Why You Need to Understand Activism

Having done my research, the plan was to inaugurate this blog with information along the line of what you would see in an Activism 101 class, if there were such a thing. Then an article about the Occupy movement in an online e-zine targeting geeks caught my eye; not typical geek publication material.

Having followed Occupy Wall Street since early in the first week, it has been amazing to see the movement take off. At first there was little mention in the press apart from, oddly enough, the British newspaper The Guardian.

As the second week began on Saturday, September 24th, New York City police overreacted to a peaceful march with a pepper spray attack on several young women. That incident along with similar inappropriate acts were recorded from several angles and videos were posted online. That marked a sea change in terms of media interest.

Like David Gewrtz , author of the article I'm about to share, for many years I've considered myself too busy with life to get involved with an activist movement. That didn't stop the anger that bubbled up when I took an interest in the details of how AIG blew up in 2008, nearly taking the world economy down with it. But even that anger wasn't enough to trigger a realization of how important it is to understand activism. More about what finally triggered that realization, and this blog, in the Activism 101 series, coming soon to these pages.

A couple of notes before you leave to learn Lessons America's Founding Fathers can teach us about the Occupy movement as told by Mr. Gewirtz. He makes some valid comments on the topic of violence, emphasizing the fact that violent activism often ends badly. Based on those comments it appears he is not aware that nonviolence is embedded in the very core of this movement. Nonviolence is hammered home at every meeting as participants are warned to be on the lookout for infiltrators intent on stirring up violence. Just suggesting that there may be situations in which a violent response may be required is met by a strong thumbs down (actually wiggling fingers down) response.

He says in summary, "Individually, middle class Americans are generally powerless. But taken as a cohort, the American middle class is the single most powerful economic entity that has ever existed." That my friends is why you need to understand activism.

Lessons America's Founding Fathers can teach us about the Occupy movement

Photo by ZDNet blogger Michael Krigsman

Check back soon to start learning What You Need to Understand about Activism.

-- Que le vaya bien...Steve