[Dialogue] A Witness [Sort of]

[Robert A Griffin]

Thanks Gordon.  Muriel and I went up to Northampton, MA, last week to stand around with Occupy Northampton.  Could not find 3 people on the same piece of concrete, even in front of Bank of America!  Better luck next time.
Think there is wisdom in your closing words that more are catching on or getting interested.  Maybe that is just what needs to happen.  What else are you if not cynical?  Bob in Holyoke, MA

Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:43:34 -0800  From: gharper1 at mindspring.com
They're At It Again!



That troublesome band of prophets—or whatever they're calling themselves this time—they're at it again. For weeks and months now, they've been out there with their followers and signs, occupying spaces that the authorities should be keeping open and clogging up traffic.
Vagrants and unemployed are one thing, but now rumors are flying of hashish users and violent types also joining them. 
 
Our town council just passed a resolution saying we should end some of these wretched wars we're in, which seems to be one of the things this group is calling for. I hear quite a few people have now stopped going to those big money lenders that we know are guilty of some pretty shady practices, another thing the group supported. But do these things satisfy the protesters? Hardly—they're still at it, as if this barely scratches the surface of what they're after. It's enough to try the patience of Job! 
...seniors old enough to know better. 
Another difference, this group seems to be experimenting with some form of utopian community. To demonstrate, I suppose, the changes they think all of us should make. They talk about operating so that every voice is heard, while they still claim to be after full consensus on this wide range of issues. 
You should see these assemblies; they're pretty strange. Where we can run a meeting perfectly well with a single strong leader, they need four people to handle crowd control (they call these “facilitators”). They have to 1) monitor the rules or guidelines of their process, 2) keep track of everyone who wants to be heard and line them up to speak, 3) keep everybody on topic and 4) interpret and propose what they see as the consensus. 
We're hearing that our neighboring towns and villages are having similar experiences. Who knows, this contagion could even now be spreading all across the land—even in other countries. And I'd hate to prophesy what that might lead to. ~~ Gordon Harper


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