For the Good of the Common

By Phil Polizatto,WWH – The weather sucks. It’s normal for this time of year in the Northwest and it will only get worse. I can’t help but think of the people Occupying Seattle and how uncomfortable they must be. I admire them for their commitment and perseverance. When I think that our weather is fairly temperate compared to the Northeast and other parts of the country, my heart goes out to all those brave men and women who are occupying cities and towns, large and small, all across America and the world. They are trying to stand their ground on behalf of the rest of us.

But in the past week there has been a concerted effort to disperse and disband the Occupy movements from every city, town, and burg in the country. Did the mayors have a secret meeting and decide to act swiftly, forcefully, and at the same time? There are so many occupations across the land, yet the mainstream media, not surprisingly, gives them little coverage except when the coverage is sensational enough to warrant broadcasting. Like a confrontation, a maiming, rape, a killing. Then it’s newsworthy. And while the mainstream media limits its coverage of the true scope of the Occupy movement, it provides the camouflage behind which mayors and police chiefs can enforce their petty little laws, touting sanitation and public safety as their rationale.

Did none of these mayors, police chiefs, governors and others ever study American history? Did none of them ever hear of the Boston Common? Since 1634, it has been a site for public assembly. Well, to be more precise, in 1634 it was a public assembly of cows. The land was used in common by all those who needed urban grazing land. (I wonder who was responsible for picking up after the cows.) Nevertheless, it set a precedent that the acreage was held in “common” by the citizens of Boston; that they owned it and through the years it became a place for public assembly both before and after the War of Revolution.

Since 1634, The Common has been occupied by many citizens. Before Lexington and Concord, it was used as an encampment for British soldiers. After those battles, it became an encampment for Revolutionary soldiers. It was the site of rioting when a food shortage hit the city and again to protest illegal taxation. It has been a site for all manner of gatherings from protesting wars to rock concerts. It has been the site for so many instances of public assembly and free speech that I can’t begin to list them all. Some of the gatherings lasted for weeks. Regardless of who was occupying the Common, the right to do so was based on the fact that it belonged to everyone. The very first Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed those rights of freedom of speech and assembly because we held those rights to be so fundamental to a true democracy. Those rights were abrogated on August 27, 2007 when two teenagers were shot on the Common. A strict curfew has been enforced ever since, not because the teenagers were shot, but because one of the bullets fired during the shooting struck an “important” building. To this day, people protest this strict curfew as a violation of the First Amendment. Imagine, for 373 years, The Common was truly owned and used by all citizens until the side of a building was chipped by a stray bullet.

Just as there is a Common in Boston which belongs to all the people, any public place, plaza, or park; any building, campus or road that was built in whole or in part with our taxes belongs to us! It is a Common. We own it. It is ours to occupy as we see fit! But the Common need not be just a place or space. The Common is symbolic of a true democracy; political and economic equality. When occupying a physical Common is threatened, so too is our political and economic democracy and equality.

If there were any orchestrated effort among mayors and other officials to squash the Occupy movement at this time, was it because none of them had truly understood the depth of the anger and the possible longevity of the movement? Did they think it was something that would dissolve on its own? Just a phase or fad? Well, obviously they were wrong. The movement is global in scope and will continue to grow. Now the officials are scared. Now they’re afraid it will become such a large movement that they’ll have to call in the National Guard. And if they did, would it be to protect people, or to protect property, just as was Boston’s motive in establishing a curfew because a stray bullet hit a building?

As the movement grows, I do not doubt that the National Guard will be called up. I wonder how many of them were even born when the Kent State massacre happened.
Back in the 60′s/70′s, I would experience that moment, when peacefully marching for Civil Rights or protesting the war in Vietnam, the crowd would begin to get out of hand… usually at the provocation of the police… or the police were about to get out of control because a bottle was thrown. As if a bottle could harm the swat teams in their riot gear, armored and helmeted. They were carrying guns, batons, and other weapons. The protesters had only signs.

While many of the protesters were calling the cops “pigs,” I could never do that. I would repeat over and over, “We are all divine, we are all divine,” trying to emit waves of peace and love to the police by reminding myself of this truth. But once that bottle is thrown, even though it may have been thrown by a plain clothes police provocateur or some rogue anarchist, the die is cast. The show of guns against an unarmed assembly is frightening. Panic ensues. A palpable wave of fear sweeps over the crowd. It is a terrible feeling. Once the cops started indiscriminately busting heads, I understood why my comrades called them “pigs.” I resisted using that word for a long time, until I, too, took a beating for doing nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I recall screaming at them, “Just remember, we are all divine… you pigs!”

It took years to rid myself of that feeling. Getting older helped. I had left the “youth movement” (in appearance only) which we all know is the “troublemaker.” I became invisible and got away with things I never could have when I was young. I weaned myself from referring to cops as “pigs.” But now, if police continue to try to “decamp” the occupiers and react as they have in Oakland, Portland, Denver, Philadelphia and all across America, that word “pig” might creep back into my vocabulary and I really don’t want it to because in my heart, I know we are all divine. We are all one. I don’t want to antagonize the police; I want to bring them over to our side. Damn, sometimes it’s really hard to be a peacenik.

“Law enforcement” can play the bully if they choose, but certainly the burden is on the police to show restraint at all times. I think a litmus test as to whether a police presence is even warranted or not, is for police chiefs, mayors, and other elected officials to ask themselves, “What would happen if we sent no police at all?” After all it’s a law of physics that there must be an action in order for there to be a reaction. Therefore, if you create no police “action,” it would be impossible for the protesters to react in the violent and destructive ways the establishment, in their paranoia, thinks they will. I ask the officials of the cities and states to give it a try. Create a vacuum by sending no police at all. I think they will be pleasantly surprised to find no looting, no one getting hurt, and protesters’ rights being upheld as they should be. On the other hand, should these officials prefer using force over negotiation and accommodation, I’m sure their names will be remembered the next time they are up for re-election.

I know there are good cops who are fine people. If any police officer understands why the demonstrators are protesting, they need to protect and serve them. That goes for the National Guard as well, should it come to that. Refuse to do any harm. You are professionals. You know there will be upstarts and provocateurs on both sides. If you can’t show restraint, then you haven’t yet realized your own divinity and you haven’t yet realized you are part of the 99%.

If the police have trouble restraining themselves, imagine how difficult it is to be a peaceful protester. What discipline it takes to not physically fight back when you are being pushed, beaten, handcuffed and arrested. I think it is much more difficult to protest peacefully than it is to protest violently, especially when a fence of Darth Vaders in full riot gear are shoving the protesters one foot back every ten minutes, as they did in Portland. Law enforcement needs to realize this and not push the protesters over the edge, because at such a time, nobody wins and everyone loses.

I watched the evening news last night and not one word was mentioned about the Occupy movement! The mainstream media does not want the public to know its scope. And when they do get air time, it is to depict them as a motley crew of college kids, homeless people, or troublemakers. The protesters are putting themselves at risk not only for their own futures, but for ours as well. As I write this, Congress is determined to cut more spending and talk about raising taxes “later.” This will surely make the Occupy movement even larger. They are us, we are they. Support them in any way you can. Imagine if every one put up a tent in their front yard with signs of support for the Occupy movement and the 99%, what a statement that would make! Do it, please, for the good of the Common.

To contact Phil or find out more: check out his website and blog For a copy of HUNGA DUNGA
Phil Polizatto – Worldwide Hippies Bureau Chief – West Coast USA, is a graduate of The School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. He was a feature writer for the overseas division of UPI, a copywriter for CBS, and an award-winning corporate film producer. Mr. Polizatto is a published poet and a regular contributor to Worldwide Hippies as well as a variety of other arts and literary journals. Hunga Dunga is his first published novel. He resides in the Pacific Northwest.