Occupy El Paso

There's no doubt about what question I get asked the most lately...people are asking what I think about the Occupy Movement. I have refrained from commenting on it because I have been going back and forth on it and have bee waiting to see things develop and how the movement deals with it.


I was also waiting to comment until I had spent some time with the people in the movement. So I dropped by a couple of times over the last few days to check it out.


There is a big part of me that is skeptical of the movement. Mostly because it lacks a leadership structure. No matter what, somebody has to be in charge to make key decisions or to at least make sure things run smoothly. The fact that from what I have seen there are a lot of hippies who believe in some kind of utopian movement where everyone gets along and no one is in charge is what has made me skeptical.


Since I have only been to the El Paso version, I will frame my comments around those folks. There are a couple of groups in the plazita right now. There are the folks that stay over night and a group that floats in and out.

Trust me when I tell you that with very few exceptions, the floaters have a much stronger handle on things than the over-nighters.


I talked with a few of the Occupiers early in the week and made it a point to talk to people I've never seen before. From their chatter, it appears a lot of them are from out of town, though I didn't get to find out from where or why they were in El Paso. But one thing the over-nighters seam to have in common is a general lack of understanding of politics, government, finance. One thing is for sure, their passion and commitment can't be questioned.


There was a solidarity even on Saturday afternoon which was meant to bring other groups together with the Occupiers. There were environmentalists, teachers, La Mujer Obrera, immigration reform advocates and peace advocates. I also saw a couple of people from OFA (Organizing for America, an offshoot of Obama for America) as well.


A couple of Congressman Reyes' staffers, Legislative Director Luis Torres and Interim Communications Director Claudia Ordaz, attended the rally and took the protestors some water and fruit and told them that the Congressman's Office was in solidarity with their protest. Judging by the condition of a few of the protestors, I'm sure the fruit will help them ward off scurvy...

Several of the protestors demonstrated their ignorance of policy by basically going after the Congressman through Luis Torres. Apparently they don't understand that most of the policies that were were upset about were policies that the Congressman voted against.


But for all their angst against the Congressman, they sure didn't mind drinking the water and fruit provided by his Office. From what I understand, taking the food and water is a daily thing for the Congressman's office.


I actually felt a little bad for Luis Torres. If you know him personally, then you know he's a very liberal vato and would probably be out there with the protesters that actually know why they are there if he didn't have other obligations. He's more liberal than I am and yet he gets shitted on by a bunch of know-nothings.

My daughters wanted to go with me on Saturday to check it out because they have heard so much about it and a couple of their teachers have talked about how it was historic. Turns out, there were lots of teenagers that showed up to check it out. If it did nothing more than spark political awareness or interest in a few youngsters then I consider it a success. We need more of that in this country.


One of her classmates actually spent the night the previous night. He's 17 and didn't know anyone there but is really in to the cause. Honestly, I was proud of the young man. (Until I noticed him floating around my daughter for too long, at which point I wanted to push him in to oncoming traffic.)


In terms of the issue-based activists that showed up for the solidarity event, I knew most of them or have seen them around at other liberal events. They know their stuff and their issues. Former State Rep Norma Chavez was also in attendance. She wasn't there to be seen, she wasn't trying to get attention. I think she will always be around political events, whether she tries to get back in the game or not is another story, but she cares about political issues and you just can't turn it off like you turn off a TV.

(Sidebar - in other cities there have been clashes between law enforcement and the protesters. In El Paso, law enforcement brings the protesters pizza. One of the occupiers told me that El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles showed up earlier in the week and delivered some pizza to the protesters.)

But lets be honest, they were just there for the event. They aren't the actual occupiers. Of the actual occupiers, I knew about 4 of them.

Only two of them that I knew there were people that I think had a clue about why they were there and what they were trying to accomplish. Those guys know what they are doing and are extremely organized. Specifically, Xavier Miranda is probably one of the most experienced grassroots people I know and certainly one of the top in town. Luis Ruiz, formerly of HomeBoy Friday's is documenting the event and has been very passionate about it.


But the rest of the over-nighters, well...


When I was a private in the Army, some buddies of mine and I had a three-day pass so we took a trip to Chicago. One of our buddies was a hippie born about 15 years too late. But he was a huge Grateful Dead fan. As luck would have it, the Grateful Dead were playing at Soldier Stadium that weekend. So there was the big ass mobile commune of Dead Heads that follow them around near the stadium. It was a group of former hippies that never adapted back to the real world, a lot of white people with dread locks who needed to bath more often, a shortage of deodorant and an abundance of drugs.


Walking around the plazita with the Occupiers has a similar feel. Only without music and with the voice of the preacher that is always in the plazita. He has been occupying the plazita long before anyone else.


And on Saturday I noticed there are several people that are very obvious drug users and probably homeless that have melted in with the protesters. I should've grabbed video, but I was trying to listen to the speakers at the time. After most of the floaters left, there was almost a fight between one of the tecatos (looked like a heroin user but I don't know for sure) and a hippie on a skate board. It would've been hilarious if it weren't such a sad scene.


Drug users destroy everything they touch, including movements.

There were some older guys from Sunland Park that said they were there to observe but it eventually came out they were conservatives that wanted to come see what all the fuss was about. I ended up getting a little caught up in the moment and debated (very civilly I might add) with one of them. He was kicking the crap out of Comrade Anarchy when I first got there and since the kid didn't know the issue at all, I eventually jumped in to the conversation completely uninvited.


I know, I'm an asshole sometimes but Comrade Anarchy didn't know what the hell he was talking about and it was embarrassing. He should stick to leading chants and marches and leave the debating to people who know the actual issue.


And later I got in to it with a few of the Occupiers. To the point were Xavier Miranda asked me why I was so pissed.


Well frankly, its frustrating to see these kids out there occupying the plazita when they should be occupying the ballot box. A lot of what they are upset about are things they can do something about if they actually went to the polls and voted.


Some of us fight the good fight on the regular and that's why I am so conflicted about their movement.


But in the end, its a good thing. If you don't recognize that, take a look around. Its all over the news and social media. Of course, so were the OJ and Casey Anthony trials, but these people have the opportunity to get elected officials to notice them and address their issues.


Of course if they really wanted to get the attention of elected officials to their issues, instead of bitching about the system being broken and sitting on the bench, they should get some skin in the game and actually get off their ass.

They should understand that elections have consequences and the Tea Party Douch Bags really messed things up a couple of years ago while these kids were worrying about getting the latest i-Phone, downloading Justin Bieber's music, or watching American Idol.

They should organize their communities. They should phone bank to voters and elected officials. They should use social media to advocate for their issues.


Or better yet...vote!