Comments

1
I am an occupier, I'm there every day, I also work. I wish as a group we would make the decision to close the camp, move indoors, and continue to work for change for our city's most vulnerable populations. But we cannot continue to attempt to solve this problem at the occupation.

Until last night, I was hoping we could as an occupation manage these problems but after watching a lifeless body pulled out of their tent after an overdose, and then arguing with Peace and Safety about how this is being handled, the position of the Peace and Safety person was the most pointless insane fucking thing I've ever heard.

The argument that people would be doing these things whether camp existed or not is true. But I can't be part of holding space for it, especially without a good working relationship with drug counselors and social workers actively in the camp, which they are not. Without that, the camp needs to be closed. You can blame whomever you want about that.

For my part, I've seen the face of evil and I'm going to continue to fight it. I hope we can peacefully breakdown camp, work with the city to find space, and advocate for the people who are are actively trying to kill themselves with drugs and alcohol.

I haven't seen so much suffering since I was in the West Bank.
2
"a camp that's increasingly become a magnet for the mentally ill and chronically homeless."

Stop saying THE homeless as if they are not people and not your neighbors. Anyone's financial or living situation has nothing to do with their political beliefs and does not diminish or impinge on their right to free speech and to protest. Sweeping generalizations about the mentally ill and unsubstantiated claims about evildoers are fear mongering and media manipulation. Problems in society, like crime, crazies, and economic refugees have nothing to do with this protest. Efforts to transfer these endemic issues onto the backs of OP and call the ills of society at large the responsibility of OP are a joke.

I applaud the homeless that are taking part in this protest. They are the most affected by the waste, fraud, and malinvestment of the mainstream.
3
Hey otis; aren't you the guy who started your second paragraph with, "Stop saying THE homeless..." ?

For starters, anytime you need a descriptor for a group of more than one person, there's gonna be someone who feels whatever descriptor chosen is dehumanizing in their eyes, generally because it's not the one *they* would have chosen.

Secondly, you use that phrase yourself to begin paragraph three.
4
JenniferK, was there an overdose last night?

I take the problems of Wall Street plutocracy seriously, and local homelessness & related issues seriously. But I don't see why OP has to try to be about both.

I was excited in the beginning because I thought the Occupy movement was mainly focused on the corrupt nexus of NY and Washington DC. I think this is an important nationwide issue.

Our local issues around people on the street, police behavior, etc. are important, but they seem a distraction in this case. Maybe the issues should be seperated to keep from getting spread too thin and losing the message.

What I'm saying is I wish there was a movement very clearly focused just on the NY/DC corruption, while we also worked on local issues some other way, but not under the same banner.
5
Yes I know I used "the homeless" again later. See what I mean about it being ingrained. Lol. Got locked out on edit.

The main point I'd like to leave with you is the problems of society are not the responsibility of a group of unorganized protesters. The existence of these problems is ubiquitous. Prevalent societal ills are not a valid reason to shut down specific political speech and non violent protest.

People inevitably get hurt on the street. This does not mean that everyone must get off the street because one got hurt.

If you make homelessness illegal and don't provide a place for people to sleep then where does that get you?
6
Na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye!
Na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye!
7
"The main point I'd like to leave with you is the problems of society are not the responsibility of a group of unorganized protesters."

Then why have they made it their responsibility?
8
"Then why have they made it their responsibility? "


I don't see them doing that. The police and media are pretending that society wide problems are the responsibility of protesters in order to shut them up and herd them off.

Failure to solve a problem does not invalidate awareness of the problem just as identifying a problem does not obligate anyone to solve the problem. Homelessness and insanity are not the problem or focus of Occupy Wall Street. Pathetic to scapegoat those who cannot defend themselves.
9
And my point has always been that there's plenty of better ways to further the discussion and message than squatting in a park. At this point, the occupation itself stands in the way of the good work that could be done here.

Please wait...

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