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sebas started the forum topic Making Shift Happen at the Occupy Bike Shop in the group Mediasebas started the forum topic Making Shift Happen at the Occupy Bike Shop in the group Media Today, bike master Jonah shared his knowledge and helped us change tires, fix seats and gave us a crash course on changing and tuning brakes. Everyone walked out with a big smile; we all learned new skills. The […] […]SaraA wrote a new post, Occupy Atlanta to Hold General Assembly on Capitol Steps, State Senators Invited to SpeakSaraA wrote a new post, Occupy Atlanta to Hold General Assembly on Capitol Steps, State Senators Invited to Speak On March 7 democracy was subverted in the Georgia Senate. SB 469, which would impose heavy fines on pickets near any private property (not just residences), extra burden on union members seeking to maintain […] […]robertf wrote a new post, March 15th - Restore Georgia Power To The People!robertf wrote a new post, March 15th - Restore Georgia Power To The People! This Thursday, March 15th, show the Public Service Commission they work for the people, not Georgia Power! We don't pay for Georgia power's mistakes! We want better decisions for a better Georgia!Read our […] […]cypherdivine posted an update: Are Corporate Leaders Egostitical Psychopaths? (video documentary)cypherdivine posted an update Are Corporate Leaders Egostitical Psychopaths? (video documentary) [bpfb_video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MWpxH-RlFQ[/bpfb_video]Comments: 0 […] -
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What Really Happened with Occupy Atlanta & Rep John Lewis
This entry was posted in Headlines and tagged John Lewis, Occupy Atlanta, the truth, What really happenned with occupy atlanta & rep john lewis. Bookmark the permalink.
3 Responses to What Really Happened with Occupy Atlanta & Rep John Lewis
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I am not buying it. This was not a manifestation of the democratic process but rather of a 1% vs. 99% – in this case ONE person’s voice domineering over the others. The irony is, he didn’t want JL to speak because it might convey the message that one person is more important than everyone else – and yet, he was showing that his voice is more important by dissenting from the majority. He has a right to dissent, but the fact that the majority caved to him is disgraceful and just laaaaaaaaaaame. JL has put in tireless hours supporting civil rights causes and put his life on the line, and just wanted a few minutes to address the crowd of likeminded souls. Instead his voice got squashed by some moron in the name of “fairness.” Sorry, that’s not fair, that’s just LAME.
What’s good about the occupy movement is that it is bringing these issues to the mainstream media. The incident in this video was not democracy. You can see from the 1st question that the majority wanted Lewis to speak yet the majority did not rule, not democracy. Too bad really, having one of the MLK inner circle at you meeting is a good thing. If the agenda cannot stop for that then what is the point? I know this group is young and inexperienced but I wish the best for them. I think it would make more sense to have a series of events over a long period of time rather than an occupation that will lead to conflict and degrade the message.
What’s lost in this clip is the context in which the speaker was speaking up. First of all, this was a General Assembly with the purpose of setting some ground rules and an agenda. As I understand it, it was an important show of support, but was not intended to be the occupation itself. There was a designated time for people who wanted to speak their minds after some administrative stuff was taken care of, and unfortunately, Representative Lewis was not able to stick around until then.
Also, I watched the whole meeting from the beginning, not just the clip in the referenced video. Immediately before this clip kicks in, the group had reached a consensus on the order of the agenda. People should keep in mind that this was an very important step in making sure that Occupy Atlanta wasn’t just an anarchist bunch of people who no purpose whatsoever, everyone following their own rules and doing their own thing. Had the moderator at that time simply tossed aside the rules that the group had literally JUST agreed on, it would have completely undermined the ability of anyone to coordinate anything.
Had they allowed Representative Lewis to speak right then, undoubtedly there would be videos circulating about how wishy-washy the moderator was, having just reached a consensus on something and then tossing it right out the window.