" still has power.  I proudly stand with my brothers and sisters declaring in protest the injustices of greed in power.

With that said, i must also say this: it pains me that there are some in this movement giving credence to the claims by some that this has turned into mobs of lawlessness.  If we are going to stand in accord fighting injustice then we must be that example of behavior we desire to see from them.  Violence ...vandalism ...rape -- there is NO excuse for these activities, and i beg of everyone to do their part in ensuring these things are not part of your occupation.  To those who are the offenders, GET OUT!  i have no qualms with the cops nabbing your ass.  Your actions are a disgrace to the movement.  Also, we cannot be a hindrance to the rest of the population (the rest of the 99%), for they too are trying to ensure their security and stability.

i would beg of everyone to please educate yourselves on all these issues that we have individually.  Work with or form solution groups in your areas to not only tell the 'powers that be' that there is a grievance, but how we can make the changes that will "...form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity ..."  It is time to show them we are more than a bunch of factional deviants.  We are Americans, and we vote.



We are 99%

Solutions for Sustainability

It's 7pm, November 8th and there's now just over a dozen locals gathered in this small meeting room of the Senior Resource Center for this presentation of Lester Brown's proposals for a practical approach to the human factor on the global climate.  Plan B is Brown's response to a "world on the edge."

...humanity toward a sustainable society ...
In 1974, Lester Brown founded, with the aid of a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Worldwatch Institute, devoted to analysis of global environmental issues.  A thinktank focused on environmental issues, the goal was to educate the people and government about environmental problems and to recommend actions.  He was also given the MacArthur Foundation's genius award in 1986.

At the Earth Policy Institute, which he established in 2001 after leaving Worldwatch, Brown's interdisciplinary experience provided him with a refined ability to notice and track trends.  This new project was devoted to providing a plan to save civilization.

...to be addressed ...
After watching a portion of the Plan B Movie,  the speaker, Rebecca Heyer escorted us through a selection of slides covering the four main goals of the proposal.  This is also where the night was opened to more of a discussion over the bullets.  The first two, stabilizing population and eradicating poverty can both be handled with one global initiative ...education.  According to one attendee, " ...births decline when standards of living improve ..."  The consensus of the trends that Lester Brown brings to light show strong, relative correlations between population, poverty and education.  The lower/lacking education in societies or cultures tend to have higher population rates and higher poverty numbers.  The trends also indicate that in cultures where women are better educated, they in turn contribute more in the direction and well-being of the family unit, to include the size of the family unit.

Social goals was the third of the proposal.  From individual resolutions of saving energy costs at home and recycling, to local city planning of biking/walking paths and community gardens and much, much more, there is a myriad of activities that as individuals and as communities we can all get more involved in to be more self-sustainable.  Being self-sustainable also means less reliant.  Local involvement in city, county and state dealings with things like water and air quality, ground contamination, and efficient energy policies and programs put the power of the people in the forefront.

The fourth goal discussed is the local, state and global effort of restoring the Earth.  According to Lester's plan as calculated in 2009, a global commitment of $110 billion towards restoration efforts could make the difference in the direction of human impact on the global climate.  From planting trees and the conservation cultivation of topsoil, to the protection of biological diversities and rangelands or fisheries.  The list goes on and on of things that can be done, locally and globally.

At least according to the slides presented (and i always urge further reading and research), local and state initiatives around the globe have made tremendous differences in relatively short periods.  In South Korea, they have reforested 65% of its land.  Over the last 25 years, the United States has reduced soil erosion 40% by retiring cropland and practicing conservation tillage, while increasing grain harvest 20%.  Fishing restrictions in 6600 sq. miles of marine reserve in the Gulf of Maine has increased population over 90%, size over 30% and diversity 20% of the different species of fish there ...within two years.

...you, me, them ...
Awareness is the first step to any problem encountered ...individually and communally.  Recognizing that there is a problem that needs to be addressed precludes any direction of solutions.  The next step is educating yourself, first on the general impact then the big picture.  The links provided in this article and a general web search will be all one needs for a beginner's course on the subject.  Connect with others in the local environment that share the interest or that we can learn more from:  all sides, all disciplines.  Then, getting involved locally with organizations or groups working toward this sustainability.  Right here in Pensacola, we have 350Pensacola/Sustainable Gulf Coast program, the newly formed Pensacola Solutions Project, the University of West Florida student-led green energy initiative for the campus, not to mention the average local citizen adapting their own environments and business owners promoting sustainability efforts, and several more.  I personally would recommend beginning by reading this government article on the impact of human activity on the global climate and environment.  Also, sites such as Dirty Kilowatts/Environmental Integrity Project can give the viewer a run down on plants that emit dangerous levels of toxins and poisons into the ground and air.

The debate goes on over the degree to which human activities have affected global climate, or could have in the future but, it is undoubtedly true that an impact HAS been made, and an impact CAN be made.