Can OWS Change Anything?

For the last two months, I have been watching the Occupy Wall Street movement pretty intently. I haven't made it to an occupation yet, but I know some people who have. So between some friend and organizations I follow on Facebook and Twitter, I've been getting a daily dose of news without having to leave the comfort of my home.

At times, I have been glued to the live stream. Yesterday, they were arresting people. Non-violent, peaceful resistance person after person. Not sure what law they were breaking, but they were in violation of something, I'm sure. As people chanted, "Stop and Frisk has got to go! We say no to the new Jim Crow!" person after person was flex cuffed by police, in a seemingly polite and orderly fashion, as an Occupy Wall Street film crew interviewed each person being arrested. Some had plenty to say. Some had nothing to say.

It was mesmerizing. Intoxicating. Entertaining.

I don't know what to make of the whole movement. The movement has been criticized for not having clear demands, for being in violation of laws and for just being dirty (and possibly lazy). Of being a bunch of anarchists and radicals.

One think I am sure of: Occupy Wall Street has started a conversation. A very important conversation about political inequality and corruption of corporate America. This conversation has been a long time in the making and I am glad that it is finally getting the attention it deserves. (And yes, I believe in personal responsibility for the poor as well as the rich.)

Today, I discovered the movement has produced a "New Common Sense," doctrine. I haven't read through the entire thing. I think it takes its name from Thomas Paine's Common Sense and it reads similar to the beginning of the Declaration of Independence.

Here's the beginning:

Common Sense from the "99%"

Introduction and Preamble

"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for the Citizens of a Nation to petition their own Government for a redress of grievances, the People have a duty to exercise their rights under the First Amendment collectively if they so choose. To this end, We the People hereby assert our right to peacefully assemble and petition our Government for redress when we feel that this is our best, and perhaps only remaining option to seek remedies.

"We affirm that any lasting and workable solution must reach beyond mere politics, that political issues do not matter at a time when our collective voice has been nearly silenced. We believe that the current political climate has caused a paralysis of our Government. We find that our individual opinions mean little when we are no longer being properly represented. In fact, we believe that the Balance of Power between the Branches of our Government has been corrupted to the point where it can answer only to members of an affluent and politically active upper class. The impending result of this imbalance is that government of the People, by the People, for the People has almost perished from Our Nation. We believe that government has been influenced by an external source that has conspired to control it to the point of stalemate. We believe that this was forced upon us by “special interests”, corporations, lobbyists, the banking and the financial sector including Wall Street and the Federal Reserve, who together have used unrestrained financial leverage leading to the corruption of many politicians, regardless of their political party, resulting in great damage to the People and to this Nation.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are created equal regardless of their financial status. — That we free Citizens of the United States are without exception endowed under a Federal Constitution granting us certain unalienable Rights. — That among these Rights are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure and protect these rights, our forefathers drafted this Constitution, ratified by the then several States and agreed to by the People. — That this Constitution defines and protects us all with a system of Checks and Balances by which the powers and responsibilities of government would be divided amongst the Federal, the States and the People. — That this original Social Contract in which those powers were granted has been repeatedly violated by the Federal government. — That we no longer are represented by our Government. — That we no longer have a voice in our Government. — That the limits of power of the Federal Government have been deliberately and repeatedly breached. — That our Government has become destructive towards the vast majority of the same People that they are supposed to protect. — That outside influences have gained unreasonable power and influence within our Government. — That the Fair Election system is being systematically dismantled and no longer allows for a full, on paper, verification and accounting of actual balloting. — That We the People have the Fundamental Right and Patriotic Duty under the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights to peacefully assemble and to demand that the Government cease and desist from or correct any of these violations. — That the Government cede back to the States and to the People all such Powers that they have unconstitutionally seized, regaining such Powers from the States via Constitutional Amendment if they are to have them at all. — That our Government must Right these encroachments on the People by realigning itself to the Constitution. — That vague interpretations of the Constitution should be clarified through civil discourse leading to a series of new Amendments and with full participation by the several States."

The full text can be found here: http://anoncentral.tumblr.com/post/12409353866/for-the-99-the-new-common-sense-must-distribute. I admit I haven't read the whole thing, so for all I know it posts ludicrous anarchist, antidisestablismentarianism demands (The big word used is one I was taught as a child was the longest word in the dictionary, and I think I am actually using it appropriately, but as always, I could be wrong....)

As I said, I don't know what to make of the whole thing, but I appreciate that the conversation has been started, and I admire the sacrifice people have made to bring the conversation to the forefront. I hope the conversation continues to productive change.

What do you think of Occupy Wall Street and The New Common Sense?

More Discontent (part 4)

Nov. 13: I hate cancer. I found out today that a friend has breast cancer. She is a wonderful, sweet, caring woman of God, with an itty baby and a huge heart. I am standing on Faith that she will be healed. My heart completely breaks for her though.

Nov. 14: I hate whining. I hate hearing my son whine. I hate hearing other people's kids whine. I hate listening to grown people whine. But most of all, I hate it when I whine. (Don't think the irony of whining making the Discontented list is lost on me...)

Nov. 15: I hate fighting. I personally hate having arguments with people, but I also hate witnessing other people's arguments. The anger, things said in the heat of the moment that can't be taken back. Out of control actions, intentionally hurting others. I hate it.

30 Days of Discontent, Part 3

Nov. 12: I hate when people badmouth God. When they don't have respect for the creator of the Universe. When they call belief in God ridiculous. Or a fairytale. Or the natural reaction of dimwitted individuals. I cannot begin to explain how angry this gets me.

I have gotten into a habit of reading HuffPo Religion articles and the comments, which are awful. An article posted on Veteran's Day spoke about how churches are reaching out to returning Veterans. The comments were horrific: The church is manipulating our returning vets. Haven't the vets been deceived enough already? Churches are always on the lookout for new prey. The key to praying is talking to yourself and believing something intelligent is listening.

I get really burned up reading these comments. I have even commented to the contrary a few times and been personally attacked, so I try not to say anything any more. I know I shouldn't even read them, they make me so mad.

And I can't really explain why I get so angry about it. I don't think I feel personally insulted, like it is my belief that is under attack. There are plenty of things that I feel strongly about that others don't have to agree with and I don't get this upset. Make fun of my clothes, my choice of music, my favorite TV shows. That may annoy me, or embarrass me. But it doesn't come close to evoking this same level of anger in me.

I guess I am just completely offended that people can talk about the God of the Universe like that. I don't know how to respond or reply to it. I do have some friends who are nonbelievers, and we have interesting and respectful discussions, which I am completely OK with. But when people openly mock God, that gets me mad.

30 Days of Discontent, Part 2

Somehow I got a full week behind on my posting. Here is a quick rundown of more discontents.

Nov. 5: I hate that marriage is so disposable in our culture. I am lucky to come from a happily married family and to be in a good marriage. Growing up, I was one of the only one of my friends whose parents were still married. Today, I see marriages collapsing all around me (and not just the Kardashian variety). Sure, marriage is unbelievably hard work at times and the concept of forever is hard to swallow some days, but that's what marriage is.

Nov. 6: I hate that the laundry never ends. Yes, I am grateful to have clothes to wash, and a washer-dryer in my basement so I don't have to go to the laundromat, but there is always another load to be done, folded and put away. It never ends and I can never seem to get ahead.

Nov. 7: I hate Daylight Savings Time. Changing the clocks screws up my internal clock every time. And now that I am a mother, the ways it messes with my kid's sleep really makes for a bad week.

Nov. 8: I hate politics. I hate political commercials where one candidate just bashes the other. I have no idea what is fully true, what is outright false and what falls somewhere in between. I vote because it is my right, privilege, and duty, but I don't fully engage the process because I feel like everyone is lying and I don't know where the truth stands. It makes my brain hurt.

Nov. 9: I hate junk mail. For starters, it is mostly someone trying to sell me something and I don't even look at it. It is a waste of many resources — paper, ink, postage, to name a few — but it also contributes to my overall clutter problem. The sheer volume of junk mail received in this house is overwhelming. I even paid a service to opt out of junk mail, but it clearly didn't work.

Nov. 10: I hate procrastination. To look at the way I operate in life, you would think that I love to procrastinate. That I must get a rush out of putting things off to the last minute. But in reality, it stresses me out. I hate the way that I continue to put things off — that need to be done — until the last minute.

Nov. 11: I hate war. On Veteran's Day, I am extremely grateful for the sacrifices brave men and women have made for our country and the world. But I hate that war exists. I hate that families are missing loved ones overseas right now. According to iCausualties.org, Operation Enduring Freedom has resulted in 2,798 coalition fatalities and Operation Iraqi Freedom has resulted in 4,801 coalition fatalities. And those are just the figures for people fighting on OUR side.

30 Days of Discontent

Many of my FB friends are doing 30 Days of Gratitude for November. I'm having a hard time getting in the spirit of it and instead feel like posting 30 Days of Discontent. I will update this as the month goes on:

Nov. 1: I hate that so many people lie. Little lies, big lies. We are surrounded by lies. Politicians, bosses, employees, friends, neighbors. Everyone lies. Even I lie. Whether a white lie to my kid or begging off a social engagement because I'd rather lay on the couch and watch Real Housewives.

I can't count the number of times I've committed the biggest lie of our time: "I have read and accept these terms and conditions." Sure, it is a harmless lie, but I still hate that lying is normal, accepted and expected in our society.

Nov. 2: I hate feeling like everyone had their hand in my pocketbook. From "charities" to commercials to the cable company, everyone is trying to separate me from my money. We are blessed to have so much, but I feel like I can never get ahead.

Nov. 3: I hate that poverty exists. I lead a fairly sheltered life, so I don't need to confront poverty face to face on a regular basis. But I know it exists. I know that I have it so good in my warm suburban home, and I am grateful for it. I donate food and clothing to the church's mission closet, but it feels like teaspoons in the ocean.

Update: Nov. 4: I hate that ministries and ministers sometimes come off as greedy. It gives all Christians a bad name. For instance, this story tells about a bankrupt church whose pastor was allegedly collecting a lavish salary. It doesn't say how much he was getting paid, but still, stories like these do not do anything to glorify God. In fact, it turns a lot of people off of Christianity. And I really hate that.

Almost Finished the Book

I feel like I should throw a party. It's taken roughly six years, but I am almost finished reading the Bible. I bought the "read the Bible in a year" Bible around 2004, and needless to say, I've been sidetracked along the way. Not to jinx myself, but I've made it to "Dec. 26" in the Bible and its not yet Halloween, so I'm pretty confident I should be able to finally get to the last page before the last day this year.

Now that I'm almost at the end of the book, I feel I've finally earned the right to voice my opinon on what can be a very controversial subject.

The Bible is a very thick book. It speaks on many things, and recounts generation after generation of God's people and miracles. It's story after story of God using ordinary and flawed people to do extraordinary things. There is so much history and wisdom and warnings. It guides and instructs. It is filled with all range of human emotion.

Do I believe the Bible is the Word of God? Yes. Do I understand everything it says? No.

But I do understand that every verse needs to be taken in context, and now that I've nearly reached the end of the book, I understand the story as a whole and have a better grasp on verses within their context.

On Facebook this week, a friend posted: Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was… old, and Lazarus was dead.... Now, what's YOUR excuse?)

That is one thing that struck me so strongly in reading the Bible. From the beginning of time, mankind has been flawed, and yet God still loves us. David is called "a man after God's own heart" and even he fell to sin, some pretty serious ones at that (lust, adultry, murder). Yet he repented and God forgave him.

I know that we are all sinners and fall short of the Glory of God. All I can do is my best to follow its guidelines in my life. And since there is so much of the Bible, I would be overwhelmed to try to memorize every rule, I'm going to stick with the verses that apply to my life. Like ministering to the sick and broken hearted. To loving my neighbor and helping community. Sharing what I have with others. Clinging loosly to the things of this world.

I am sure to have a hard enough time following those to be concerned with verses that have no direct bearing on my life (ehm, Lev. 18:22).

If you have never read the whole Bible, I highly recommend it. Whether you believe every word or not, there is much you can take out of it to apply to your life. And there really is no other book I know of that is like it.

Lighthouse Looking for Diapers

Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center in Hawthorne provides an outstanding service in our community. A non-profit, faith-based crisis pregnancy center, Lighthouse is a safe place for women who find themselves pregnant under less than ideal circumstances. Through its network of volunteers, Lighthouse provide emotional and spiritual support, parenting advice and material needs to women throughout pregnancy and the babies first year.

In talking with Debbie Provincher, executive director at Lighthouse, it became clear that one thing these new mothers and babies need are diapers. Twice a month, on the second and fourth Saturday mornings from 9 to 11 a.m., the center' overflow center at the Rea Ave. Reformed Church in Hawthone is open to accept donations of gently used clothes, items and diapers (visit the website for a complete list of items needed).

You can also hold a diaper drive at your church or club, or even organize a baby shower for a new mom. For more details in our area, please contact me at RKAbma@gmail.com.

If you need help spurring you on to help, read this guest post at Rage Against The Mini Van: What I want you to know: Pregnant Out of Wedlock.