Occupy BG not ready to quit

From the article:

"Most of the people here have a job. It's an interesting range of working class folks," she said.
And though the Occupy movement has been criticized for lacking focus, the members in BG share a common concern of economic inequality.
"A lot of us feel the system has failed us," Fitzpatrick said.
And now the city government is trying to take away the one venue the protesters feel they have to raise awareness.
..........
Taylor Scribner, who cleans homes for a living, isn't ready to pack up and leave the movement.
"I want to see change. I've been a victim of corporate greed," she said. "The system has been crumbling for a few years, this is long overdue."

"I want to see change, I've been a victim of corporate greed" - I don't disagree with this person's assessment. Most Americans want to see change. Most Americans feel they have been victims of corporate greed.

Fitzpatrick says, "the system has failed us". The system has failed a lot of people....

She continues on.... "the city government is trying to take away the one venue the protesters feel they have to raise awareness."

And that is where I part from the Occupy Movement. How does Occupying a park address bring the changes we all want to see? How does occupying a park undo Citizen's United, how does it break up the "too big to fail" banks? How does occupying a park get the money out of our elections, how does it mandate voting methods that leave hard-copy paper trails for recounts, etc? How does occupying a park remove big money from our legislative processes, how does it get rid of lobbying and private corporations writing legislative bills?

If Ms. Fitzpatrick (and all of Occupy) want to "raise awareness" then quit occupying the parks and setting up unnecessary confrontations with police departments and local governments. If Occupy wants to "raise awareness" then choose a local representative that should be supporting a constitutional amendment to undo Citizen's United and go "Occupy" the representative's office until he/she agrees to support a constitutional amendment. Go "Occupy" their office every minute the office is open, politely "occupy" their lobby, our the public space outside their offices. Ask for donations to rent an office in the same building and "occupy" day and night there. And while you're Occupying a legislator's office (who needs to support a constitutional amendment) - invite the local media in for a sit-down and and do an interview with them on WHY America needs a constitutional amendment to undo Citizen's United. Raise awareness that way.

And - while you have the office space - set up shop and ask local community members to volunteer their time to collect signatures on a petition and put even more public pressure on your local representative to get behind a constitutional amendment (or lose their seat to someone who will support a constitutional amendment).

If Occupy wanted to raise awareness - then go out into the small towns and villages. Occupy empty Main Street store fronts (with the permission of the owner) and do the work of getting signatures on petitions to pass a constitutional amendment.

These are things you can do to "raise awareness". These are things you can do to bring about needed change. There comes a point where one has to go beyond the protesting to political, legislative activism to create a sustainable long-term Movement. It is time for Occupy to transcend the divisive protesting and use the art of "occupying" for something 79% of Americans support - the passage of an amendment to overturn Citizen's United

In Peace - Pavilion