Why I Occupy

Zuccotti Park, Oct. 2010

     Over the past few months I have surely become known to friends (Facebook and Twitter included) and family as the Occupy guy, and with good reason. Being said "Occupy guy" I have faced some challenges and questions as to why I support the Occupy movement and other forms of social disobedience. This post is hopefully going to clear up some of the unanswered questions about the movement and why I support it; questions that may have been asked, or people wondered but didn't want to ask.
     As I warned in my last post (Power is the People, Feb '10'), America needed to "heed the warnings" manifested by the Arab Spring protests particularly the revolution in Egypt. I fully supported, and still do support the right of any oppressed people to take back collective power by whatever means they see fit, I want situations to remain peaceful but I also realize that reality is not so passive.
     Around the same time in Columbus, Ohio we had our own fight to deal with... An anti-union, "union busting" bill in the form of Senate Bill 5 was put forth by John Kasich, the newly elected Republican Governor. Kasich and Scott Walker, also newly elected Governor of Wisconsin (Rep.) among others, heavily funded by Koch Bros. political contributions, waged a unpopular war against public workers even as Kasich gave his staff a raise in pay. We protested, as did many in Wisconsin in/at our Statehouses in the middle of winter to show the Nation that we too, like our brothers and sisters in the Middle-East, could make our voices heard and our bodies present. We vowed a citizens veto.

SB 5 protest, Ohio Statehouse, Feb. 2010

Zuccotti Park, Oct. 2010

     Well before Kasich was elected I warned voters back in Nov. 2010 against a reactionary swing to the conservative right that would enable such a destructive, regressionist agenda to be put forth. And even before Nov. 2010 I was posting on Facebook and Twitter about the insane rantings of Glenn Beck and the exclusionist practices of the Tea Party. I was posting data and charts and articles about the IMF, World Bank, and the World Trade Organization, about "super capitalism", corporations, neo-liberalism,  the decline of the middle class in America, greedy banksters, and social injustice around the planet.
     People kept asking me, why are you so pissed? Where is all this coming from? But you see, I was really expressing the mounting frustrations I saw around me on a daily basis from my neighborhood across the globe. In my mind I was foreshadowing the civil unrest that would occur in the form of Occupy and other movements. I consider myself and others like me to be the primers that fueled the social flame. I also consider my time in the Geography and Communications departments at Ohio State to be essential ingredients for my post college activism. The information they provided made it impossible for me to ignore the grave dangers we are facing as a humanity as well as what factors are causing those dangers.
     So, the first time I heard there was a protest going on in a small park near Wall St. (around day 4) my eyebrows were raised... I thought it sounded like a great fucking idea. I started posting to Facebook about the protest and how I stood behind those willing to challenge our decaying democracy and against those responsible for the decay. I started monitoring the protests daily, and reading anything I could about who these people were, and about how? and why? people were coming into the streets seemingly from nowhere.
     By day 20, I was on my way to Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, to the protest that in my mind will go down in history as the catalyst for the biggest social and economic awakening this country has seen in a very long time. Or, if ignored could become the biggest catalyst for a slightly less pleasant form of change in the coming future. The 4 days and 3 nights I spent at Occupy Wall St. have had, and will continue to have lasting effects on me for the rest of my activist life. Even though corporate media have largely ingnored and even demonized the occupiers lately, what I experienced at Zuccotti Park was unlike anything I have ever witnessed. I am still to this day processing what took place and is continuing to take place there...

The People's Library (pre-eviction)

     Zuccotti Park for those first moments (pre-eviction, the "Golden Era" I call it), was certainly more than I expected it to be. Complete with sanitation, media, logistics, food, and library services, all done by volunteer labor exerted by occupants. The level of organization, education, and toleration simply blew me away. Although violence had already occurred, any would occur again after my departure, I experienced none. Zuccotti Park during my stay had an energy that I can only try to describe. I've been around large crowds, and theres a certain energy to that, but this was different. This energy had a 'newness', not that it was new, but that we had tapped into it once again... What had laid dormant for so long was now reawakened. The energy I speak of had politcal, social, and generational overtones with an ever present undertone of conflict and danger. I can still remember feeling really very alive.
     During the day tourists and the curious would fill the park, people from all over the world, of all backgrounds, colors, religions, and political affiliations. They asked questions with us, debated us, took pictures with us, ate with us, pounded drums and danced with us, chanted, yelled, mic-checked, held signs, and shared ideas with us. We listened to philosophers, religious leaders, and the homeless alike, each person having a different personal account of the events that led them to that same tiny point on earth. What was happening there felt transformational, exhibiting on a small scale some of the humanity that we have forgotten here in America. A time when the least of us mattered as much as the best of us. A nations greatness should be judged by how they treat their poor, infirm, and elderly.
     Night time at Zuccotti Park was much different, as tourists, media, and daytime protesters left the park. But less people didn't mean less activity, food was still being served, trash from the day was being collected and condensed, plans were being laid for the next day, media was busy 24/7 maintaining various LiveStreams and tending to various social media, and people were generally less guarded; forming small clusters or groups discussing ideas and the days events. Some people came and went, charging phones, getting supplies and finding public restrooms. Very late at night whispers could be heard, some folks still moving around, still cleaning and checking to make sure people were safe and abiding by the no drug policy. Hey, I smoked some pot there, I smoke some pot everywhere, but for the most part people kept it low. Another thing about the night were the rumors, usually pertaining to the camp being raided or shut down. At one point it seemed as if we were being surrounded as cops escalated their presence while Occupy Seattle and Boston were both under attack, but police never made a move on us that night.
     When it was time for me to leave, I didn't want to, to be honest... I knew as soon as I left that I would loose a piece of myself forever, moments in time that I would never get back. It really did feel like home to me for those days. The people I met and the ideas we shared will travel on with me through life, but those days will never be recreated. It's not like a great piece of art that you can go back and look at time after time. It was a spontaneous and fluid event that was ever changing and that was the beauty of it. But Zuccotti Park will never be the same as I left it that Tuesday afternoon, and that hurts.
     Shortly after I left the camp was raided, broken up, and largely destroyed. The Peoples Library was confiscated, personal possessions were trashed, tents were knifed through, and people were arrested or dispersed. For me, a moment I feared came to reality. The park was blocked off with Police barricades for almost two months as the focus shifted to break apart other Occupy camps around the nation. However, just days ago protesters were allowed back into the park minus and gear needed to truly re-occupy it. From what I understand several hundred protesters are now back at Zuccotti on a semi-full-time basis. This movement refuses to die, and seems very resilient and adaptable, the thousands of Occupy offshoots around the world are testament to that.
     When I returned to Columbus I began work on the repeal of SB 5 which had by then morphed into issue 2. My work included polling voters door-to-door and verbally lobbying voters against the bills right stripping nature. We defeated Issue 2 and John Kasich, and at this current time Scott Walker is on his way to being recalled as the Gov. of Wisconsin. Both major victories on the progressive front. Also at this current time anti corporate/personhood bills are being created, as well as a camapaign to remove corporate money from our political system, two major concerns of the Occupy movements. Just today Obama agreed to hold back on the SOPA legislation so many have protested against. Although, the NDAA being signed into law has me very worried.
     Currently I am involved in the Ban Fracking movement here in Ohio. Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing is a major source contention here, as well as in P.A. and N.Y. We are protesting for potable water which is in danger if these operations steam ahead at the expected rate. 11 earthquakes in the Mahoning valley are suspected side effects of this unnatural tampering. I am doing some petitioning for Columbus City Counsel reform we are hoping to get on the ballot for Nov, 2011. I haven't forgotten about Occupy, I co-designed a T-shirt for Occupy Columbus and continue to stay current on Occupy The Ohio State University actions. Occupy Wall St. has planned an event starting on Jan. 17th calling for occupiers around the nation to converge on Washington D.C. to put pressure on the American Congress to heed the peaceful warnings. Though we have won some recent battles, the war is far from over, and each day that passes sends our democracy further down the corporate rabbit-hole.

Expect Us.

     I believe it is the job of the educated to protect the poor from the rich. I believe that myself and others are morally charged with this responsibility. I believe that slowly the ultra-wealthy have gained a strong upper hand, but we will be silent no more! Capitalism means to capitalize, off of ignorance, off of stupidity, off of the poor, off of the uneducated, off of the misguided or misled, off of the elderly, off of our public employees, off of people in the undeveloped world. Well, we are here to say enough is enough. And we will not be stopped, I guarantee that. If you know history, you will know that basically every right we enjoy was pushed for and adopted by a Liberal. It may take some time, it may take a long time, but we always win in the end. You know why we win? Because we have the best ideas championed by some of the most intelligent people on the planet. And despite the efforts from the dark-side, our ideas usually prevail in the long run after people are fooled, and then see through the foolishness.
     The ball of change is rolling, and gaining momentum, so I once again implore those in power to see the writing on the wall. We are not the problem, oligarchs are the problem, on going wars are the problem, economic and social injustice are the problems, corporations are the problem, bankers are the problem, Wall St. is the problem, the NDAA, militarization of our police and so on... We are the symptoms of the problem, and we will not be going anywhere. Do I think that Occupy is the end all/be all? The simple answer is no. It was an important vehicle to transport the ideas to the general public for mass consumption. And people are responding whether corporate media or the right chooses to admit it. Personally I think they are scared as hell that we are coming for them. And before long, they might be right... And that's the Word On The Street! Expect us.  
     
   
       

Immortal Technique

     Just a test to post some video and see how it looks on the blog. I am planning to start blogging more frequently starting with a post tomorrow about Occupy Wall St. and my experience in Zuccotti Park in late October... This is video I shot in Zuccotti as Immortal Technique, (rapper from Harlem, NY) was speaking about some of the reasons he believes in the Occupy movement. More video from Immortal is available on my YouTube channel @ hrenko1977

Power is the People

     In light of recent events in the Middle East I have to decided to come to the blog and put some thoughts on screen. I have been neglecting this blog for the past few months, but it is only because this is where I come to expand on thoughts, and not just put down any old idea that comes to mind i.e. Facebook and Twitter. Not that those thoughts are any less important than the others, but they are usually less planned and more spontaneous with a bunch of space restrictions leaving the writer no choice but to be brief... I would like to keep the content of this blog to serious thought and timeless issues.
     I would like to start by saying that I am in awe of the people of Egypt and the courage they displayed over the course of the past three tension filled weeks. I must admit I was doubtful a few times as to whether they would be able to maintain the energy it would eventually take to accomplish their agenda. Not only did they maintain the energy, the energy has spread to other long suffering societies in the Mid East, and the energy is called freedom: freedom of the press, freedom to assemble, freedom to socially interact, freedom from rampant corruption, freedom from tyranny. The new generation comprised of young, educated, westernized and technically savvy Mid-Easterners has proven that dictators will not be tolerated in the modern era. They have also proven that freedom and democracy will not necessarily take a shape that pleases some in the United States. One thing is certainly clear, the course of the Middle East through history has been forever changed, the events of the past few weeks will be looked back at the same way we look at the fall of the Berlin Wall or the course changing events of 9/11, they are moments that set bench marks in history. They are moments that live forever.
     At this time of historical change I would like to reflect on our current situation in America and what it means to be an American. It seems to me that increasingly in America we have become afraid to stand up for our beliefs, afraid of what others will think of us, afraid to loose a job, afraid of the corporations, afraid to say what we want on social media, afraid to say "enough is enough"... There is a pervasive fear, a subtle fear that you better not step out of line or you will be singled out and humiliated for all to see. Well, I am hear to tell you that you must no longer be afraid, because fear is more powerful than machine guns. Fear is the main weapon of those who seek to keep us in line, spending, consuming, spending, consuming, spending, consuming. Where is our power as a collective people? Has it vanished? No, we have been divided and conquered, we have been diced up into small sections: the rich, the poor, the educated, the uneducated, the left, the right, the white, the black, the Christian, the Muslim and so on... We have been distracted by a smokescreen of petty difference and juvenile animosity, while those in power only grow stronger, and we, weaker.
     We must heed the warnings, we must learn from those in Egypt that people truly do possess the power to change the world and the course of history. We must also stand behind those in search of freedom in Egypt and around the Middle East no matter what that leads to, it is not for us to decide. The only thing we can do is decide for ourselves and take a hard look in the mirror and around the nation to see how things are changing and how far we have declined. We must reinvent our democracy, reinvent ourselves, and find the passion shown by the Egyptians to say "enough is enough"... Power to the people, and that is the Word On The Street...

The Evolution Of An American Soccer Fan

This post was inspired by the documentary on ESPN called "The Two Escobars", part of the 30/30 series:

   As a kid growing up in N.E. Ohio I was not heavily exposed to soccer, and had even less knowledge at that time about how serious the sport of soccer was/is around the globe. I would here stories of the all-time greats on ESPN, names like Pele, Maradona, Baggio, Ronaldo. My dad used to take me to Cleveland Force indoor soccer games as a youth, but I never seriously started to pay attention until the World Cup of 1994, when I was seduced by the smooth play of the Columbian team. Of course Carlos Valderama was my favorite player of that Cup, the hair, the swagger.
   As time and World Cups went on I started to realize that soccer may just be a game in the United States, but to the rest of the world it is much more. I now live in Columbus, Ohio where soccer is bigger than it is in the rest of the country. We are blessed to have the Crew to make soccer fans where there were none previously. I think that this years World Cup in S.Africa proved that soccer is poised to become a very big sport throughout the United States.
   I hope Americans are realizing the power of soccer globally, and if we want to fully be a part of the global community we must engage in the worlds pastime. Soccer has the power to unite, divide, build or destroy. The sooner we as a nation embrace the worlds game, the sooner we will be able to tap into the power of soccer and bring about positive change both here and abroad. We can also raise our level of respect internationally by competing well on the biggest statges. Even though the games are not the most exciting, we as a country need to look past that and realize that we have much more to gain by participation than by having a lack of interest in the game.
   Personally, I can't wait until the next Cup. The stories and stars created are well worth the pain of watching a nil/nil match. So let's go people, pay attention to soccer, learn somthing about the guy with the name you can't pronounce, learn something about a far off culture, and learn something about the game. If you do this you will have ultimately learned something about yourself. If we want to assimilate into a world culure, this is the way to start. R.I.P. Andres Escobar.

48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers

If you're like me you are wary of power and control. I wanted to post this book to let folks know what kind of games people play to maintain power. If we understand how these principles can be used against us we can start to turn the odds of being manipulated around. If you look hard enough you can see these principles at work on a daily basis. We can never truly be free if we don't understand how people try to limit our freedom. Stay strong on the streets.

Dominate

         Domination, this concept is what I hope to achieve. Not domination of the world, or of some opponent, but domination of the self. Are you here with me? This may be the most challenging concept of the four that I chose for the title of this blog. Now that we have conquered our negativity, and our negative situations in life we can conquer the negativity left within ourselves. We can control our emotions, thoughts, and actions and become the people we knew we were destined to become. As I have stated, this is a different path for everone. But now that we have eliminated the possibility of others forming our destiny, we must control the one entity that now has control over you and me, ourselves. Be the captain of your ship, be the captain of your thoughts and actions and you will become the captain of your destiny. Now, only you hold the compass to your journey, and it must be relied on to chart the course of you new life. If we fail to dominate ourselves and our lives we can slip back into old ways, old friends, and old patterns of thought. Many of those things are filled with negativity, that is why we had to distance ourselves from them to begin with. We will surley stumble along the way, be if we are steadfast in our resolve, the rewards will be greater than the sacrifices we have made. I love boxing, old boxing, that is why I included the image of Ali hovering over Liston in 1965. Liston was the baddest mofo low-down around this town, a strong-arm tactician for the mob, a knee-capper and face-smasher. Ali is you (me), Liston is the former you (us), word on the street was that Liston was gonna mop the floor with Ali, look what happened. We can defeat bigger, stronger, and meaner foes, we have the ability, we just have to believe in ourselves. We can be Ali, he is us and we are him, we can dominate ourselves. We can beat the old us, the us who thinks we can't, that we aren't deserving, that we aren't capable. Use this image of Ali to help you, picture yourself standing over your former life and former self like Ali over Liston. One arm clenched in victory, in domination of our fallen foe, daring it to come back for more. So, can we do it? Let's lean on eachother. This is the last post for the explanation of the title. Now I will begin to post content and comment on it, I will be posting content to fit the theme of this blog. Content that will strenghten us, and give us fuel to carry on and keep negativity at bay.  

•Reinvent•

This concept is the most important of the four that I chose for the acronym in the title of this Blog. Long after you have withstood, and long after you have overcome, you will finally get the chance to turn it all around. I find myself at this exact point in life; the crossroads of life where all your failures turn into your strengths. The point where you have shifted from negative to positive energy. The point where you realize that you have seen the bottom, taken your lumps and persevered. I know you know what I'm talking about. Your just like me. You may have taken lumps in different places or at different times, but the fact remains, life leaves no one unscared. So, this is the reason this concept is so important to me, the fact that once we adopt an attitude that will not let us be defeated by negative energy we stop negativity and it's stealth-like control of our lives. Negativity will take every inch you give it. It loves us, because without us it does not exist. So negativity does whatever it can to to go unnoticed, unchecked, and multiply in our lives. Just like capitalism, but that is for another time. Back to the subject, now it is time to reinvent my friend. For each individual this will mean something different. In my life it has meant going to college after some folks thought it not a wise decision after my previous record in school. For you it may mean challening yourself in a different aspect in life. The opportunity will arrive, it has no choice. You just have to be willing to grab it. This will lead to to reinvention, although our essence as individuals is constant, we will find ourselves transforming into ourselves. That sounds good doesn't it. Only you know who you were meant to be. No one else. Let's be strong, now that we are in the position to make ourselves better than we are. You can only live each day once, why not become what moves your soul? A better question still is how can you not become what moves your soul? I am becoming what moves my soul, so can you. Are you with me? Let's reinvent our lives and our world. Keep the faith.