Ok fine. I see I have to write a response to this #OOMedia shit even if I don't want to.
Here it is. First of all, I don't even care that much. I'm autonomous media and from an outside perspective it just looks like a bunch of people who stopped getting along had a power struggle and this is what came of it. However, let me touch on a couple more points because after this I'm done and don't want to hear anything else about it. I would RATHER FOCUS ON THE POLITICAL PRISONERS THAT NEED TO BE FREED!
1) The media committee was. Legitimized by the consensus process of GA. That means a group of people came together to ask permission to do shit they could be doing on their own anyway.
2) the GA approved the group and they colaborated to build a site. That site is official because it was put together by the legitimized media group.
3) SOME writers came together and wrote an article weak in the facts department and heavy in the pointing fingers at an individual within the movement. That was wrong. With the gravity of this situation and the accusations being INDIRECTLY made, more research should have been put in AND when the facts were FOUND (more than 1 confirmation of this) those facts that were in opposition of the article were denied/rejected/not published and it was pursued anyway.
Now comes the issue of accountability
Should the individuals who signed it be held accountable? Well if that were an option it might have been employed, however, because some wish to remain anonymous we have no clue who that is.
Why are people defending them rather than saying it was wrong? There has still been no apology. Everyone is attacked who think this was childish and foolish by not the individuals who are known to have written and publish it, but others in the media group. This makes me wonder if you are the anonymous ones.
Also, for all the talk of abuse. It constantly seems that the self proclaimed pacifists are the ones constantly waging rhetorical war on those they do not agree with which is both hypocritical and decidedly more dangerous to the sustainability and growth of the movement. This is people breaking up the movement on their own.
With the "transparency" and openness of Occupy, or at least what Occupy is supposed to be there are several infiltrators, undercover agents etc in our midsts. Guess what? You probably don't know who the hell they are! Stop all this constant fear mongering and fighting.
Imagine what we could be accomplishing if we weren't all biting each others heads off over articles on the Internet while vicious lies are printed all the time anyway.
Showing posts with label transparency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transparency. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Response to MotherJones Article http://bit.ly/x95Kti
I am writing this before school to clear a couple things up. Not to bash the author of this article for I don't think he did a horrible job based on our conversation. There are a few things however I would like to clear up so he we go.
1) "Many of the Oaklanders see it as their duty to fight back. In October, Oakland police critically injured a peaceful protester, the former marine Scott Olsen, when a projectile shot from police lines at an Occupy march downtown fractured his skull. Video shows police lobbing a flash-bang grenade into a group of protesters who were trying to help him. "The police are being paid to protect them, but they're attacking them," says Jessica, a 28-year-old Occupy Oakland member who tweets under the name @BellaEiko. "Most people feel that kind of nullifies the contract.""
The contract I speak of is the social contract that basically is the permission given by the people to be policed and pay for it with their tax dollars. This contract seems to be invalid within the City of Oakland whether it is Occupy related or not. When more people feel victimized, criminalizes or intimidated by the police who are supposed to protect them, the social contract is terminated organically. This will be seen in the reactions of citizens, and has been seen. With the Oakland Riders case, and the federal take over in a few weeks, obviously there are problems with the Oakland Poice Department as a whole. One has to wonder how much good will a federal take over be anyway. The Occupy Wall Street movement gained momentum and continues the fight against corporate greed & GOVERNMENTAL CORRUPTION. So if the entire government is corrupt, how much help can Oakland really expect to get?
2) "The upshot is that ballot measures to put more cops on the street are a tough sell in Oakland even when crime is high. And to this day, many Oakland residents equate calling the police to snitching. "You can see the Black Panther mindset becoming more and more present in the Occupy movement by the actions that are being taken during the marches," says the occupier Jessica, who is black. "On Saturday, for example, when the police came out with shields and gas masks, there were protesters out there that had shields and gas masks. They were ready as well. You can see that the militant stance of the Black Panther Party is being emulated. It may actually, at some point, graduate to the carrying of firearms.""
So, I was talking about self defense. I was talking about the fact that the protesters had shields and masks, and the police had guns along with smoke bombs and teargas. You can see the self defense mindset of the Black Panther Party arriving from the abuses the police department subjects protesters to. I don't think Occupy will ever be about violence, it isn't now. What I was talking about was the probability of people using 2nd Amendment rights to protect the 1st. It's all about self defense. Unfortunately the people are protesting against those in power of not only the place and govnment, but media as well. This allows for lies to be spouted in the mainstream media to make it seem like the police were responding to violence instead of instigating it (once gain, not attacking Josh Harkinson). Instead, maybe I should have been more clear about this, over a span of years if the voices of the people continue to be muted, the attacks on protesters continue to elevate in violent nature, and the media continue to lie about what's happening; then yes I think it might graduate to the 2nd Amendment being used. Like a line of legally armed, well trained militia just standing there looking at the police making sure they don't attack those who are gathered peacefully. There is nothing illegal, or bashing in that statement. No endorsement for violence should be interpret here. If anything this is a possible and legal way to make the violence stop.
When I was growing up, my Dad used to say to me "If there are 2 men in a room and only 1 of them has a gun, then only 1 of them has the respect. But if they both have guns, there is equal respect in the room." The alternative to this is to only let the police have tasers and pepper spray, but we have seen examples of that not going very well either. Some may or may not agree with this analogy, but this is my opinion and I'm entitled to it. I welcome the discussion in comments about gun rights, ownership and proper time for using it to defend yourself.
3) "While critics complain that many militant protesters come from outside of Oakland and don't have its best interests at heart, occupiers like Jessica see room in the movement for a "diversity of tactics," especially ones that target property owned by the 1 percent."
When things got trashed at the Oscar Grant marches, I thought that was crazy. Why do that? This is the Occupy Movement, against corporate greed. So although, you're not going to catch me breaking a window out, I can still understand that corporations are being attacked. In all ways possible, by all types of people. Corporations are multinational, so a Bank of America in San Francisco is the same as one in New York. Even if the 99%ers that work there are nice and hand things out to protesters, some still just hate the corporation you work for andso it's a target regardless.
The more interesting and in my opinion productive question to ask here is how does Occupy hurt the 1% without hurting those who have to work for them to pay to afford their lives? This is why it's so difficult to get and keep community support. Strikes that shut down jobs make it so people aren't making the money they planned to. With most living paycheck to paycheck this is not the best side effect. However, there are some jobs and products and services that have had a sudden spike. Coffee, battery packs, bandwidth etc are all in high demand among other things like gas masks, vinegar and chalk.
4) "You can see the Black Panther mindset becoming more and more present in the Occupy movement by the actions that are being taken during the marches," says the occupier Jessica, who is black. "
Ok so I know that I have dark skin, I'm not saying that I'm ashamed of being part Black and all but I don't really appreciate the written "Jessica, who is black" comment. I was raised by my Grandmother who was Japanese. So if anyone wants to use my cultural background to solidify a point I was making as my observation, please clarify how I identify. I am Creole and Japanese. I can trace my family from both sides to the original settlers. I have black blood because like many here I have slave blood. I had to address this statement because my skin color has nothing to do with the fact that I have made this observation. I would say it was more my ability to think critically after analyzing a situation.
Do I regret doing the interview and the things that were said? No. It's my opinion based on basic speculation for one possibility of the future.
1) "Many of the Oaklanders see it as their duty to fight back. In October, Oakland police critically injured a peaceful protester, the former marine Scott Olsen, when a projectile shot from police lines at an Occupy march downtown fractured his skull. Video shows police lobbing a flash-bang grenade into a group of protesters who were trying to help him. "The police are being paid to protect them, but they're attacking them," says Jessica, a 28-year-old Occupy Oakland member who tweets under the name @BellaEiko. "Most people feel that kind of nullifies the contract.""
The contract I speak of is the social contract that basically is the permission given by the people to be policed and pay for it with their tax dollars. This contract seems to be invalid within the City of Oakland whether it is Occupy related or not. When more people feel victimized, criminalizes or intimidated by the police who are supposed to protect them, the social contract is terminated organically. This will be seen in the reactions of citizens, and has been seen. With the Oakland Riders case, and the federal take over in a few weeks, obviously there are problems with the Oakland Poice Department as a whole. One has to wonder how much good will a federal take over be anyway. The Occupy Wall Street movement gained momentum and continues the fight against corporate greed & GOVERNMENTAL CORRUPTION. So if the entire government is corrupt, how much help can Oakland really expect to get?
2) "The upshot is that ballot measures to put more cops on the street are a tough sell in Oakland even when crime is high. And to this day, many Oakland residents equate calling the police to snitching. "You can see the Black Panther mindset becoming more and more present in the Occupy movement by the actions that are being taken during the marches," says the occupier Jessica, who is black. "On Saturday, for example, when the police came out with shields and gas masks, there were protesters out there that had shields and gas masks. They were ready as well. You can see that the militant stance of the Black Panther Party is being emulated. It may actually, at some point, graduate to the carrying of firearms.""
So, I was talking about self defense. I was talking about the fact that the protesters had shields and masks, and the police had guns along with smoke bombs and teargas. You can see the self defense mindset of the Black Panther Party arriving from the abuses the police department subjects protesters to. I don't think Occupy will ever be about violence, it isn't now. What I was talking about was the probability of people using 2nd Amendment rights to protect the 1st. It's all about self defense. Unfortunately the people are protesting against those in power of not only the place and govnment, but media as well. This allows for lies to be spouted in the mainstream media to make it seem like the police were responding to violence instead of instigating it (once gain, not attacking Josh Harkinson). Instead, maybe I should have been more clear about this, over a span of years if the voices of the people continue to be muted, the attacks on protesters continue to elevate in violent nature, and the media continue to lie about what's happening; then yes I think it might graduate to the 2nd Amendment being used. Like a line of legally armed, well trained militia just standing there looking at the police making sure they don't attack those who are gathered peacefully. There is nothing illegal, or bashing in that statement. No endorsement for violence should be interpret here. If anything this is a possible and legal way to make the violence stop.
When I was growing up, my Dad used to say to me "If there are 2 men in a room and only 1 of them has a gun, then only 1 of them has the respect. But if they both have guns, there is equal respect in the room." The alternative to this is to only let the police have tasers and pepper spray, but we have seen examples of that not going very well either. Some may or may not agree with this analogy, but this is my opinion and I'm entitled to it. I welcome the discussion in comments about gun rights, ownership and proper time for using it to defend yourself.
3) "While critics complain that many militant protesters come from outside of Oakland and don't have its best interests at heart, occupiers like Jessica see room in the movement for a "diversity of tactics," especially ones that target property owned by the 1 percent."
When things got trashed at the Oscar Grant marches, I thought that was crazy. Why do that? This is the Occupy Movement, against corporate greed. So although, you're not going to catch me breaking a window out, I can still understand that corporations are being attacked. In all ways possible, by all types of people. Corporations are multinational, so a Bank of America in San Francisco is the same as one in New York. Even if the 99%ers that work there are nice and hand things out to protesters, some still just hate the corporation you work for andso it's a target regardless.
The more interesting and in my opinion productive question to ask here is how does Occupy hurt the 1% without hurting those who have to work for them to pay to afford their lives? This is why it's so difficult to get and keep community support. Strikes that shut down jobs make it so people aren't making the money they planned to. With most living paycheck to paycheck this is not the best side effect. However, there are some jobs and products and services that have had a sudden spike. Coffee, battery packs, bandwidth etc are all in high demand among other things like gas masks, vinegar and chalk.
4) "You can see the Black Panther mindset becoming more and more present in the Occupy movement by the actions that are being taken during the marches," says the occupier Jessica, who is black. "
Ok so I know that I have dark skin, I'm not saying that I'm ashamed of being part Black and all but I don't really appreciate the written "Jessica, who is black" comment. I was raised by my Grandmother who was Japanese. So if anyone wants to use my cultural background to solidify a point I was making as my observation, please clarify how I identify. I am Creole and Japanese. I can trace my family from both sides to the original settlers. I have black blood because like many here I have slave blood. I had to address this statement because my skin color has nothing to do with the fact that I have made this observation. I would say it was more my ability to think critically after analyzing a situation.
Do I regret doing the interview and the things that were said? No. It's my opinion based on basic speculation for one possibility of the future.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Transparency of Donations
March 29, 2012 - there is $1587.06 worth of expenses listed and paid for. $177.94 is the amount left in my WePay today. I still need to purchase batteries (hopefully rechargeable ones) for the light I now have so that I can film at night, also still need to be able to get a different wifi device that has better coverage and is cheaper; regardless it will cost money to get a Sprint or Verizon hot spot. Also, the website and current broadband are what I'm raising money for, including gas for the many many many trips downtown and beyond to cover events.
_____________________________________________________________
March 27, 2012 - $22.35 for camera light (no more shooting in the dark and not being able to see!! FINALLY!!!)
_____________________________________________________________
March 26, 2012 - $195.54 Tmobile (I am so unhappy about how much this bill is. Need to keep researching wifi options)
Also spent $30 in gas to go to Redwood City & Back for Mitt Romney protest and $5 for toll
______________________________________________________________
March 21, 2012 - $20.99 gas
______________________________________________________________
March 6, 2012 - $44.63 VistaPrint website recurring charge
______________________________________________________________
March 6, 2012 - $67.00 Tmobile 1st portion of bill
______________________________________________________________
March 5, 2012 - $5.48 coffee & Danish
______________________________________________________________
Feb 29, 2012 - $40 Radio Shack iPad charging cord, screen cleaner, warranty
______________________________________________________________
Feb 27, 2012 - $12.82 Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe
______________________________________________________________
Feb 24, 2012 - $11.75 Radio Shack USB to micro USB cord
______________________________________________________________
Feb 24, 2012 - $23.75 ice cream & dinner (IceCream Bloc 1st event)
______________________________________________________________
Feb 20, 2012 - $25.00 in gas and $5 in toll for Occupy the Prisons event
______________________________________________________________
Feb 9, 2012 - $3.95 lunch at Mr. Pizza Man while at the plaza
______________________________________________________________
Feb 6, 2012 - $45.00 gas (driving back and forth to downtown Oakland gets pretty expensive)
______________________________________________________________
Feb 3, 2012 - $96.79 Website package (approx $40/mth)
______________________________________________________________
Jan 25, 2012 - $196.26 - 3 iSound external battery packs (2 new at $70/ea & 1 used at $40 + s&h)
______________________________________________________________
Jan 25, 2012 - $400 on the iPad (I used $600 of my own money to buy the iPad) + warranty
______________________________________________________________
Jan 21, 2012 - $65.00 on boots. New rain weather boots, the weather got pretty bad (that's an understatement) in the past few days. Those of you who were watching (or have watched since) the video of San Francisco shutting down the Financial District remember me telling you about the boots that filled up with water and I couldn't keep up with the front of the crowd. The new boots are made to endure ALL types of weather. Rain, sleet, hail, snow I will cover Occupy just so you know :)
______________________________________________________________
January 20, 2012 - $31.75 in parking while covering OccupySF shutting down the financial district and taking over a building.
Also bought a bagel and some water for about $10 (sorry we were in the city. NOTHINGS cheap out there!)
** Notice that another external battery is needed after dying and not being able to film the entire day even with taking a couple 10 - 15 minute breaks. Will be buying another external on January 21st or January 22nd in preparation for upcoming events.**
_______________________________________________________________
January 19, 2012 - $109.00 at Best Buy (I couldn't find it at an independent business) for an external charger that lasts for somewhere between 21 - 34 hours for my cell phone when streaming. We will see how long that is in real time. Don't worry I still have one other external that will charge my phone 1 and 3/4 more times. So I should be good for Occupy the Courts and filming Occupy SF shutting down the financial district.
Jan 19, 2012 - $120 down plus an extra $60/month for the max amount of gigs I can buy to ensure I will not be without enough internet to maintain video and audio while streaming. Thank you for your donations! They are what makes it possible for me to continue documenting the Occupy Movement, specifically Occupy Oakland.
________________________________________________________________
Ok so, I realize that I have not put up a list for transparency yet, and the truth is because I've been too busy being out on the scene and I have not actually used any of the money yet. I am new to WePay and so getting all the things set up so that I could even have access to the money just happened yesterday. The money moving was a trial to see if my transfers would go through to my debit card.
In total I have received $460.00 ($443.28 after WePay automatically removed it's fees)
On January 6th, 2012 I initiated a transfer for $200 from WePay to my debit card. The transfer took until yesterday January 12, 2012 to clear. This was my 1st transfer so it took a little while, and I wanted to make sure that everything was set up right.
Right now I am looking at my options as far as portable power and 4G. I am hoping that I can get the Broadband without monthly payments like a 2 year contract, so prepay will be better if I can get that. However, that still leaves me vulnerable to using it all and not having enough service to stream. Those of who who have watched as my screen went blank and all that was available was audio or if both is choppy.
Secondarily I was marching past the Oakland Police Department filming with women from Egypt in solidarity and had water thrown on me and my phone. Unfortunately insurance doesn't cover water damage so I may need to actually pay to get another one. I'm not saying I would expect my donors to fork up that cost but I would need assistance. I do have a job and I am able to do some things. I do appreciate all of the help I get because when I spend hours out there (like 19 hours a day), it makes it easier for me to have supporters as well as resources and be able to document.
_____________________________________________________________
March 27, 2012 - $22.35 for camera light (no more shooting in the dark and not being able to see!! FINALLY!!!)
_____________________________________________________________
March 26, 2012 - $195.54 Tmobile (I am so unhappy about how much this bill is. Need to keep researching wifi options)
Also spent $30 in gas to go to Redwood City & Back for Mitt Romney protest and $5 for toll
______________________________________________________________
March 21, 2012 - $20.99 gas
______________________________________________________________
March 6, 2012 - $44.63 VistaPrint website recurring charge
______________________________________________________________
March 6, 2012 - $67.00 Tmobile 1st portion of bill
______________________________________________________________
March 5, 2012 - $5.48 coffee & Danish
______________________________________________________________
Feb 29, 2012 - $40 Radio Shack iPad charging cord, screen cleaner, warranty
______________________________________________________________
Feb 27, 2012 - $12.82 Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe
______________________________________________________________
Feb 24, 2012 - $11.75 Radio Shack USB to micro USB cord
______________________________________________________________
Feb 24, 2012 - $23.75 ice cream & dinner (IceCream Bloc 1st event)
______________________________________________________________
Feb 20, 2012 - $25.00 in gas and $5 in toll for Occupy the Prisons event
______________________________________________________________
Feb 9, 2012 - $3.95 lunch at Mr. Pizza Man while at the plaza
______________________________________________________________
Feb 6, 2012 - $45.00 gas (driving back and forth to downtown Oakland gets pretty expensive)
______________________________________________________________
Feb 3, 2012 - $96.79 Website package (approx $40/mth)
______________________________________________________________
Jan 25, 2012 - $196.26 - 3 iSound external battery packs (2 new at $70/ea & 1 used at $40 + s&h)
______________________________________________________________
Jan 25, 2012 - $400 on the iPad (I used $600 of my own money to buy the iPad) + warranty
______________________________________________________________
Jan 21, 2012 - $65.00 on boots. New rain weather boots, the weather got pretty bad (that's an understatement) in the past few days. Those of you who were watching (or have watched since) the video of San Francisco shutting down the Financial District remember me telling you about the boots that filled up with water and I couldn't keep up with the front of the crowd. The new boots are made to endure ALL types of weather. Rain, sleet, hail, snow I will cover Occupy just so you know :)
______________________________________________________________
January 20, 2012 - $31.75 in parking while covering OccupySF shutting down the financial district and taking over a building.
Also bought a bagel and some water for about $10 (sorry we were in the city. NOTHINGS cheap out there!)
** Notice that another external battery is needed after dying and not being able to film the entire day even with taking a couple 10 - 15 minute breaks. Will be buying another external on January 21st or January 22nd in preparation for upcoming events.**
_______________________________________________________________
January 19, 2012 - $109.00 at Best Buy (I couldn't find it at an independent business) for an external charger that lasts for somewhere between 21 - 34 hours for my cell phone when streaming. We will see how long that is in real time. Don't worry I still have one other external that will charge my phone 1 and 3/4 more times. So I should be good for Occupy the Courts and filming Occupy SF shutting down the financial district.
Jan 19, 2012 - $120 down plus an extra $60/month for the max amount of gigs I can buy to ensure I will not be without enough internet to maintain video and audio while streaming. Thank you for your donations! They are what makes it possible for me to continue documenting the Occupy Movement, specifically Occupy Oakland.
________________________________________________________________
Ok so, I realize that I have not put up a list for transparency yet, and the truth is because I've been too busy being out on the scene and I have not actually used any of the money yet. I am new to WePay and so getting all the things set up so that I could even have access to the money just happened yesterday. The money moving was a trial to see if my transfers would go through to my debit card.
In total I have received $460.00 ($443.28 after WePay automatically removed it's fees)
On January 6th, 2012 I initiated a transfer for $200 from WePay to my debit card. The transfer took until yesterday January 12, 2012 to clear. This was my 1st transfer so it took a little while, and I wanted to make sure that everything was set up right.
Right now I am looking at my options as far as portable power and 4G. I am hoping that I can get the Broadband without monthly payments like a 2 year contract, so prepay will be better if I can get that. However, that still leaves me vulnerable to using it all and not having enough service to stream. Those of who who have watched as my screen went blank and all that was available was audio or if both is choppy.
Secondarily I was marching past the Oakland Police Department filming with women from Egypt in solidarity and had water thrown on me and my phone. Unfortunately insurance doesn't cover water damage so I may need to actually pay to get another one. I'm not saying I would expect my donors to fork up that cost but I would need assistance. I do have a job and I am able to do some things. I do appreciate all of the help I get because when I spend hours out there (like 19 hours a day), it makes it easier for me to have supporters as well as resources and be able to document.
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