A few nights ago, there were several from Birmingham that tried to occupy a corner of the financial district. The stood in vigil to Scott Olsen, the injured veteran at the OccupyOakland protest. I was glad to hear that there were those in Birmingham able to takes steps that many couldn’t, including myself. Watching their tweets and posts to facebook, I was motivated to go to downtown, to check up on them, and see if they needed anything. Before I left, I looked in on my kids in their darkened rooms; listening to their quiet breaths told me that they were sleeping comfortably. I then grabbed my keys and left at 1:30AM towards 20th and 5th.
I reached downtown quickly but I couldn’t find anyone. I was tipped that they had moved to 5 Points after they were threatened with arrest if they remained on the sidewalk in front of the banks. I spent the next two hours in conversation with people I wouldn’t have known a week ago. It was nice to put faces to names I’ve seen on the forum and facebook. I listened to the reasons why they were here, at 3:00AM, on a sidewalk in 5 Points. We talked about where we worked, our families, and our experiences. The conversation was varied and enjoyable.
I applaud their effort. Their actions will form part of the tapestry that is OccupyBirmingham. It will attract attention. It will draw a bright line where people stand for their rights. Together, the occupiers of 20th and 5th, those who hold up signs and chant along a 500 strong citizen’s march, and the General Assembly who work to establish consensus regarding the business of OccupyBirmingham will, together, give their best to make Birmingham a better place to live, and hopefully, one that offers a brighter future for our children.
9 Responses to “A Brighter Future”
Lol, interesting.
“tapestry”?
Thanks to all OccupyBirmingham participants and supporters – fighting for our country!
God bless you.
you left your kids?
Well, I wasn’t going to take them to an occupation at 2 in the morning. Could you imagine how cranky they would be the next day…
I was probably in bed, as were my kids, because that’s where we usually are at 3:00AM. Too little sleep can promote calcium buildup in the heart arteries, leading to the plaques that can then break apart and cause heart attacks and strokes. And, healthcare, if you’re responsible and pay for it yourself like I do, is expensive. It’s also risky to go out that late at night downtown because that’s when the thugs and drug addicts are out preying on the weak, which can cause knife or gunshot wounds, and increase your healthcare costs. That’s another good reason me and my kids to err on the side of caution and stay in and sleep at 3:00AM.
A bit over 2 million people were injured in car accidents last year. 800k had heart attacks. 1.2 million suffered from violent crimes last year.
You should probably stop driving if you’re afraid of staying up late at night, or going outside. It’s dangerous out there…
‘Thugs’ and ‘drug addicts’ fear us
We all need more Irony in our diet.