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Title: Occupy Eugene Ongoing - Consensus model working so far [My home city's Occupy protest]
Source:
eugeneweekly.com
URL Source: http://eugeneweekly.com/2011/10/20/news1.html
Published: Oct 22, 2011
Author: By Andrew Hitz and Camilla Mortensen. Ph
Post Date: 2011-10-22 17:00:35 by Ferret Mike
Keywords: None
Views: 68542
Comments: 163
People in suits and people in casual clothes, cubical workers and day laborers, Duck fans and tie-dye hippies all made their way from the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza down to the Ferry Street Bridge Oct. 15 around 4 pm to Occupy Eugene. The crowd of 2,000 beamed smiles at each other — and high-fived the Eugene police — as they marched in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street. The group has drawn together as a nonviolent movement for accountability that is not longer content to let “corporate and special interests run their government,” according to occupyeugene.com “We — are — the 99 percent!” some chanted at the front of the crowd of almost 2,000. Eugene’s Saturday gathering was the 11th largest occupy event in the nation. “The people — united — will never be divided!” chanted others farther back. “I believe in independence, true independence and justice,” said a young woman who gave her name only as Ariel. “I think there is a serious lack of that at the moment. Everyone here is standing for so many different things but, I think when it comes down to it we can agree on those two things — as Americans.” Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center said, “The group has consensed upon Occupy Wall Street’s demands, but not yet our own demands which may address local issues.” Occupy Wall Street’s demands, which include disavowing corporations as individuals, “are pretty damn clear,” she says. Regan adds, “This is a nonpartisan, very broad movement that includes everyone from Republicans to anarchists.” Occupy Eugene, like Occupy Wall Street and other occupy gatherings, is run by a consensus process that Regan says is remarkably efficient. The webpage downtwinkles.com, which features a video of a Cascadia Forest Defender at Occupy Portland explaining the consensus process, is becoming a viral hit. Occupy Eugene’s Saturday general assembly reached consensus on following the St. Paul Principles, which are principles of solidarity that came out of the 2008 protests at the Republican National Convention in Minnesota. The principles include not denouncing fellow activists and events and respect for a diversity of tactics and the plans of other groups. John Flanery, a facilitator of general assemblies at the occupation and a We The People activist who participated in the march, said, “I’m tired of the collusion between big business and government am no longer willing to be ruled by the one percent.” Cooperative efforts were made Saturday night by Food Not Bombs and The Last Stand Coffee Co., among others, to provide food and drink for those occupying; the more tech-savvy connected a live stream at http://occupyeugenemedia.org/livestream/ to the web. About 100 or so of the supporters have been meeting up on a daily basis for the general assemblies that occur at 7 am and 7 pm. Fewer have been spending the night at the occupation, but supplies like tents, sleeping bags and food abound, and a first aid tent is available. How long the occupation will last is a matter of community dialogue and coordination, organizers say. Theoretically, the Saturday Market will take place on the Park Blocks next week as usual. This has caused concern for some artisans from the Saturday Market, a number of whom made a showing at the Sunday evening general assembly. Occupy Eugene says there has been an ongoing dialogue between the market and Occupy Eugene. Embodied in a spirit of collective uprising and self-reliance is not only the recognition of a broken system, but a willingness to repair it, occupiers say. David Parziale, a senior environmental studies major at the UO, say this was the Eugene he had heard of before entering school. “I came to Eugene because I thought this was a place where there would be a nice mix of between university and the activism that Eugene has a history of having,” he says. “I came here because I thought it was a place where there would be people rising up because there were unjust wars going on. This, finally, after I’m almost done with college — this is why occupy is happening. There’s finally people trying to speak up.” 
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 79.
#1. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
It's about time the left work up and realized they have been getting hosed as badly as those of us on the right. At this point in history the fight shouldn't be between the right and the left. It should be between the citizens and those who would be our masters and destroy our culture for personal profits.
What you say is so right on the money. Look at the French Resistance for example; French communist party members worked side by side with very rightwing people united in the goal of expelling the foul invaders. They were united in their goal, and brothers and sisters in arms against the German Nazi foe. Those we oppose want us to fight among ourselves and to be unable to form a united front. Right wing people are not my ememies in this struggle; they are my brothers and sisters in this battle.
Then lets stand together and rid the nation of the illegal aliens? Then lets stand together and prosecute Obama for war crimes. Then lets stand together and Get rid of Obama the man with a treasury secretary from wall street.
I look at Alabama where the draconian new law has created a severe labor shortage that is forcing farmers to plow under their crops and plan for smaller harvests next year. They have been unsucessful at the task of getting American citizens to do the hard work with low pay to get in the crops. We had slaves brought in from Africa to work for very little to keep costs down on Southern farms which for better or worse, helped this country prosper and grow. And now we have Latinos and Latinas willing to do the same for very little pay, we persecute and bedevil them for this. I want them here keepng costs down. Sorry, I am for amnesty on this issue. That won't change. You also forget they don't decide to come here in a vacuum. They are enticed here by people wanting the low cost labor every bit as much as they decide to come. Yet, many on the right only pick on them, because it's dangerous to pick on well moneied and connected people doing the labor recruitment. And as for going after Obama, it is pointless unless you go after those doing Neocon policy promotion on both the right and left at the same time. Otherwise you create an senario where the one percenters with most the capital have a situation that acts as a crowbar prying people apart getting them to fight among themselves forgetting who the real problem is in creating and perpetuating bad economic times. You can't fight side by side with people against a common foe if they are always worried about fratricide.
The problem is Obama. NAFTA, GATT. NO PRAYER IN SCHOOL!
We had prayer in every class during my high school years. And look at me now. We even said them on the bus ride to sporting events. We often lost.
And look at me now. Was America better back then or now when we don't have it?
I'm in my 60's,and grew up and went to school in Virginia. Despite it being heavily infested with fundie thumpers,I don't remember EVER praying to God in school as a child. That was reserved for church and home.
It should primarily be taught at home. But if someone wants to say something they should be allowed to. Free speech you know. No law.... No law has a meaning.
As long as that "someone" is not a teacher or other school official,I mostly agree. Free speech you know. No law.... Here is where I disagree. After you tell somebody 3 or 4 times that you have no interest in being converted to their religious beliefs and are tired of them screaming at you about you going to hell,it becomes harassment if they don't stop. Free Speech does NOT include the right to harass people. I once "fired" a idiot I worked with that was a recent "born-again" that just wouldn't shut up about his love for "Jay-ZUS!" despite me telling him in more forceful language each time that I had no interest in hearing it. He even started following me around to shout Bible phrases at me. I wasn't a boss,but I fired him anyhow by grabbing him around the throat and explaining to him that the world was going to suddenly turn into a very dark place if he didn't shut the fuck up about religion. For some odd reason he left and didn't come back. I guess you could say I was better at making him a believer than he was with him making me one.
I disagree. Here is why. Should these so called Wall Street protesters be told to go home you are harassing people? My answer is no. For you to be consistent you would have to say yes imo. Not that anyone should harass anyone.
#82. To: A K A Stone (#79)
You disagree because you are a True Believer when it comes to your religious faith,and you want and need everybody to agree with you. There is no question at all in your mind that everything you say about your FAITH (notice religion is about faith,not fact)is absolutely true,and you can't understand why everybody else doesn't see it that way. Should these so called Wall Street protesters be told to go home you are harassing people? Of course not. Apples and oranges. PUBLIC employees (teachers) represent government,and in a PUBLIC institution like public schools they have a captive audience that has neither the right to leave or to disagree vocally. They are a captive audience. Which is comparable to the work situation I found myself in. I lacked the ability to move away and not hear the "giving witness" nonsense of my fellow employee,and he refused to quit preaching to me. In this case his right to Free Speech was overpowered by my right to not have to listen to it. In other words,any damn fool that wants has the right to climb up on a soapbox and babble any nonsense he wants in a public park or on a public street,but he does NOT have the right to follow you into your home or place of employment in order to try to force his views on you. On the other hand,you can avoid the so-called Wall Street protesters by simply not going to where they are protesting,or walking right past them. PLUS,they aren't agents of the government. This is big. Individual citizens have the right to free speech. The government does NOT. The Bill of Rights were written and voted on in order LIMIT the power of government over individuals,not to protect the free speech of governments,which does not exist. How would you react if Romney were elected and the government suddenly decided to push Mormonism off on the population by teaching and promoting Mormonism in the public schools? Would public employees (teachers) have the free speech RIGHT to promote Mormonism on the taxpayer dime,and would this meet your approval? My answer is no. I agree. We have the right to ignore them. For you to be consistent you would have to say yes imo. You are wrong. You don't seem to understand the difference between individual citizens and government when it comes to Free Speech. One has it,one doesn't.
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#3. To: sneakypete (#1)
"At this point in history the fight shouldn't be between the right and the left. It should be between the citizens and those who would be our masters and destroy our culture for personal profits."
#4. To: Ferret Mike (#3)
Right wing people are not my ememies in this struggle; they are my brothers and sisters in this battle.
#6. To: A K A Stone, sneakypete (#4)
(Edited)
#13. To: Ferret Mike (#6)
Otherwise you create an senario where the one percenters with most the capital have a situation that acts as a crowbar prying people apart getting them to fight among themselves forgetting who the real problem is in creating and perpetuating bad economic times.
#17. To: A K A Stone (#13)
NO PRAYER IN SCHOOL!
#19. To: Fred Mertz (#17)
We had prayer in every class during my high school years.
#45. To: A K A Stone (#19)
Was America better back then or now when we don't have it?
#52. To: sneakypete (#45)
I'm in my 60's,and grew up and went to school in Virginia. Despite it being heavily infested with fundie thumpers,I don't remember EVER praying to God in school as a child. That was reserved for church and home.
#74. To: A K A Stone (#52)
But if someone wants to say something they should be allowed to.
#79. To: sneakypete (#74)
screaming at you about you going to hell,it becomes harassment if they don't stop. Free Speech does NOT include the right to harass people
Replies to Comment # 79. I disagree. Here is why.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 79.
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