My Open ‘Letter’ to Occupy Oakland Folks….

Firstly, greetings from northern Massachusetts!  Up on the border of N.H. you have someone who is your friend!   I am 45 years old, a single dad with 2 kids, working-class, and I have been on the Left since I read John Steinbeck back in the late seventies!!   O.K. it is important for you all to know this because what I am about to say may come across harshly, hurtful, or even condescending.. It is absolutely not my intent to talk down to anyone; let me say that straight-off.  But I speak my mind; I grew up here but in an ethnic household where, believe me, no one was afraid to speak out. 

      Anyway, on to the meat:  My friends, in my opinion you have done much for the movement.  You have been on the forefront in very many ways of drawing attention to issues, fearless in many direct actions, outspoken, courageous, brave, sincere, unquestionably dedicated, etc.   So let me say that, as someone who identifies himself with the “movement” and someone who’s been involved with the Occupy Boston events comes much love and concern.  I really mean that.  So what I am gonna say comes from love, from the heart, and from someone who’s wondered why it’s taken so long for such a monumentally important event to happen in his middle age.  I mean, when I was very young, like many of you are, would have perhaps been a much more opportune time for me: the energy, enthusiasm, idealism, etc. of youth; which many of you valiantly exhibit.  And when this movement exploded onto the scene I did some real soul-searching and came to the conclusion that it happened at this point in my life because I am destined to serve the role that I serve in my personal life: defender, caretaker, and supporter (as a father-figure) of the good people in the movement. 
     So please keep this in mind. 

      Oh, let me add one more thing: these criticisms/obervations are for you; publicly to others whom I don’t indentify with being part of the movement I am a tiger for your defense; so this is a family thing as far as I am concerned.

      OK, here goes, and remember this is from me (flawed, human, but from the heart.):

The actions that result in  mass arrests, though helpful in some ways, are failing miserably.  They are failing for a variety of reasons; many of them very complex and having partly to do with the obvious bias against a social movement in the mass media.  But this matters, so we need to adjust.

The images of young anarchists with home-made shields may convey the braveness of the individuals but for the general populace they alienate folks.  I am not saying that confrontation may be an inevitability, but it is not that time.  And it should not be done with young anarchists.  When it is time for it, it will be known, and although many of the young men (and some women, too, I assume) may take part in it the vast majority will be folks like my friends Brian, Jeff, myself, et alibus.  Most of us are not afraid of physical confrontation, for various reasons, although we do not invite it.  But it will be forced upon us; and it will be, in my opinion, real confrontation. 

Standing up to police in riot gear is not helpful, please listen to me.  The image of the valiant protestor really does little good to the movement as a whole.  Getting arrested and blamed for things which I know had nothing to do with OO, like destruction of shit in Oakland city hall, is counter-productive.  Being disorganized, having a lack-of-focus, employing D.A. with no specific goals in mind, these are a total waste of energy and, possibly worse, have the opposite of the intended effect: they alienate and distance us from the very people who would be our fiercest allies.

I could go on-and-on but I think no one will continue to read!! 

I have one suggestion: start organizing community drives for things like COn. Amndments, basic things like this.  Organizing in the community sans violence…this was actually the idea of Noam Chomsky and my brother gave me the COn Amndment Idea…anyway, much love!!  -Jason