you didn't say the time! sb
This email has been sent from a virus-free computer protected by Avast.
www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email>
<#DDB4FAA8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
On Thu, Feb 18, 2016 at 1:24 AM, Diane McAvoy <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I think it maybe important to clarify some of the things about which
Occupy is and isn't. Perhaps the best (and shortest) definition came from
my father's girlfriend.
I live in Turners Falls (or, as most of us would prefer, Great Falls),
with my Dad (89, presently at Buckley recovering from a broken hip, but
expected to be home in a few weeks); and his girlfriend, Lynn Hoffman (91,
a retired Family Therapist and teacher).
Lynn has followed Occupy since the beginning, and summed it up in one
word: *rhizone*:* noun, Botany. *
*a rootlike subterranean stem, commonly horizontal in position, that
usually produces roots below and sends up shoots progressively from the
upper surface.*
That one word, rhizone, sums up Occupy. There is no vertical structure,
only horizontal. We have been accused of having no goals and of being
leaderless, but the opposite is true: we have one goal (equality for all),
and we are leaderful! Each one of us has the power when we, the people,
rising up to create a democracy, a republic, an utopia, an eden, or
whatever....where all people are valued. It's what Gandhi spoke of and
starved for, what Dr. King marched for, and what Bernie Sanders wants to
make happen. (Forgive me my political plug, but he is the only candidate
in opposition to this pipeline.)
It was during Occupying the NE Gov. Conference (with their Canadian
counterparts) in Burlington, Vt. in Nov. 2011 that I first 'met' Bernie. I
heard both Bernie and Bill McKibbens speak (before Bill's "Do the Math"
Tour)...and it was at the same conference that those 'leaders' decided that
we needed more natural gas (shame on Deval Patrick). Then, later, in April
2014, Kinder Morgan made their first 'pitch' in Montague.
Things will happen very quickly this Spring, so we need to concentrate on
real issues, and rapid response. I am so excited that five contractors
came to the very first meeting...these will be our leaders...and the
artists who came, and the others to become involved...we will make
beautiful statements with everything we create together!
Agenda:
Mary King from Orange will facilitate.
Short go round with introductions (remember you only have one and a
quarter hours for the whole meeting).
1) Set up working group to organize a hot line....VERY IMPORTANT!! Jenny?
2) Decide how to set up an email list. Miryam?
3) Report about Property owners: besides the Markens of Ashfield, and a
couple of folks Will Elwell knows, Polly Ryan of Plainfield would like an
occupation on the pipeline path crossing her property...and she has spots
outside of utilities' easements. I spoke with her at the Berkshire Gas
protest. Is there a working group for this yet. If so, I'd like to join
it.
4) Report from contractors. What kind of support would they like from the
rest of us?
5) Next meeting (please avoid 3/9...2nd Wed. of each month is Greening
Greenfield, which a number of this list's recipients attend).
Are there be additions to this meeting's agenda? And will someone
volunteer to be Scribe?
Please share, so our numbers grow. I'm sorry to miss our second meeting
(but I hope warm temps prevail in Austin, Tx...lol), and I look forward to
our future work together. We have every reason to believe that we will
defeat this assault from a government controlled by corporate
interests...that's really the bottom line.
In solidarity, Diane
