Occupy Portland

Spent the day at Occupy Portland today. More pictures here.

Here is what has been ignored, forgotten, marginalized, hidden, ridiculed, and thrust into the shadows. Here is what the corporate world said didn't exist. Here is the failure of the system. The invisible is now visible.

Here are the alienated teenagers. They've dropped out of school. Some are on skateboards, some on crack. Some are unable to read. They look for love, sex, kindness, revolution, meaning. They're confused and hopeful. They're pissed off. They're full of youth and adrenalin.

Here are the jobless: building tent cities, camping out, hoping for a hot meal, receiving used clothing and free cookies for their homeless children.

Here are the seriously mentally ill. They have no health insurance. They're frightened and angry.

Here are the anarchists with masks over their faces, hoping to bring down a system that has fucked them over, silenced them, and shit on them.

Here are the idealists: organizing support groups for all the others, running the massage tent and the first aid tent, organizing the camp library, running workshops on non-violent communication, cooking soup in big vats, sweeping the pathways, gently asking dog-owners to pick up their dogs' poop.

Here are the old activists, carrying protest signs and smiling.

This is the 99%. Now, in this moment, what has been invisible is seen and heard. This is a good thing.