Things Change

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While I support the Occupy Wall Street protests in spirit, they may be misdirected. The Age of Protest is over, ladies and gents. Protests just don't accomplish much any more. Let me propose that the best any of us can do at this time on this planet is to put our excess energy to work constructively creating new things. We can do this for ourselves or for others, for family or for strangers.

Example: I could camp out at Oakupation and live on handouts and carry a sign and taunt the police and possibly anger my fellow citizens, riot or get beaten and arrested. Or, I could spend that same time and energy:

*Picking up trash on the streets of Oakland, thus saving tax money while also beautifying the city and spreading good cheer,

*Planting my own garden so that I am no longer as dependent on the entire economic system that created the Wall Street fiasco,

*Handing out free flyers (that I myself wrote) that promote the concept of Victory gardens in order to provide people with added food security,

*Carving a pair of sandals out of a tire, a process which expands my trade skills and increases my own sense of independence while also recycling old materials and possibly inspiring others to think outside the box,

*Having a yard sale to rid myself of unwanted/needed belongings while bringing in income,

*Volunteering at a local grass-roots non-profit which either helps promote self-sufficiency in the local population (such as installing gardens in low-income backyards), or takes care of basic social needs (such as tutoring low-income children or assisting at a nursing home),

*Hosting a bare-bones block party/barbecue so that my neighbors can network, exchange information and form new friendships,

*Working and paying off my own debt, which helps all of society,

*Removing my money from a corporate bank and transferring it to a local credit union,

*Taking First Responder classes so that I can assist my community in times of crisis,

...you get the point. I can't say I've done all of these things, not by a long shot, but I've done a handful of them.

My point, though, is that protesting is dead weight. It doesn't BUILD anything. It relies on handouts. It doesn't teach anyone to fish. It also causes a great deal of divisiveness. It DOES achieve some positive goals, but it is a lesser means of accomplishing new and great things. Instead of protesting the things we don't like, WE SHOULD GO BUILD THE THINGS WE DO LIKE. For fuck sake, this seems so obvious - am I right or am I right?

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