Experiences with attending an Occupation

[someguy]

Although I agree that challenging the system may do nothing to change what is perceptibly self-destructing, I believe there is an underlying purpose in demonstrating and gathering. At the same time we are complaining about the abuses being perpetrated, we are connecting with others of like mind and creating a network of new direction. Who cares what knee-jerk reactions the system has to our displays? The unity of our outrage, our determination to fix things, and our good intent is magnified by sharing it with others in gatherings, and I see us creating the new world with these positive goals and the magnitude of our network. Thumb your noses at the 1% and the rest of us will unite to make a more enlightened world.

I was there last night and there was a serious lack of any connecting with others or creating of any networks... It was a bunch of seemingly apathetic people trying to look cool.... Nobody was interested in dialogue, nobody cared if anything actually changed. We all just sat around with our face in our hands while a dozen or so "peppy dancers" waved signs at cars, desperately pleading with the drivers for a honk of their horn, as if it were a big accomplishment. I felt like standing up and yelling at these people. "What the F are we doing here!!!" But I could tell that their was no fight in these dogs. It was pointless.

[ChristmasCarla]

Golly, someguy, maybe you were being a 'seemingly apathetic' person, but my friend and I were there too, and we talked with many people and made a number of connections. We discussed politics and uniting against injustices and creating a new paradigm, and we made signs and waved them and cheered at supportive passersby and danced to the volunteer music and expanded our network by leaps and bounds. Perhaps if you hadn't been 'sitting around with our face in our hands [sic],' you too could have seen more in what was happening than pointlessness.

[someguy]

Golly, someguy, maybe you were being a 'seemingly apathetic' person, but my friend and I were there too, and we talked with many people and made a number of connections. We discussed politics and uniting against injustices and creating a new paradigm, and we made signs and waved them and cheered at supportive passersby and danced to the volunteer music and expanded our network by leaps and bounds. Perhaps if you hadn't been 'sitting around with our face in our hands [sic],' you too could have seen more in what was happening than pointlessness.

I'm very happy to hear that you had such a great experience. Thank you for sharing with us!

[neil]

someguy,

I was also at Occupy Santa Rosa on Saturday, from 2pm until 7am Sunday morning. I met several people who I did not know previously. I engaged in substantial discussions with them, and with others who I had met there previously. In contrast to your experience, I am excited to be connecting with smart, committed, good-intentioned people. It's like we recognize each other. I'm meeting people who I want to be with as we go forward.

And so, while you may not have connected and engaged in meaningful dialogue, it is absolutely untrue to say that "Nobody was interested in dialogue, nobody cared if anything actually changed." Actually many of the people there were and did.

If you want to make the point that there are some people at and around the Occupation who are less than solid, I agree. But please don't shit in the pie just because you happened to not connect.

And if I was one of the people you tried to connect with, and it didn't happen, I apologize. Please try again.

Neil

I was there last night and there was a serious lack of any connecting with others or creating of any networks... It was a bunch of seemingly apathetic people trying to look cool.... Nobody was interested in dialogue, nobody cared if anything actually changed. We all just sat around with our face in our hands while a dozen or so "peppy dancers" waved signs at cars, desperately pleading with the drivers for a honk of their horn, as if it were a big accomplishment. I felt like standing up and yelling at these people. "What the F are we doing here!!!" But I could tell that their was no fight in these dogs. It was pointless.

[jeigen]

I was there last night and there was a serious lack of any connecting with others or creating of any networks... It was a bunch of seemingly apathetic people trying to look cool.... Nobody was interested in dialogue, nobody cared if anything actually changed. We all just sat around with our face in our hands while a dozen or so "peppy dancers" waved signs at cars, desperately pleading with the drivers for a honk of their horn, as if it were a big accomplishment. I felt like standing up and yelling at these people. "What the F are we doing here!!!" But I could tell that their was no fight in these dogs. It was pointless.

I participated in the march on Saturday, and was somewhat disappointed that some people did not seem to be very interested in engaging in a dialog. We just have to keep trying. For some people, just being there already is a big step.

[Ernieman]

I attended the March. It was a good experience. I intend to return this weekend. I was wearing my End the War in Vietnam buttons and Civil Rights buttons. Many of the demonstrators were born after 1975 and have no history of those movements. Maybe this calls for a "Teach In" as history is always important in these things. As to when this will end, it will take a fastidious person to weather December! I would like it to morph into voter registration and candidate development. Somewhere here is a City Council person waiting to happen. Obviously, Occupy has gained notice from both banks and local government. I am very happy with the free form of the protest. Hopefully, violence will not appear. At the least, it will send the Tea Party on it's way although I would not discount some allience with the Tea Party as the issues with government (aside from taxes) are very close between the left and the right of center these days.
Ernieman