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Why I am going to “Occupy Portland”
Thoughts on the “Occupy Together” Phenomena
Well, the short answer is that my old friend, co-teacher and wise man, Native American activist Calvin Hecocta, called me up and asked me to come to “Occupy Portland” (on Thursday, 6 October at noon on the waterfront). (Since this was the second phone call that I’ve gotten from him in ten years, I thought I’d better pay attention.)
As Calvin knows, I am not a fan of empty demonstrations and protests. Been there, done that, got the scars to prove it. From what I’ve seen, there’s been a lot of vented anger and frustration in the “Occupy” activities, but, the goals of the “movement” (and, if it really is a “movement”) remain unclear. Anger and frustration do NOT make movements. Never has… It can actually be counter-productive, and is a great breeding ground for hotheads, police agents and assorted crazies.
As you know, I have long been an advocate for a visionary, inclusive transformation of society. I have been calling for such a transformation, based on our values and on a clear vision of a positive future for all beings. I have been calling for this for decades.
As I told Calvin, I’ve been following the “Occupy” movement in the alternative press, and I have not yet seen a vision emerge. Even more than that: I have not heard people talking about the Spirit that must be an integral part of any real change. We must transform this society – not because we’re angry at corporate greed, but because that’s what it will take to save the Earth and save our souls. The Earth is Sacred – corporations are not. (No, I’m not talking about “religion” – I’m talking about freeing the Spirit from “religion”, the way that we must free our economy from “Wall St”.) The answer to the global pandemic of despair, depression and suicide is to create a society of meaning, where humans belong… and corporations are the servants, not the masters.
I said all this to Calvin. After a pause, he said, “Well, if you come, the vision and the spirit will be there!” Pretty hard to argue with his logic!
So, I go to “Occupy Portland”, not because I’m angry or frustrated or afraid – I’m not. I’m going to share a vision: the vision of a society where both Wall Street and the US Capitol are turned into museums, where people dismantle the toxic systems and structures by imagining and creating brand new ones, where we roll up our sleeves and do the hard work and heavy lifting of creating a world that works for all beings.
I’m going for another reason: to bear witness that there IS a new society waiting to be born. Whether its “Occupy Together” or some other manifestation, the new society is not only necessary — it’s inevitable.
So… if you can remove the anger and frustration from your heart (or, at least, keep it under control), if you can be a model of nonviolence, vision and Spirit, I invite you to come out and hold the energy of a world for all. You can do so in Portland, or wherever the “Occupy” activities are closest to you.
Peace,
Sharif
PS: If you want more information on the “Occupy Together” manifestation, click on the link or copy and paste this link into your browser window: http://www.occupytogether.org/For more on “Occupy Portland”, click on the link or copy and paste this link into your browser window: http://occupyportland.org/
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