Why occupy?
Occupy Vancouver - Sunday, October 23, 2011 (top) and Saturday, October 22, 2011 (bottom). Pictures taken by me on my too-awesome-for-words cellphone.
On CBC Radio 1's noon-hour, Almanac, the host interviewed Allen Garr, a journalist for the Vancouver Courier (which can be heard here: http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/podcasts/bcalmanac_20111024_63589.mp3), discussing the current occupation taking place in Vancouver at the Art Gallery downtown and whether it should be allowed to remain. After listening to the show, and especially after hearing Mr. Garr's closing comments, I felt compelled to write the following e-mail to the show's host, with the heading 'Why occupy?':
I heard your conversation with journalist Allen Garr regarding the ongoing protest/occupation at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Near the end of the conversation, Mr. Garr made the following comment:
"If it (the protest) starts to interfere seriously with business, it will be shut down."
Whether intentional or not, Mr. Garr seems to have hit the nail on the head with this statement, regarding exactly *why* this protest is happening and why it needs to continue. It also explains why the authorities/police around the world are cracking down on protests. As happened in America as a part of the civil rights movements in the '60s, and more recently as part of the "Arab Spring," people around the world are once again finding their voice and exerting their influence on those in power who are either unable or unwilling to listen to them.
I've heard it suggested that the most dangerous weapon anyone can possess is information. I have been to the protest downtown, and I have seen people from various cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, young and old, individuals and families, coming together, talking to one another, respecting differences in ideologies and, perhaps most importantly, sharing ideas. Stories. Experiences. Information.
If you haven't already done so, I would urge both you and your listeners to go to the protests.
Talk to the people who are there. But more importantly, please LISTEN to them.
This discussion shouldn't devolve into "us versus them" namecalling.
In the end, there is only us.
I have no idea if it will be read on air or not. But I had to try. To those of you who haven't been to one of the occupations, I would encourage you to do so. You don't have to agree with everything - or even anything - that's being said, but this is everyone's protest. There's room for everyone at this table.
Originally posted at my Dreamwidth blog. Sorry, LJ.