Occupy Providence

Occupy Wall Street, Occupy anything all over the world and Occupy Providence - a huge tent camp in Burnside Park in the heart of downtown. When I arrived with Peter Pan on thursday afternoon, I was completely surprised to find the park occupied. After my friend Joanna picked me up, we visited the park at early evening. Joanna is pretty much involved and works in the food working group. I just walked around observing curiously what is going in the park. No matter what one might think about the occupy movement, I felt that it is pretty cool that there is some stuff going on in a central public place of Providence. People there have huge, idealistic goals. They seem to be very emotional demanding solidarity and social equity with an emphasis on love. It is a nice idea to want to change people's hearts. However, the ability of judgement with a sense for solidarity is more a gift, a trait than unfortunately less people own. If you want to make the world a better place, you can not appeal to people's love but change society's institution and political structures instead. I tend to say "hier liegt der Hund begraben". To develop power to change policy the activists who are mainly stick together because of their shared emotional anger have to formulate realistic goals they want to achieve. I don't think there is great likelihood that this happens. But it can work out on a local political level, and I hope so.
However, the Occupy Providence is pretty well organized. They have a media tent from which they broadcast a live video stream about the activities in the park. They also have a huge food tent. A lot of very encouraged people cook their and provide free food for visitors, activists, and the homeless of Providence. The homeless also can sleep in some tents. Of course there are never enough space and resources for all of them. But many of the homeless have a better time than usual for a while. They are helped, and that is definitely a good thing. This is why I washed some dishes one day to make a little contribution though that did not change anything in long-term. But as I mentioned, to act in a solidaric sense on a individual level is less a matter of intellect, but related to the moral, social  voice that speaks to one (or not) and initiate a simple act of support...