Tag Archives: Local Communities

Tax Breaks and Tax Increases – Yawn

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A lot of people who know me and those who read this blog might think I am a “democrat” or that I am left leaning.

What the recent hullabalu over extending tax cuts for two months into the new year shows, however, is that very little separates the Republicans from the Democrats.  Sure, democrats defend abortion rights — but have Republicans ever done anything except give lip service to the right to life?  And Obama promised to close Git-mo and end wars, but it seems that the war machine continues to roll on.  The last democrat who truly distinguished himself was shot before he could even be nominated as the democratic nominee — back in 68 when the devil got his way.

My hope for the Occupy movement has always been that it would break the constant cycle of complaining about those in office and then re-electing the same old same incumbents who bicker and never change.  National politics is all ado about nothing.

Yet, we fall for it all the time.  I find it so hard to resist looking at the latest polls or reading about the latest “debate” over taxes or health care or what have you.

But all it does it is distract us

  • from the local community
  • from our commonality with each other
  • from true justice

Our task is to get past that and focus on the here and now of our local practices and local lives.  That is the locus of true freedom.

Evictions here, evictions there

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So we’ve all heard the news: cities throughout the US have evicted the Occupiers from their encampments.  In Portland, Mayor Sam Adams told the Occupiers days ahead of time that they had until 12:01 a.m. Sunday 13 November 2011 to leave the site.  Amazingly and hopefully, thousands descended on the Occupy Portland site and saved it from being razed Saturday night.  After police left the scene early Sunday morning, most people left, including some Occupiers to get some needed sleep.  In the interim, police returned and began tearing down structures and team-shoveling tents into trash heaps to be carted away.  Most everything remained “peaceful” except for the police beating of a Sing-Language Interpreter.

So the question: does this mean the Occupy Movement is over?

Better: all the news pundits want to know: Have the Occupiers lost?

The answer here is simple in both cases: only if the Occupiers say it is over; only if the Occupiers say they have lost.

I will give credit to Mayor Sam Adams.  He declared that the Occupy Movement brought national attention to the way corporations work to corrupt politics and this needed to continue.  He, however, said that the Occupy Movement was losing ground when people in the encampments used drugs or when violence occurred.  (I wonder, of course, whether those “drug users” and “violent actors” were part of the movement or sent there or just random people.)

He is right: the Occupy Movement should not and cannot give up now.  They need to keep the focus on the way corporations have corrupted politics.  They can do this through other actions, including more marches and more occupations, and by engaging in politics.

But I have said from the beginning, as well, that the Occupy movement cannot be about changing the way politics are done at the national and international level.  This movement has to lead to changes at the level of the local community — we must learn how to protect and sustain these communities from the bureaucrats and the corporations that serve to destroy human freedom, equality, and prevent self-realization.

The Occupy Movement is not over, but it is time to change focus.

What does democracy look like?

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Marching with Occupy Portland was powerful and peaceful.  But I had a weird experience.  Different people chanted different things as we marched through the streets.  “What does democracy look like?” “This is what democracy looks like.”  “We are the 99%”  Signs everywhere declared different things.

Yes, they shared some themes — primarily the idea that the elites have lorded it over everyone else for too long, including infiltrating the government that was supposed to be by and for the people.

As I said in an earlier post, I have faith in democracy working for Occupy Portland.  But as I’ve written over and over in my blog (which posts no one can see any more because I’ve switched to WordPress — I’ll try to fix that) — a community that thrives must be based on a common good.   A thriving, democratic community consists of a people united in the effort to define their vision of the good of the community together, each person listening and being heard by each other person.

As I’ve watched on FB, people with Occupy Portland are beginning to realize that they need to send out a consistent message, but they are unsure yet how to define it.  That’s fine.  No one should worry now that the hard work of democracy begins.  In fact, those of us who are not down on the streets for whatever reason, should be inspired that this group of wonderful, beautiful people are in fact engaging in direct democracy.  We should be inspired to do the same things in our own lives — where we work and pray, where we live, and in our own communities.

The common good is not some dastardly attempt to impose an opinion on anyone else.  It represents the collective engagement of each member in the community defining what their end or purpose is.  Good luck, Occupy Portland!

Occupying Together in Lexington

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Here in Lexington, Kentucky, “Occupy Lexington” has now been going strong for eight days. Protestors are continually gathered in front of the Chase Bank on Main Street. They are sometimes chanting, sometimes singing and drumming, sometimes meeting–regularly, twice a day–even sleeping outside to keep the site continually “occupied.” (Of course, this is happening all over the country, but I must say: not bad, for a small city in a red state!)

The Lexington protest has drawn regulars from local left-wing activist circles, but many more new people. The mood has been hopeful, joyful, compassionate.

One young occupier frequently shares her story in speeches to the public. After being forced to drop out of university studies because of acute financial debt, and then suffering seemingly interminable unemployment, she attempted suicide. She was only permitted to spend two days in the local psychiatric hospital—a frequent story in Lexington, as it is nationwide, where funding for mental health services is being drastically cut. Occupy Lexington has revived her spirits. She has found a new, supportive community, and she has discovered that she is a leader. She is simply radiant as she rushes about, helping to organize the occupation.

Next door to the protest, Natasha’s Bistro is run by a wonderful Russian emigrant woman with a dash of charming nostalgia for the East Bloc and an impressive number of contacts in the music and theater scenes.  Although she did not organize the protest, she senses that the times are changing, and she has been mothering the protestors with an intense enthusiasm, offering them free food and coffee, stopping by to ask how they are doing, offering to turn up the music from her restaurant when the protest gets dull, and even organizing a performance of Howard Zinn’s play Marx in Soho, set to take place this Saturday at the occupation site. When I stopped by the protest one cold morning, Natasha loaned me her big fluffy shawl. (I think she was feeling sorry for me because she thought I had spent the night there—I hadn’t.)

It hasn’t only been Natasha, either; the occupiers haven’t had to buy their own food yet.  There has been a steady stream of donations of food, blankets, and other items from other local businesses and individuals.  Once, a car slowed down beside the protest, and a ziploc bag of Tootsie rolls flew out the window, coupled with a note of solidarity and encouragement.

Many of the protestors here say that they’ve made more friends in a short time than they ever thought possible. In fact, I have noticed that those who have been participating in the protest more steadily than I have seem almost like a family. (It’s probably what parishes/congregations ought to be like and usually aren’t.*)

It is hard to say whether the nationwide Occupy movement will build into a revolution, be quickly crushed, or simply be co-opted by the Democratic Party. So much is happening at once, and one is uncertain whether to encourage everyone to slow down and theorize more, or whether to simply yell, “All power to the general assemblies!”

But one thing is certain. With the economic crisis worsening and neither of the two major political parties addressing the crisis adequately, people are learning how to care for one another.  Although we may not see the fruits of our struggle for economic justice as soon as we’d like–we’ll be in this for the long haul–we will certainly make some great friends in the process.  And in a society of increasing social isolation like ours, building true community is not an apolitical act.

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*My experiences at my parish have been mostly positive.  I am just reflecting upon a debate I once had in a theology class.  I argued that there is more communion on picket lines than at Mass.  The professor was baffled.  I still think I’m right, and I hope to post on that topic at some point in the future.