Op-Ed on Occupy Nashville

Occupy Nashville can wear on you.

Even the strongest-spirited activists find that body, mind and soul are routinely pummeled in the camp and in the physical and online community. Every level of participation is affected: people who live in the camp, people who follow it online, and people who, like myself, work a full day and go to the plaza to spend the evening.

I am fortunate enough to spend my days working for economic justice for the state as an employee of Tennesseans for Fair Taxation and, when I’m off the clock, for the country as an Occupy Nashville participant. I was fortunate enough to be able to stand up for the First Amendment rights of us all as we were arrested Oct. 28 for our occupation of Legislative Plaza.

Fortunate as I am, in my time with the movement, I’ve seen breakdowns in communication, judgments made in poor taste, and validity to the state’s concerns regarding safety and sanitation issues from people disconnected from the movement but nonetheless taking residence upon War Memorial Plaza.

To someone from the outside looking in, it may seem that our ideals are noble but the practice is flawed; these may be the same people quietly applauding the Nov. 14 clearing of Zuccotti Park in New York City, or even perhaps the ones who did the clearing themselves.

To these people, my message is this: it takes no courage to convince yourself that you hold the key to solving socioeconomic problems in the U.S. and would use it if given the chance. It does take courage to attend Occupy Nashville’s General Assembly with humility and a heart for growth, wait your turn to speak, listen to others, and reach a decision. The process is complicated and oftentimes imperfect, yet the protesters regard each other as family, and even the stickiest issues are resolved with cooperation and compromise.

Mutual respect is beautiful in theory and breathtaking in practice. Since October 6, Occupy Nashville has been actively practicing it, every weeknight at 7 p.m. and every Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. If you’re unsure, if you’ve seen our marches on the news or outside of your office window, if you’ve looked curiously at the signs at Legislative Plaza, if the mere mention of the words “Occupy Nashville” strike you with offense or loathing, or even if it was your decision to arrest us (I’m looking at you, Governor Haslam) I encourage you to come. Come to General Assembly. Wait your turn to speak. Listen to others. Be a part of the solution.

Whether or not you’ve already visited Occupy Nashville, you’ve been in our situation. Your body is aching, your mind is begging for rest, and your soul is tired from saying to the two: “Don’t give up. Hold on.”

With the complications of the movement, the ongoing values are the driving force. I will work for the movement so that my children will not know a world where their elected officials place value of money over value of human lives. I will work to restore civil servitude. I will work to redefine the values in our larger culture. And I don’t care how long I have to sit on that cold marble to do it.