It is Halloween. The one day per year, our culture permits ourselves to scare each other. A day we greet our neighbors. We go door to door. We pretend with our children. Imagination trumps our defenses, and we become someone else. Someone who asks for good stuff. Someone who is brave. Someone who will share. In some ways, when we put on masks for fun, we remove our hidden masks. Those ones we wear daily. I become more truly me. You become more you. The Occupy movement has been like our Halloween festivities. Now what is the scary part?
We wear our activist personas like our most creative costumes. Even when online. From our homes and offices, we are mostly safe, well fed, warm and housed. Those who are front line take risks. Their costumes merit first prize. They are warm bodies. They're filling the streets. They have loud persistent voices. There are signs made and carried. Sleeping, first aid, media, even library tents are pitched in parks. They march like soldiers. Like kids going door to door. They ask for good stuff. No. They demand for all of us. Their chants inspire us, amuse the bank board rooms, and prickle the mayors. It's been exciting! Like a month and one half of Halloween festivities going on. Here's a scary thought. It will not last.
Winter is coming. This weekend gave us a taste. It wasn't very sweet. Demonstrations will dwindle. Our tactics must change. They must, if the Occupy movement is going to thrive through the winter. Frozen toes and wet clothes will discourage more then police harassment. Administrations know this. Law enforcement knows. The 1% knows. When the party becomes bothersome, we'll pick up our toys and go home. That is why they have not used many resources to stop the protests. Yet.
If we allow that to happen our resolve will freeze like sheets of ice. The many messages will crack into pieces like broken mirrors. We would be very lucky if we could regroup within seven years. We would go back home. Our voices relinquished to TV pundits owned by puppet masters. 1% takes all. The 99% become the property of the 1%. Modern corporate serfs. That is a horror story.
I do not have the answers. I am not a tactician. This forum is a brilliant melting pot of minds and hearts. We could create the do-able. There are ways for the 99% protesters to overcome. The weather need not beat us.
There's a promising handbook. I have some read parts. It has some very specific, plausible ideas. Implementation would clearly require more organization. There are suggestions such as:
*networking a more mobile body of people.
*Having prearranged flash mobs, that descend on a target then disperse.
*Using the permit process to confound law enforcement peacefully. Getting permits for one time and place, but showing up at another. The police set up en masse in a show of force and no one comes. The permitted place...empty.
*Using theater. Setting up small productions that educate and bring in more people. Some shows could be impromptu. some would be choreographed.
The trick would be this. These tactics would be carried out by largely local demonstrators
The treat would be this: We could "camp" at home. We would share space where needed, then go back. Everyone clean, fed and warm. Like going to work and coming home..
Those are only some of the suggestions about in the hand book. We need to have this dialogue. There was ice on my porch this morning, and frost covering the roof. It would be no treat to be out there camping where we are not welcome.
So comment away.. What are your ideas?