OnePercentOfficeAccess2012

 

Introduction/Definition/etc Body Conclusion See Also Discussion Page History Page Statistics Page Views:  since creating on 20120429

 

Introduction/Definition/etc

 

I stopped by OccupyDC on the way from a Science and Tech Festival

at the touristy Convention Center...

 

There was a meeting going on about access to a presumably donated church

office space, with no address given, but maybe on the site, if it happens

and policy and procedures for that, AFAICT.

 

Keys how many keys to we need?

 

Like the Italian Cop at Court House, the space people occupy

around them is their home, and should be treated with respect,

like anyone else's personal space...

 

But I rant, and here is one below trying to figure out WTF

is going on with Occupy and Office Space?

 

 

Body

 

So how does OccupyDC govern itself?

 

I sat through a meeting where what happens just about every where else

was happening there too. 

Was it an open meeting?

Was I allowed in a public park?

Was it residents only?

 

I was ignored by most of the people who appeared to be running the

meeting, but offered drink of tea a couple of times from the person to my

right, which I refused, I don't drink much tea, though liked the friendliness

of the offer, as a former WillWriteForFoodWritersGroup page creator

and someone who bought food for lunch time writing meetings,

mostly not reimbursed by the StreetSense organization...

 

A gentleman named Bear was the focus of my attention, mostly

and the conflicts between him and the people running the meeting,

you see Bear is a lot like most stereotypical homeless, and the people running

the meeting, seemingly too well dressed and groomed to be living

in the park, for the last whatever months Occupy has been occupying

the space as a vigil...

 

So if it's a Vigil and people don't want Bike To Work Day or revamping the

grass in the park, about half of the sections were being reseeded or

something, with tents not there and signs saying no trespassing,

AFAICT/ IIRC.

 

I'd been by the park several times, and never caught a meeting,

so this was a pleasant surprise, until I got to see the dynamics

actually happening...  People who seem to have been there from

the beginning didn't seem to be listened to, didn't get in

the "circle of trust" which I heard as Web Of Trust,

a more computer type system...

 

And then there was the shopping cart type woman who

mumbled to yelled to herself while passing by,

I wonder if she is Occupying or former Occupying,

in the traditional sense...

 

Let's see a Web is somewhat open, and personally I think

a Web is open, like the Web of Interdependence of beings,

the ecology of the world/ universe/ of all living beings,

sentient and not (grass is sentient?)...

 

So maybe they are trying to evict the DC Occupy people,

it would follow course, with the other Occupy movements

in other Cities...

 

I've been by in really bad weather, typical of a unhappy

camper, heavy rains, and cold, well not on the Point In Time

Homeless Survey, where the needs of the community

of homeless DC residents, if you define residents

by those who occupy or live in the space, or someone

who has a postal address, as some bureaucrats (read paper

pushers) tend to do...  As a dyslexic, I am not a good

paper pusher, as a former StreetSense Vendor,

I'm a terrible paper pusher, read sales person

I could not make money doing it, so I volunteered

and fed some people and tried empowering people

until disempowered by the 1% management,

basically kicked out, suspended on a made up offense of

writing fiction, read as a threat, when it was creative,

so I guess whatever rules floats your boat...

 

There is a constant stream of homeless coming

into the system, and basically what I said at

the end of the meeting, to people who didn't

seem to be listening, I was not offered posters,

or handouts, until I asked.  There is a May 1

Rally coming up.  If I could scan it, I probably

would, I guess Check the OccupyDC.org website,

and maybe blogs by residents at occupy for more

information.

 

May 1 is a kind of unity day of workers internationally,

and it's a new month where I'm guessing forces

that be will probably try evicting Occupy...

 

You see bikers need places to congregate

before going to FreeDom Plaza, the usual

meeting place annually for BikeToWorkDay

and WABA is celebrated 40 years of biking

advocacy, so I guess that trumps some

homeless people camping on the Plaza,

which is a shame, turn the grates 90 Degrees

WABA and people fall through, you are

turning it back in time, like the bike touring

and commuting people who pull under bridges

to get out of the rain storms, Trolls, we jokingly call

ourselves at times, there is a solidarity among

people outside in a storm, but there are people

who have been outside in DC for many many storms,

the homeless of DC, some kicked out of

Franklin Square, the old DC Homeless Shelter

(thanks Fenty...) <sarcasm>

 

 

"Where were you today?" I was prodded by someone

who didn't give their name, I guess the assumption,

like the dentist who oversaw my "treatment"

He is God/ King, and I should know...

Well, he signed papers, so will see...

 

"I write good" he says, it's well, dude..

 

"I hope to be back May 1" I said,

typically I didn't check my calendar,

but I did force myself on the list,

the circle of trust list, I was segregated

to the back side of the list, told I would get a summary

of the actions of the group, you see new people

become homeless every day, and some

may land in Freedom Plaza or want to join

Occupy, anywhere in the world, and if it

is the movement some outsiders hope it is,

they should be allowed to,

not that membership in homeless has it's

Privileges, like the Credit Card Company

Ads say, Jingle Jingle, loose change,

anyone?

 

I'm still angry at the management style

or whatever decision making process,

I said I don't know what it is,

I gave the impression of an outsider,

at the end, or after the meeting, not being

in line to speak, raise hands, not the only

people who didn't seem to be living there,

many people were observing, maybe writers,

news papers, or tourists, some got to talk,

mostly well dressed people, myself

typically baggy, and siding with the

Bear, someone who gets angry at

not being heard, or respected,

a basic human right...

 

I mentioned some people went from WV

to Occupy NY, but that was discounted,

DC is DC, I guess home rule is a dream,

and PolicingTheDream2012 ,

and other injustices are the norm...

See this site, for my background,

see the state of the world for what

people are doing, are they still talking/

writing and reporting on the Occupy,

or is it a footnote in the history?

 

Not that the 99% want it that way,

and who and how is one determined

as being 1%?  Anyone you don't agree

with or like is the 1%?

 

I used to think it was a good movement,

I don't claim to understand it, it's an insiders

club, according to one day of a meeting,

and several drive (read bike) bys...

 

But homeless, and by HUD definitions,

the people living in the tents on Occupy

may be homeless and therefore eligible

for HousingFirst Vouchers, in front of or

because of local residents not being restricted

in Freedom of Assembly, remember those?

 

Urban Camping (tm) in a park in DC, the rules seem to be

different, for those that get press, and those

that don't.  Tent City, Redemption City,

or Charm City, whatever you want to call it,

in marketing your dreams, and visions,

the rhetoric gets thin, when you treat people

the way 1%ers do...

 

And what is done in churches that they do not speak of?

Drugs? Prostitution? Priests abusing Children?

Or are we on the Mother Teresa washing people's

feet?  Long nails a sign of needing a trim?

Or what people normally do when they are alone,

but not because camping in open space,

or stuffed 6 people in bunk beds filling the size

of a closet in a shelter...

 

I'm ranting, and tired, but that happens

when disturbed, and that meeting was disturbing to me,

very disturbing...

 

An outsiders view is part of what Occupy

appears to be trying to show the world,

basically anyone who listens, or just the WaPo?

 

Well, the HomeOffice will have to do...

who watches your stuff when you are homeless?

Basically nobody but you, and any buddies you

may or may not have... GottaGoWhatNow?

GottaGoNowWhat

Gotta_go_now_what_.txt

or whatever version was published in StreetSense,

is sometimes all people have to look forward too...

 

And the Dream isn't always real or neat or fun...

Tough words for a tough crowd...

 

I don't hate the individuals involved,

even those that talked down to me based on appearance

or lack thereof...  I guess they are just doing their

jobs, but where's the manifesto?

Where's the Dream?  Where's the pink slip

for treating people, visitors and long time residents like shit?

 

Hopefully it will look better, in the morning with some sleep,

and some food, if I had much, to get by for the end of the month...

 

The guy who offered, what they had, as community

I liked, the others who talked down to people who wanted

to understand what was up, and what wasn't I don't,

but C'Est La Vie...

 

I'm not missing a leg, with service animal..

I'm not camping out tonight, maybe in a few days,

the gangs or whatever were waiting at my door,

ignoring the No Loitering Sign, and the missing

No Smoking Sign, cough cough, I'm having enough

problems without that shit too...

 

DC Nightlife? What's it like for the true residents

of Occupy?  The Least Among Us as they typically

say in Church circles?  A Night Out?  Simulate it?

Ambulances?  Police harassment? Not sure...

 

Probably no different than in Virginia where I was prodded

on the way there about the small bike and bag(s). 

Later more in DC, made somewhat fun of, by a guy

standing outside shelters, but not those

in Wheel Chairs, the one guy yelling, I should have

replied Big Mouth, or Big Wheels?

 

Not making much sense, but that's what sleep deprivation

does to one, it breaks people down, sometimes intentionally...

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

Summary of experience or similar

 

Will see...

Ever been homeless?

Are you qualified to read this?

 

See Also

 

OccupyDCMayDayAndAngerEtc2012

for some follow up...

 

and elsewhere on this site for background

experiences...

 

 

Discussion

 

A place for feedback on the page presented

 

Operation Occupy Bike Seat?

 

Free bikes and/or TinyHomes for all those camping out

in Occupy?

 

A bus ticket to anywhere else?

 

Or what ever happened to the 1960's?

or 1950's when a white kid was being beat up

daily in Virginia for having African American friends,

and ended up in a Psych ward, went on to become

a Doc, and Patch things up?

 

Last Friday's LezZepplin Geshundhiet benefit at State Theatre

not withstanding, I couldn't afford it (~$25 or eating?),

nor the Bike Summit ($450 or 3DPrinter2012 ),

but stopping in to a drop in Occupy,

Priceless..

 

 

 

Page History

 

20120430 Jerry

• Some cleanup of typos, so many because typing in the middle of the night
•  so tired and disturbed by the experience, Utopia doesn't exist,
• people are dicks all over, even in Occupy and WoodStock, etc...

 

20120429 Jerry

• Jerry created this page to ...

 

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