Re: [BearwWthoutBorders] Occupy

Thanks very much indeed, David, for that trenchant and helpful analysis. You 
are certainly closer to the Chicago "point of production" than I. After 
having spent a fair part of my life in the Windy City -- back in the '70s. 
of course -- I haven't been in that town for nine years.  Sometimes, from a 
rural retreat, e.g. country Wisconsin or Idaho wilds, one can come up with 
some surprisingly apt perspectives.  Anyway, good as always to hear from 
you, and I am forwarding this on to the other three discussion lists.  Let's 
stay in touch by all means,  We've certainly been through some interesting 
situations together.  Solidarity, Hunter or John

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ranney, David C." <[email protected]>
To: "Hunter Gray" <[email protected]>; "Friends of Hunter Bear" 
<[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; 
<[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 7:44 PM
Subject: Re: [BearwWthoutBorders] Occupy


> Hunter,
> As you know, I am living in a rural area of Wisconsin and am also not
> actively involved in "Occupy" but have access to reports that a number of
> people are making from around the country and have visited Occupy
> activities in Chicago on several occasions.
>
> My impression based on this is that it is difficult if not impossible to
> describe Occupy as if it were a movement with any sort of unity. For this
> reason I agree that this can't be and should not be compared to the Civil
> Rights Movement or the Anti War Movement. Describing Occupy is like trying
> to describe an elephant with a blindfold on -- it is hard to say whether
> you have a hold of the trunk, the tail or something else.
>
> What I do see is a real upsurge of anger over many things by quite a range
> of people of different ages, races, etc. That anger involves many
> different political currents  -- some in my view dangerous; some very
> positive and some quite confused. There is a lot of flailing about right
> now. It is unclear how it will settle and really at the moment can't be
> controlled by anyone. For the moment I think this is ok.
>
> In Chicago there is a high level of political activity -- some includes
> very solid organizing efforts around a variety of issues like school
> closings, health care clinic closings, foreclosure resistance to name a
> few. Some others are not very well organized and fall into the criticism
> you make here. All to a degree identify with Occupy.
>
> I recently talked to some people organizing around the effort of Mayor
> Rahm to close mental health clinics in some of Chicago's poorest
> neighborhoods. I have not fully investigated this but it does seem to be
> an example of quite good organizing that includes some very militant
> activity. A clinic in Woodlawn has been occupied by a coalition that
> includes mental health care providers, patients and some of the young kids
> from the larger occupy framework. Once arrested and bailed out they moved
> across the street to a vacant lot and more were arrested there (just last
> night). There have been good efforts to do outreach in the community
> including a community picnic that gave people an opportunity to speak out
> and learn what is going on. I'm including a link to a video of the picnic
> and some speeches and another link to some photos of the arrests last
> night that give a flavor of this.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPXu8j_IG_A&feature=share
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcusdemery/7108633283/in/set-72157629523484922/
>
> Anyway, I share your concerns about this. But I think we need to take a
> wait and see attitude and in my own case join in with some of these things
> from time to time to be supportive.
>
> By the way -- there is an old Iowa City face speaking on the video at the
> end -- my old friend Kingsley Clarke who you may remember. He and I are in
> close touch and he is quite active in a number of the Chicago activities.
>
> Dave
>
>
> On Tue, April 24, 2012 8:34 am, Hunter Gray wrote:
>> During the formative period of Occupy, I made several well reasoned and
>> friendly observations and suggestions.  Here is one of mine.  I wrote
>> these from the standpoint of a quite successful life-long grassroots
>> organizer with a general left perspective.  (I wasn't alone in making
>> these critiques by any means.) While some of my thoughts were carried by 
>> a
>> few blogs, they certainly weren't picked up by such outlets as Portside
>> and were not carried, to my knowledge anyway, by any formally Left print
>> journals.
>>
>> But I think those thoughts of mine, and comparable ones by other
>> experienced persons, were and are very well taken.
>>
>> At this point, I am not sure where Occupy is at -- and perhaps it doesn't
>> know, either.
>>
>> I am quite certain that other social justice "upheavals" are very soon to
>> come.  Haven't lost my basic optimism.
>>
>> H.
>>
>> A FEW THOUGHTS ON OCCUPY  [HUNTER BEAR    NOVEMBER 13 2011]
>>
>>
>> As I've prefaced before, I'm not at Occupy and, beyond a certain point,
>> reluctant to criticize. My inclinations have been supportive.  A few 
>> weeks
>> ago, I raised the question on RBB about where it might be going and
>> possible goals. While I recognized that its spontaneity and somewhat --
>> somewhat -- diversity were its considerable strength at that point, I was
>> skeptical about those qualities alone giving it an enduring life in the
>> sense of an "oak wood fire".  As I recall, there were very few answers 
>> and
>> no definitive ones to the points I briefly made.  The other day I, again
>> briefly, opined on a couple of our lists that Occupy could benefit from
>> some intra and inter organization and national/local and short
>> range/longer range goals.  I don't think that drew any response.
>>
>> It seems to me that Occupy is a remarkable protest movement which has
>> raised and reinforced general awareness of some very key issues.  But, in
>> my opinion, it isn't really a goal-oriented phenomenon, characterized by
>> much internal strategy discussion and resultant discipline -- and its 
>> lack
>> of cohesion and organization are sadly striking. In fact, as pieces of it
>> seem to be fading away, its very life appears speculative, maybe
>> questionable.  Whatever its future, it has undoubtedly radicalized  many
>> people and may -- may -- be a stepping stone to something considerably
>> more effective on several fronts.
>>
>> These shortcoming, as I see them, are in sharp contrast to the almost
>> always well organized Labor actions of yore -- and today.  The Bonus
>> Marchers in the twilight of the Herbert Hoover administration had a very
>> clear and specific goal.
>>
>> Occupy is NOT comparable to the old Civil Rights Movement. To be honest, 
>> I
>> personally resent that analogy. The Civil Rights Movement occurred in a
>> very obvious on-going historical context, almost always had at all levels
>> effective democratic leadership, and had very clear and specific goals --
>> local and national and long range and short-range. Its commitment to
>> tactical non-violence was almost pervasive. Virtually every level and
>> facet of that Movement was very well organized -- even to the point that
>> there was usually cognizance of potentially unexpected developments --
>> say, during demonstrations -- and thus almost always back-up alternatives
>> "at ready." The stakes were always very high. That Adversary was 
>> powerful,
>> cunning, absolutely ruthless, and downright deadly.
>>
>> Hunter Bear
>>
>> HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq /St. Francis
>> Abenaki/St. Regis Mohawk
>> Protected by Na´shdo´i´ba´i´
>> and Ohkwari'
>> Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO
>> www.hunterbear.org
>> (much social justice material)
>>
>> See the Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:
>> http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm
>>
>> For the new, just out (11/2011) and expanded/updated
>> edition of my "Organizer's Book," JACKSON MISSISSIPPI --
>> with a new and substantial Introduction by me.  We are close upon
>> the 50th anniversary of the massive Jackson Movement of1962-63.:
>> http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm
>>
>> Personal Background Narrative (with many links):
>> http://hunterbear.org/narrative.htm
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> [email protected]
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>>
>
>
>
> 



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