I did some outreach today and there is plenty of skepticism about the Occupy Calhoun County Facebook group. Instead of critiquing every little point, however, I’m simply going to ask which individuals are ready to take OccupyCalhoun from a mere Facebook group to an actual coordinated movement in Calhoun County?
Being in Anniston will make this movement unlike most throughout the country. Local political views are a stark contrast to those in NYC, Oakland, and elsewhere, but we all share the same outlook: nothing will get better based on our country’s current course. Many of our neighbors are waiting for either a politician or a group to come onto the scene with all of the answers to the barrage of questions. During their wait, the fact that Anniston is OUR town and OUR movement has been lost in the mix. The city council will not help coordinate direct action in the area. The county commission will not help coordinate direct action in the area. Training kits don’t exist. We have to figure this out on our own.
I’ve seen only 2 mentions about gatherings: A General Assembly at 10am on November 4 and a march on the following day. This information is difficult to locate and incomplete. I plan on spending this evening trying to find resources to help with coordinating, but there is one major problem for me on a personal level: I can’t really verify any information posted anonymously on a FB group. I’m happy being obnoxiously loud about this movement, and we’ll definitely need others to be just as loud. We can only hide behind a Guy Fawkes mask for so long.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
That is the First amendment to the Constitution for a reason. So whaddaya say we “peaceably assemble” and “petition the Government for a redress of grievances?” Seems more proactive than watching cable news…
-MDS