[Due to technical issues I, the editor of this issue, was not in possession of all the submissions until 4:30 pm today. A tragic event at the park, and the threat of eviction tomorrow, forced a faster release of the newsletter. Over the past two hours I edited it together. It is not smooth and neat and perfect because it is a movement newsletter and it needs to be finished and printed tonight, not endlessly stared over until it is perfect. Below are the articles in text form as well
-CW, ed Nov 11, 2011, 11:12 pm]
THE POLICE HAVE THREATENED TO EVICT HOMELESS AMERICANS FROM PIONEER PARK WHERE THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO SECURE FOOD AND SHELTER FOR THEMSELVES. HELP US RESIST EVICTION! BE AT PIONEER TO RESIST EVICTION BY 7PM! SHOW UP EARLY!
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Tragedy At Pioneer Park
By Jesse F.
We at Occupy SLC are deeply saddened by the tragedy that has happened. Our neighbor who died volunteered in our kitchen and shared the Occupy Movement's concerns about the system. It's a tragedy that society allows so many incidents like this to happen every year. In 2010, 54 of our fellow Salt Lake City citizens died due to issues related to homelessness. In 2009, it was 58.
We understand the city's concern about this situation. Let's be clear: We have been providing food, shelter, and health care services. To react by shutting this down will lead to more people dying alone, cold, hungry and without shelter. A productive approach from the city would be to provide more resources to solve these problems; eliminating our assembly is combative and counter productive. Many members of our community have already joined in our effort to make a more compassionate world. Occupy SLC is putting a spotlight on untreated mental health issues, substance abuse, homelessness, and poverty in our community.
Mayor Becker, the nation is watching, you can not extinguish our light. We call on all of our leaders and everyone in the community to refuse to ignore the brutal reality of poverty and homelessness and embrace moral compassion.
Join us in being a part of the solution, the global Occupy Movement. We are Occupy SLC. No matter what the city does, you can not stop the 99% from exposing injustice in our community and demanding solutions to these problems. Thank you.
By Jesse F.
We at Occupy SLC are deeply saddened by the tragedy that has happened. Our neighbor who died volunteered in our kitchen and shared the Occupy Movement's concerns about the system. It's a tragedy that society allows so many incidents like this to happen every year. In 2010, 54 of our fellow Salt Lake City citizens died due to issues related to homelessness. In 2009, it was 58.
We understand the city's concern about this situation. Let's be clear: We have been providing food, shelter, and health care services. To react by shutting this down will lead to more people dying alone, cold, hungry and without shelter. A productive approach from the city would be to provide more resources to solve these problems; eliminating our assembly is combative and counter productive. Many members of our community have already joined in our effort to make a more compassionate world. Occupy SLC is putting a spotlight on untreated mental health issues, substance abuse, homelessness, and poverty in our community.
Mayor Becker, the nation is watching, you can not extinguish our light. We call on all of our leaders and everyone in the community to refuse to ignore the brutal reality of poverty and homelessness and embrace moral compassion.
Join us in being a part of the solution, the global Occupy Movement. We are Occupy SLC. No matter what the city does, you can not stop the 99% from exposing injustice in our community and demanding solutions to these problems. Thank you.
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A Movement Newsletter of Occupy SLC by Christian W, Editor
This is a newsletter we at the park have put together. This was started as a project at the initiative of Rob. Join- ing with him myself, Mike, John and Jessica. We decided to do what others had talked about and actually make a movement newsletter. I volunteered to edit it and that is what I am doing. The Occupy SLC movement has from the beginning been principally made up of two different related, groups of actors.
This is a newsletter we at the park have put together. This was started as a project at the initiative of Rob. Join- ing with him myself, Mike, John and Jessica. We decided to do what others had talked about and actually make a movement newsletter. I volunteered to edit it and that is what I am doing. The Occupy SLC movement has from the beginning been principally made up of two different related, groups of actors.
The first are the activists. These are people of conscience, do gooders who read history and theory and who see injustice in society and want to get involved. When Occupy Wall Street started in NYC, they got together to form a similar movement to confront, protest, and develop a resistance to the domination of the 1% over the rest of us. Confronting a debilitating wealth inequality and a distribution of power that has been concentrated in far too few hands, Occupy SLC began 1 month, 5 days, and 10 hours ago from the time of this writing.
Most of the occupiers at Pioneer Park, however, did not come here to make a political statement. They came here because they had no where else to go. Some of them were here already. But none of them had a place to sleep, and cook and eat of their own.
Pioneer Park very quickly assumed the character of a 1930s style tent encampment of the of the homeless. This did not fit conveniently into the political understanding of some of the participants who first called for an occupation. That resulted in some of the original organizers leaving, while others have adapted to make the park what it is. Since that time it has struggled to articulate its own identity and direction. A “leaderless” and “consensus based” model of making decisions was imposed on the movement by activists following the lead of Occupy Wall Street, and in my opinion there are many flaws to that method of trying to run things. But even as we have struggled to work out the best way to organize ourselves, there is something far more important happening in Pioneer Park over the last month than any political organizer trying to raise consciousness or make a statement could have ever accomplished on their own. In the words of Lionel, an occupier from the beginning, “People have a place we can stay, cook our food, and not be chased around like a rat every time a light is shined on us. This is about human dignity.”
Pioneer Park has become a home for many without one. The homeless shelter system in Salt Lake City is not adequate to meet the needs of many people who have become homeless as a result of the economic recession. Coming together to find a place to stay has been the first step. Our tents along 400 S are not a permanent solution to homelessness. As a homeless person, I do not want to camp in a park all winter long. I want a warm home with a roof and running water and a stove. But short of having that, the park has provided me a place to sleep and cook and eat that was not otherwise available to me in SLC. The social character of the park and the political movement behind it has also provided me an opportunity to make many friends and work together to help others in my own condition, in a way that is not possible with the existing shelters.
Tragically, it was today I found out the news that one of us camping had died in the night. I do not know the exact reason for the death, but I do know that death on the streets is a part of being homeless. Surely having tents, sleeping bags, and warm meals to fortify oneself against the cold has helped many lives that otherwise would be in much more serious jeopardy as Winter set in. Using this death as an excuse, the Police have told us today that we need to move out by 7pm Tomorrow or else they would begin clearing us out. This is an unfortunate reaction on their part and Jesse's letter, printed here on our front page, explains why very well.
I do not know if the occupation will continue or not. Will we become a self aware, articulate movement of the homeless and organize ourselves to fight for better, more dignified and comprehensive housing for ALL of SLC's homeless- including the mentally ill and the chemically dependant? I hope so. But I am not sure if we will have the time to figure out how to do this. If we are repressed tomorrow, it won't hurt the political movement “of the 99%” so much as it will hurt men, women and children, people's fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, who are currently dependent on the park for the basic rights of food and shelter that 21st century capitalism has failed to assure them. Whether this is the first or last issue, I am glad to edit it ahead of schedule tonight. Because I hope to preserve in some way our voices, what has happened to our lives, what has led us here to come together, and what we have been able to accomplish. These are the reports of our activism, and our more personal struggles. If you support what we are doing, please join us in Solidarity on Saturday from 5-7pm to resist eviction.
Tragically, it was today I found out the news that one of us camping had died in the night. I do not know the exact reason for the death, but I do know that death on the streets is a part of being homeless. Surely having tents, sleeping bags, and warm meals to fortify oneself against the cold has helped many lives that otherwise would be in much more serious jeopardy as Winter set in. Using this death as an excuse, the Police have told us today that we need to move out by 7pm Tomorrow or else they would begin clearing us out. This is an unfortunate reaction on their part and Jesse's letter, printed here on our front page, explains why very well.
I do not know if the occupation will continue or not. Will we become a self aware, articulate movement of the homeless and organize ourselves to fight for better, more dignified and comprehensive housing for ALL of SLC's homeless- including the mentally ill and the chemically dependant? I hope so. But I am not sure if we will have the time to figure out how to do this. If we are repressed tomorrow, it won't hurt the political movement “of the 99%” so much as it will hurt men, women and children, people's fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, who are currently dependent on the park for the basic rights of food and shelter that 21st century capitalism has failed to assure them. Whether this is the first or last issue, I am glad to edit it ahead of schedule tonight. Because I hope to preserve in some way our voices, what has happened to our lives, what has led us here to come together, and what we have been able to accomplish. These are the reports of our activism, and our more personal struggles. If you support what we are doing, please join us in Solidarity on Saturday from 5-7pm to resist eviction.
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“I've Been Here Since it Started...” (An interview with Mearle)
“...My purpose in life is that I have a bad leg, and I have no where else to go to fix it, except the clinic. The clinic is very helpful. Life in my way is really determentail because I'm not capable of doing this myself. I can survive, but it's not what I need to do. I need to be involved in a program or a person that cares. I have six children and two wives, and I don't see them I don't know them, and, look, I don't want to cry man... I'm just a good person at heart. I will do anything to help any body. But I can't help myself...”
“Living here... the people are great. Nobody's got no money. Nobody's got no work. So you got to let it go at that. It's just living here. Where else we gonna live? In your back yard? No. You won't let us. But, that's the only options we have. “
“This is the only place that I know of- and I've been here for 60 years- that you can come and stay for the night. This is the only place where you're not harrassed by the police. If we had a place to go, we would go there and be there. Whether it was a dump, or a place that no one else wanted to go, we would go there, just so we could sleep at night, and stay during the day."
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“...So I went and Got Me a Tent...”(An interview with Badger)
I didn't know what the movement was about, right? But I just did three years in prison for DUI... so they let me out... and I lost everything, I don't even have a vehicle or anything. They took my SSI (cause I have permenent knee injury, I worked on drilling rigs for 20 years)... This seemed like a good place to stay cause I ain't got one. So I went and got me a $10 tent and I'm just staying out here trying to get my SSI going again. Because once I get a house or whatever, I like to do detail work on cars and stuff, but I'm stuck here. I got no place else to go dog."
"I worked my whole life till I got my knee injury. But you know how much it is for a motel room? I'm saying sixty bucks for a night. [maybe $39?] Well, what I'm saying is, I don't got $39 a day. You know what that ads up to in a week? So I'm out here just trying to get my shit back together, and get along with the people. And it is hard believe me. There's three kinds of people out here. There's the kind of people who are for the movement. There's the kind of people that are trying to step up cause they're in a nine line bind, and then there's just them crazy motherfuckers that want to fight and drink, you know? and that's it. “
"...There's some crazy people out here bro. I'm a little crazy but I think I'm pretty much dealing with a full deck, maybe I'm a few cards short. But.... It's pretty crazy out here, it's kinda segregated. Like this is the crazy ass side. The people over there that are really with the movement are over there, and you know what I'll even donate time to the kitchen or whatever... because I try to love everybody- if you treat me with respect I'll treat you with respect. But there are just some people who'll go up there and get a free meal and be pissed off because they didn't like the way they cooked it! You know?” I'm like, Man, why don't you just say thank you? Thank you for a hot meal! Cause that's what I say, and I wash my plate. They'll take their plates over here and they'll dump them in the god damned trash can. You know what I mean? If you give me a free meal the least thing I can do is wash my plate, for crying out loud. But we're all raised different....”
"I have political views bro, and I can't even really begin to define em you know because I'm really not stupid and I'm not really educated either, but, I'm thinking that this could be a good thing. I just wish people would take [the movement], I wish they would come together more and focus on what the cause is, but, who am I?"
"I believe in history... you know, a lot of our political stuff, they way that we've got it rolling now is because of the Romans... our whole judicial system is almost completely from the Romans... every time a great culture came to an end it was... because of a decline of their morals and their ethics. Look at what the Romans were doing man they were throwing people in the ring, fighting em, killing human beings, right? Eventually it got em bro. They just went over and stomped the shit out of every country, and most of them didn't even want to fight because they knew what the Romans were... but, when they lost, when they finally declined, when they finally lost everything that they were about... do you know what it was? It was because they forgot to have a heart.They were heartless motherfuckers they killed everybody they didn't have any fucking compassion for human life, except for their own. If you weren't Roman you weren't shit....”
"There's fucked up government people... look at what's going on way upstairs! You know what I mean? Look at the people that are calling the shots, telling us that we're supposed to go to war, we're supposed to kill these people, we're supposed to do that... "
“ I think if the people who really come together and think about what the cause is, I think it would be really cool. But so many people are segregated, you know we've always been segregated, all of us all of our who lives, propaganda does it, the United States does it... When the government became so powerful and started all the propaganda to separate the people, they separate the Hispanics, they put propaganda to keep African Americans against whites, whites against Hispanics..., it's so much propaganda that the people can't even come together man...”
“Just think, if people quit their jobs for one day, one day, everybody in this whole nation just quit and said "you know what, fuck you? What do you think about us now?" Maybe even seven days. Then what do you think would happen?"
I didn't know what the movement was about, right? But I just did three years in prison for DUI... so they let me out... and I lost everything, I don't even have a vehicle or anything. They took my SSI (cause I have permenent knee injury, I worked on drilling rigs for 20 years)... This seemed like a good place to stay cause I ain't got one. So I went and got me a $10 tent and I'm just staying out here trying to get my SSI going again. Because once I get a house or whatever, I like to do detail work on cars and stuff, but I'm stuck here. I got no place else to go dog."
"I worked my whole life till I got my knee injury. But you know how much it is for a motel room? I'm saying sixty bucks for a night. [maybe $39?] Well, what I'm saying is, I don't got $39 a day. You know what that ads up to in a week? So I'm out here just trying to get my shit back together, and get along with the people. And it is hard believe me. There's three kinds of people out here. There's the kind of people who are for the movement. There's the kind of people that are trying to step up cause they're in a nine line bind, and then there's just them crazy motherfuckers that want to fight and drink, you know? and that's it. “
"...There's some crazy people out here bro. I'm a little crazy but I think I'm pretty much dealing with a full deck, maybe I'm a few cards short. But.... It's pretty crazy out here, it's kinda segregated. Like this is the crazy ass side. The people over there that are really with the movement are over there, and you know what I'll even donate time to the kitchen or whatever... because I try to love everybody- if you treat me with respect I'll treat you with respect. But there are just some people who'll go up there and get a free meal and be pissed off because they didn't like the way they cooked it! You know?” I'm like, Man, why don't you just say thank you? Thank you for a hot meal! Cause that's what I say, and I wash my plate. They'll take their plates over here and they'll dump them in the god damned trash can. You know what I mean? If you give me a free meal the least thing I can do is wash my plate, for crying out loud. But we're all raised different....”
"I have political views bro, and I can't even really begin to define em you know because I'm really not stupid and I'm not really educated either, but, I'm thinking that this could be a good thing. I just wish people would take [the movement], I wish they would come together more and focus on what the cause is, but, who am I?"
"I believe in history... you know, a lot of our political stuff, they way that we've got it rolling now is because of the Romans... our whole judicial system is almost completely from the Romans... every time a great culture came to an end it was... because of a decline of their morals and their ethics. Look at what the Romans were doing man they were throwing people in the ring, fighting em, killing human beings, right? Eventually it got em bro. They just went over and stomped the shit out of every country, and most of them didn't even want to fight because they knew what the Romans were... but, when they lost, when they finally declined, when they finally lost everything that they were about... do you know what it was? It was because they forgot to have a heart.They were heartless motherfuckers they killed everybody they didn't have any fucking compassion for human life, except for their own. If you weren't Roman you weren't shit....”
"There's fucked up government people... look at what's going on way upstairs! You know what I mean? Look at the people that are calling the shots, telling us that we're supposed to go to war, we're supposed to kill these people, we're supposed to do that... "
“ I think if the people who really come together and think about what the cause is, I think it would be really cool. But so many people are segregated, you know we've always been segregated, all of us all of our who lives, propaganda does it, the United States does it... When the government became so powerful and started all the propaganda to separate the people, they separate the Hispanics, they put propaganda to keep African Americans against whites, whites against Hispanics..., it's so much propaganda that the people can't even come together man...”
“Just think, if people quit their jobs for one day, one day, everybody in this whole nation just quit and said "you know what, fuck you? What do you think about us now?" Maybe even seven days. Then what do you think would happen?"
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What is Bank Transfer Day? by Mike [ “BTD” took place this past Nov 5, 2011 - ED)
“"I started this because I felt like many of you do. I was tired-- tired of the fee increases, tired of not being able to access my money when I need to, tired of them using what little money I have to oppress my brothers & sisters. So I stood up. "
-Kristen Christian, founding organizer of Bank Transfer Day.
Bank Transfer Day is an outcry at the policies of large banking institutions which increase revenue by charging patrons for the right to access monies placed into their care. It is also an opportunity to take direct action against the largest banks, many of which participated in the economic collapse of recent years, and subsequent profiteering of the bailout. Bank Transfer Day is a call to action to move our monies out of large banks and into local credit unions, this call is ongoing as long as monies remain in these large banks or they remain unaccountable for their crimes against society.
“"I started this because I felt like many of you do. I was tired-- tired of the fee increases, tired of not being able to access my money when I need to, tired of them using what little money I have to oppress my brothers & sisters. So I stood up. "
-Kristen Christian, founding organizer of Bank Transfer Day.
Bank Transfer Day is an outcry at the policies of large banking institutions which increase revenue by charging patrons for the right to access monies placed into their care. It is also an opportunity to take direct action against the largest banks, many of which participated in the economic collapse of recent years, and subsequent profiteering of the bailout. Bank Transfer Day is a call to action to move our monies out of large banks and into local credit unions, this call is ongoing as long as monies remain in these large banks or they remain unaccountable for their crimes against society.
The action has its root in the Durbin Amendment of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Public Law No. 111-203), which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on July 21, 2010. This amendment capped the fee that banks may collect from merchants swiping debit cards to 21 cents, down from 44 cents. Most Americans use their debit cards an average of 25 times per month, a loss of revenue for banks averaging $5 per customer. [2] [3] Hence the recent move by Bank of America, and speculation by other banking institutions, to institute a $3-5 servicing fee to debit cards on combined accounts with less $20,000. In the face of the initial outcry, Bank of America has cancelled its plans to introduce a fee. Despite this victory, the call remains.
Given the growing fees and frustrations of customers, Bank Transfer Day(s) is a call to move money out of banks and into credit unions, financial institutions that are collectively owned by account holders. To this date 700,000 new accounts have been opened with credit unions throughout the country, with 40,000 on the day of, Nov. 5th. This equates to $4.5 billion in total, with $80 million coming in on the day of. [4]
Bank Transfer Day is an ongoing, independent action that has been endorsed by Occupy Salt Lake City, Occupy Wall Street, and many other Occupations throughout the world.
[1] https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=298049023545172 retrieved Nov.1, 2011
Bank Transfer Day is an ongoing, independent action that has been endorsed by Occupy Salt Lake City, Occupy Wall Street, and many other Occupations throughout the world.
[1] https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=298049023545172 retrieved Nov.1, 2011
[2] http://www.natlawreview.com/article/credit-union-study-swipe-costs-adds-confusion-to-debit-fee-battle, retrieved Nov.1, 2011
[3]http://money.bundle.com/article/cash-check-plastic-how-we-pay, retrieved Nov. 1, 2001
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What is good about this park that has brought you here?"
An interview with L___, an Occupier
What is good about this park that has brought you here?
“Communication, most definitely! I like the fact that you and I are having this conversation right now. It's not based off of political opinions... it's taboo for most people to talk about politics and so by the fact that we're doing this we're making it less taboo, which I really like and I value because if we're afraid to talk about our opinions on political matters, we're not going to be able to resolve anything.”
How is camping in a park and making signs and educating people going to change the fact that a few corporations and rich people control our government and make the decisions that affect our lives?
"I think there is power in numbers... by our communication we are empowering ourselves."
An interview with L___, an Occupier
What is good about this park that has brought you here?
“Communication, most definitely! I like the fact that you and I are having this conversation right now. It's not based off of political opinions... it's taboo for most people to talk about politics and so by the fact that we're doing this we're making it less taboo, which I really like and I value because if we're afraid to talk about our opinions on political matters, we're not going to be able to resolve anything.”
How is camping in a park and making signs and educating people going to change the fact that a few corporations and rich people control our government and make the decisions that affect our lives?
"I think there is power in numbers... by our communication we are empowering ourselves."
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“Prime Real Estate in the Middle of the Financial District”
An Interview with Justin
[Justin has been part of Occupy SLC from the beginning, has spent a lot of time outside the Federal Reserve building, and has worked to improve coordination between our “Fronts” at the Fed and at Pioneer Park. I got to interview him and hear his story about how the Federal Reserve protest was able to move to its new Location in Gallivan Plaza, at the heart of SLC's financial district. - ED]
"Everyone's been so heated up at the Fed, because all that stuff's been going down... I think the movement's got a lot of positive vibes going through it right now, because we got the Gallivan Center. This is a great chance to rally some of that inital spark that people had [a month ago]."
"[The police] actually pushed for us.. The owner of the land we were camping on tried to remove us... [and] the police offers stood up for us. They are very supportive. They got us prime real estate right in the middle of the fiancial district. It's right underneath the Olympic Monument in between Goldman Sachs... Wells Fargo, [and] Chase. Not the heart of the financial district, it's [more] like the aeorta. Lots of foot traffic, [and] there we are right behind the [channel] 2 news studio! We're going to be very visible, very very visible."
"We are an educational front. We're going to have an information booth up there, it's going to be aptly titled, 'Ask an Occu- pier.' Just providing a little more education a little more approachable way for people directly in the financial district, people during the rush hour traffic, the drunk crowds walking up... We have a lot of visibility, a lot of possibilities to spread education... I hope that that's what we will accomplish out of this."
"We've been very strong about emphasizing it is a no tolerance, 100% alcohol drug and violence free. There is no tolerance for that. Because it's such as small front, and its most likely to be the face of the movement, considering it is so visible to so many people. It couldn't be a better spot."
"I know [one activist] is talking about getting some domes, some solar heating, some greenhouse structures... and I'd like to see some of that up there so we can show people an example of running this movement sustainably, taking the next step toward getting a lot of the "Green" crowd in here."
"My specific grevience, [is] removing money from politics... if we can effectively separate corporations and states and control lobbying and special interest groups- because all it is is legalized bribery- you have a lot of issues that will settle down after that... the democratic process [would] become more real."
"When we can all get up in our tents and go home is when we're all occupied ourselves, in our lives, in our communities, in our pockets in our wallets, when this mentality and community that we're creating of awareness, this community of care and support of local business... I would say when there's a peaceable re-structuring of the way corporate influences are able to lobby certain types of legislation that benefits smaller groups over the majority."
"When we can all get up in our tents and go home is when we're all occupied ourselves, in our lives, in our communities, in our pockets in our wallets, when this mentality and community that we're creating of awareness, this community of care and support of local business... I would say when there's a peaceable re-structuring of the way corporate influences are able to lobby certain types of legislation that benefits smaller groups over the majority."
"I think its really possible to [get] a lot of interest. I hope we're going to see more volunteers...”
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Occupy the Present: A Crash course in Meditation by Aharon Ben Or
Imagine sitting still with no one to talk to, no television to watch, no cigarette to smoke. Just sitting, still. You might grow fidgety, start looking for things to distract yourself--perhaps a person walking by or thoughts about the past or future. To meditate is to begin the inquiry into the nature of your mind, learning to observe it, and its fixations. As you grow more practiced, you become more fluid in allowing distractions to pass by, without grabbing your attention. A positive side effect of your practice is relaxation and health, because excess stress causes many problems. Another effect of meditation is creating what's known as a "coherent field."
Imagine sitting still with no one to talk to, no television to watch, no cigarette to smoke. Just sitting, still. You might grow fidgety, start looking for things to distract yourself--perhaps a person walking by or thoughts about the past or future. To meditate is to begin the inquiry into the nature of your mind, learning to observe it, and its fixations. As you grow more practiced, you become more fluid in allowing distractions to pass by, without grabbing your attention. A positive side effect of your practice is relaxation and health, because excess stress causes many problems. Another effect of meditation is creating what's known as a "coherent field."
Do you think people sitting there doing nothing are doing nothing? Think again. Numerous studies have shown a real and direct impact of these coherent fields on the meditator and their surroundings (including other people). For instance, ongoing meditation was reliably correlated with decreases in crime in various cities. (Look online at heartmath.org and also at the "Maharishi Effect".)
How can you meditate? Here are some very basic instructions:
Sit comfortably but erect. You can sit cross-legged on a cushion, or you can sit on the edge of a chair. Let your spine elongate and your chin and shoulders drop. You can tense and relax various muscle groups in your body to make sure that you are relaxed. Now shift your attention to your breath. As you breath in, you can think "breathing in" and as you breath out, think "breathing out." If you find your mind wandering off to another thought, think "thinking" and move your attention back to your breath. It's that simple. Don't be hard on yourself when you wander, because noticing you've wandered is actually the moment of mindfulness you want to reward.
As you proceed with your practice, you will find other techniques, but they are not better, just different. You can make use of them too.
Now you are ready to come join us at the next meditation flash mob! By meditating in public, we help bring the peaceful and transformative energy of the coherent field into public spaces. Energetic Activism! (http://www.facebook.com/groups/slcmedmob/)
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"You're building a tent here in this park, why are you doing that?"An interview with an occupying couple
It seems like you're building a tent here in this park, why are you doing that?
"It's not like we really have much choice. Being homeless gives us a perfect oppertunity to be part of the movement. It says something... it's our statement to everybody else saying 'hey look here we are, this is what we're doing, if you don't like it, what are you going to do to stop it? What are you going to do to help us?' “
It seems like you're building a tent here in this park, why are you doing that?
"It's not like we really have much choice. Being homeless gives us a perfect oppertunity to be part of the movement. It says something... it's our statement to everybody else saying 'hey look here we are, this is what we're doing, if you don't like it, what are you going to do to stop it? What are you going to do to help us?' “
“We have been homeless off and on since we got married after 2008. We've been up here in Salt Lake homeless since June or July... It was lack of being able to keep a job for one reason or another we'd always loose our job. For me it was because of back problems and the car accident I was in, for him it was back and knee issues, having all sorts of problems.”
Have you had better luck finding work in Salt Lake?
“No... But... oddly enough it's better for people who are homeless up here than it is anywhere else that I've been to. There's more resources and there's a lot more people up here who understand and are willing to actually work with you and give you info on where you can go to take showers or get food or get clothes. There seems to be more resources up here than out in Ogden or anywhere else. I feel more comfortable here than in any other city I've ever been in."
"We didn't come out until about a week and a half after [the occupation] was going... It's a lot better than where we were. When we found out that this was going on and basically that it was going to be staying for quite a while, we figured, okay. Then we ended up meeting everybody here."
"I don't know how long the movement's gonna be here, but we actually have other things lined up with a friend of ours, so hopefully by the end of the month we're going to be out of here. We've got a friend whose got work lined up and he's going to get us jobs... unless there were drastic... [ changes] ... as far as getting involved, honestly I don't see it being much more than this...”
“Unless there are corporate people and stuff who get their butts out of their nice warm places and come down to see what it is that we're doing, and experiance it with us, [things are] never going to change. There are always going to [say] 'oh no, we're fine, you guys are fine, every thing is fine the way it is.' Because they don't understand. They've never been in this situation. People who've been in this situation [and] who are up in there [now] understand.... but even when they're up now where they have a nice car, nice jobs, stuff like that.. they don't really care anymore. And that's the main problem, people have stopped caring.”
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Busy Days in the Life of an Activist by Mike
I am sitting down to lunch when the first text comes in. “Shit going down at fed,” from Deb H. Before I have even completed reading, “IMMEDIATE Action ALERT: police are threatening shut-down of Fed camp. SLCPD are on scene and you should be too. please help--bring cameras,” from Jesse F, also via text. I pack my lunch, hop on my bike and do just that.
Coming up State Street I see three police cars parked up to the curb at 147 South, and a fourth out in the street. All four have their lights flashing, causing traffic to slow. I slide up to the bike rack, hop off and move to solidarity.
Officers are waiting on the sidewalk, protestors milling on the lot and a few of us keeping to the sidewalk. The police response came after the property manager requested assistance in having the camp removed. Action has come to a standstill as the officers wait for direction from their higher ups, as it is unclear if an eviction can come from the manager or must originate with the property owner. Seeing an opportunity for documentation, I immediately pull out my phone and start filming, ready to capture any action that may occur. After a few minutes of film, a call goes out to rally support from the main camp at Pioneer Park. I volunteer to travel with S_...
In his car, we discuss the move last week that precipitated the police response today. After Town Hall, a few of the active organizers and participants made our way to the Occupy the Fed camp situated right outside the front entrance of the Federal Reserve building. After some discussion about different issues of concern to the Occupy movement, a plan of action to occupy the lot South and West of us circulates. We begin moving all the gear the Fed Occupiers have collected to maintain their camp from one side of the street to the other. On my second trip a police officer drives by, craning his neck to peer at the flurry of activity.
In response, Deb and I are assigned to remain at the original location, carrying signs and drawing attention to that locale. I choose to carry “Giving up is not morally permissible.” Our decoy pays off, with every officer making their slowed pass peering at us, not the rising camp on the other side of the street.
Skylar and I return to the Fed camp, more activists in tow to bolster those in defense of the recent Occupation. I begin filming again, catching a Federal agent of the Department of Homeland Security asking the now present television crews to not film the federal building North of our Occupation. After receiving word from higher-ups, police officers tell the activists that they have til sunrise to disperse.
Before returning to work, I hear the call to collect at the upcoming "Town Hall" workshop meeting which occurs every Monday and Thursday nights, starting at 7 pm at the City Library [downstairs, in "Room B" - ED], to form workgroups to address our response to the pending eviction. Knowing that I will be missing the meeting, I make plans to meet up after and learn what course of action has been decided on.
Tuesday, November 8th, the next morning. Sitting in a tent, out of sight of ongoing media coverage, the Fed Occupiers discuss how we will be responding to a potential eviction. Strategies for non-arrestibles are covered, so that we can provide support to those who have chosen to be arrestible if events should come to that. Tactics for remaining safe despite arrest are also covered. We break for the night, with Deb, Jesse, and myself offering to bring coffee before sunrise.
Waking at 6 am, I wrestle through my pre-coffee fog and secure Circle A Kitchen support for bringing coffee to the Fed. Excited by the developing direct action, Stacey, Jim and Lionel send me with 5 gallons. Standing in the morning cold, sipping Occupied coffee, and brainstorming ideas for signs, I can sense the solidarity in action that is developing here to defend our right to freedom of speech. I decide to replicate a sign I had seen from OWS, “Sorry if we are being inconvenient, we are trying to change the world.” Picking it up, I take a place in the growing line of protestors. Prepared to exit the lot and remain a non-arrestible witness, I stand in solidarity waiting on the appointed police response. Information comes in, via Jesse Fruhwirth, about the property owner, Leo F. Wells, and we begin an impromptu phone campaign to express our concerns about the pending eviction, flooding their phone lines.
Coming and going from work twice, I witness no response from Salt Lake City Police Department until 5:44 pm, when Seth N texts me with “Com’on down spread the word” and “…peaceful” to my question “police on scene?”
I arrive just prior to Chief Burbank and the media. Burbank acknowledges our right to freedom of speech and assembly, stressing his work with Leo F. Wells to resolve our situation respectfully. As an offer in that regard, he presents the Occupiers with an alternate site, complete with permit, at the Gallivan Center, on the Western entrance. After a tour and quick discussion, the Occupiers accept the offer, making plans to start a workgroup that will develop a layout for the new camp.
Bedding down in Pioneer Park, I realize that I finally have time tomorrow to finish my steps for Bank Transfer Day and open a credit union account with the money I withdrew from Wells Fargo, only four days behind, but on Occupy time.
The work never ends, but solidarity keeps me going.
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Occupy SLC is a movement in solidarity with the 10's of thousands of demonstrators that have been occupying Wall Street for the last several weeks. This movement is now in over a hundred cities across the world including major movements starting to happen in 4 other countries. We are the 99% of Americans that make less than 8 million dollars a year while the top 1% leverages us into poverty as they swell with personal fortunes from corrupt business practices. We are occupying our cities in protest until our demands are heard.
We are building a following right now. We are assembling in mass, city to city across the nation in record numbers, building a movement. There is a lot of open discussions going on all over the nation right now about what do we hope to achieve and what our specific goals are. I think people are confusing our goal with our plan. The goal is to end this corrupt system, it is broken. The plan is to assemble and organize so that we can collectively work to find a solution. Our demonstrations are simply to make our movement visible, so that people can see our numbers and know the strength we have if we all come together.We will no longer sit and watch as the poverty gap widens. We will stand with our brothers and sisters accross the world. We will stand in solidarity with #OccupyWallStreet. We will show that there is power in numbers. We will come together peacefully and demonstrate our rights.
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
-Defend Pioneer Park from Eviction! Be here Saturday before 7pm!
-Working Group Meeting, SLC Library, downstairs “Room B” Mon & Thur at 7pm
-Street Theater M-F next week at Gallivan Cntr, Noon- 1pm 200 S between Main & State sts
This newsletter is also available digitally at http://occupyslcnewsletter.blogspot.com
If you like what you read, spread the word!
-Defend Pioneer Park from Eviction! Be here Saturday before 7pm!
-Working Group Meeting, SLC Library, downstairs “Room B” Mon & Thur at 7pm
-Street Theater M-F next week at Gallivan Cntr, Noon- 1pm 200 S between Main & State sts
This newsletter is also available digitally at http://occupyslcnewsletter.blogspot.com
If you like what you read, spread the word!
