#NerdsUnite: An Observation on #OccupyOakland
<editorsnote> For weeks now people have been posting on my wall, and tweeting to me that I should cover something on Occupy Wall Street. I, personally, will never ever ever ever evvveeerrrrrrrr talk about politics. It's not my passion, man - I'm an effin hippie! BUUUUTTT I'd adore it if someone DID come on board to cover it!! Insert Monica. I met her in San Fran on one of my many adventures, and Occupy Wall Street is her passion - so now she's here to talk about it! YAYYY FINALLY!!! </editorsnote>
#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @stinkerbell
I never went to the original location of the occupy encampment. The day I visited, a new camp was being erected at 18th and Linden Street. It was a grassy vacant lot. According to organizers, the property owner was in foreclosure so this location was perfect. Situated right at the corner, it was highly visible to cross traffic evident by the honking as cars drove by.
I arrived in the early afternoon, just around lunchtime. The occupiers were moving in, getting settled, and a few news vans were already at the site. The only way into the property was through a hole cut into the side of the fence. As I climbed up to the grassy area, this looked nothing like what I had heard about on the news.
I interviewed one young guy who was there to protest the rising cost of his education and to stand up for the widening gap of financial status of most Americans. Another man showed up passing out flyers. He said that he was there to support all of the causes Occupy now seems to represent. According to him, it was okay that Occupy doesn’t have single, unified message. To him, the Occupy movement represents people standing up for what they believe in and to protest against the injustices that are taking place in America today.
As I stood on the periphery of a group meeting, I was happy to see that they were putting specific plans in place for the next phase of Occupy Oakland. They specifically said that this encampment was there to speak out about the amount of foreclosures that were currently taking place in the neighborhood. They were also very specific about making sure no drugs, alcohol, and trash were found at their site. They had no desire to upset the neighbors.
After the meeting convened I looked around again. I saw a covered area with a cardboard sign that read “kitchen”. I overheard someone say that all of the food was donated by people in the neighborhood. At another glance there was a heap of donated clothing sitting in a pile. Also donated to the group. Another huddle of people were talking about what message they were going to paint on the blank canvas that lay on the ground.
People smiled as they walked past me. Still, something felt strange to me. It seemed like half of the group were just like “regular” people. Then there were others that were young. The kind of kids you see hanging out on the Haight in San Francisco, playing guitars, smoking cigarettes, a little on the scruffy side and smelling of b.o. and patchouli. I had to wonder, how many of these people here were actually homeless? I was too afraid to ask.
Of the small group of people that were there, quite a few declined to be interviewed. At one point during the day they refused access to the news reporters and their cameramen. Why? To me it seemed strange that they wouldn’t leap at the opportunity to get their message broadcast on the evening news. Although the chances of their actual message being edited were quite high, it still didn’t make sense why they wouldn’t communicate.
From my interviews, I have a better understanding of what it means to be a citizen. One aspect of citizenry is to stand up for what you believe in. Another aspect is to fight for social injustices against the Government. Being a citizen means being a participant. Although most Americans have been passive for many years, to be a citizen of today is no longer a passive act.
Where does it go from here? I think this is a question many are asking. From my perspective this is I what I see: without the Occupy movement having a single, unified message it becomes impossible to hear what it is everyone is shouting about. How can I, as a citizen of my community, participate when I’m fighting a cause that closely resembles a hydra? Michael Moore and the New York OWS recently came up with a vision statement. Moore goes a step further and proposes a specific list of goals and demands. I think to keep the momentum moving in a positive direction, Occupy needs some sort of structure.
My next stop is San Francisco. I’m curious to see what the city by the Bay has in store for me. Stay tuned.
#Occupied,
Monica
To see images from my visit there, please go here.