So when I was in high school, Kent State happened. I didn't even really hear about it, or at least I don't remember hearing about it - so unconnected and clueless. All I knew was that some guys got suspended for wearing black armbands to school. I didn't follow the war when I was in high school beyond my vague awareness about my brother going for a physical because he had been drafted - again, really out of touch (no, he didn't have to go). Environmental issues? Nah. I just wasn't tuned in to much outside of my own little world of school, family, homework, friends, the band.

At Transylvania, in college, my eyes began to open a bit. I had some really great professors in sociology and anthropology - I began to read more and to listen. There was a big big world outside of Lexington, KY, with a lot going on, with people who looked and thought and believed differently than my family, my friends, and I did. I stepped out a little - campaigned for McGovern against Nixon. For me, it had become mainly about the war. McGovern lost, of course. And the war. Well, we know what happened there. Promises broken.

Years passed - getting educated, working, having children and making a family, voting, trying to keep up with things. My focus for years was on kids' issues - my own kids, other peoples' kids, working with families, schools, pediatricians, day care centers and preschools. 

My focus is still on kids, just in a different way. Julie and Michael are adults, and someday in the not too distant future (no rush, guys - no rush), I may have grandchildren. And this is what I want for my children and my grandchildren:

• a viable and biodiverse earth that can provide clean air and water, and healthy soil to produce abundant food for nourishment for everyone
• equal access to safe shelter, to health care, and to education
• a peaceful world without horrible blood-letting conflict over oil, religion, access to water and land, or my gun's bigger than yours - enough already! enough!
• a culture where there is respect for all workers who contribute to the common good - mothers and fathers who stay at home to raise their children, crossing guards, teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers who build bridges and water systems, farmers, factory workers, safety officers, cooks, landscapers -- you know as well as I do that this list goes on and on
• a well-educated citizenry - a society that selects lawmakers and leaders who will WORK TOGETHER for the common good, that supports a government that is not shaped primarily by corporate interests

I want this world for my children, other people's children, and our grandchildren. And I believe that most of those involved in the Occupy Movement want the same. Yes, there are goofy self-centered attention-seeking people who are part of the movement. Are there not also goofy self-centered attention-seeking people in the finance world? In government? I do believe there are.

I hear criticisms that the movement participants are lazy and entitled and should just get a job - or in Newt's words, "Go get a job after you take a bath." How utterly condescending and hateful and disrespectful.  Really? He and his brethren should be heading down to Wall Street and LA and Philly and Pittsburgh and talking to the people who are part of the Occupy Movement - our leaders have the responsibility to talk with and learn from every constituency in this country, regardless of race, economic status, age, ethnicity, political persuasion, job status, education, and so on. How else will they be able to make important decisions for the common good? The reality, however, is that money speaks more loudly to our lawmakers. And people like Newt Gingrich will not humble themselves in order to learn from the mostly young people who are the future of our country. So very sad.

I hear criticisms that the movement's aims are vague and unfocused. Can we truly say that Congress is focused and united? It is true that there are multiple goals of the movement - when I participated in the 10-17-11 Occupy Pittsburgh march, which led to the creation of the camp downtown, I saw many many different groups represented, each with its own story and agenda. But the common thread was the larger story that lives are being negatively affected, in significant long-term ways, by a topsy-turvy world where big companies make laws. 

Define plutocracy - Bill Moyers himself, a man of intellect, faith, and integrity speaks out about this. Or, as environmentalist Robert Kennedy, Jr. has said, consider fascism or government by business. Yes, this is very harsh. But please let's really think about the ramifications of the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission for our democracy.

There has been much written about Generation Y - my children's generation, the kids of the boomers. A common refrain is that this Generation Y is selfish and narcissistic. Check out this book as just one example of this allegation -- Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before. Note: if this is true, they didn't get this way on their own.

I am leaping with joy to see young people take a stand for concerns that are larger than themselves, that are related to the health and well-being of all citizens. It makes me happy to go downtown and see the orderly tents of the Occupy Pittsburghers. It makes me happy when my own kids and nieces and nephews ask questions and make comments about the movement, whether or not they agree with me. It makes me happy when I hear my students talk about what this all means. Because it means that they are at least partially attending to what is going on. They are thinking and questioning.

I just finished two very good books about social change and social movements - Martin Luther King's Why We Can't Wait, his writings about the civil rights movements in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, and Grace Lee Boggs' The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century - she has been involved in civil rights, labor, and environmental work in the Detroit area for decades. What I heard from these wise activists confirmed what I already knew from my work with families and individuals: Change is hard, and resistance to change is intense. 

Social change is hard and it is scary. It threatens our familiar assumptions and routines. Both King and Boggs emphasized that rebellion and revolt are not sufficient to produce long-lasting change - toppling the king from the throne does nothing good if you do not have something else to put in place. And they also emphasized that long-lasting constructive social change requires pushing against unfair and unjust practices, in persistent non-violent ways, AND - I find this SO important - stretching ourselves internally, as individuals, to grow and learn and become more fair and just and kind and generous and loving.

Please take the time to read many different accounts of the Occupy Movement, from all sides. Take the time to talk with people who are walking the talk - go downtown in your city and talk to people at the camp (if they are still there). Hear what they are about. Think about what they - and we - can do to keep the conversations and activism and change processes going even as the camps are being demolished. Take it seriously. Eyes wide open, connected, and clued-in.

Two events are happening this week in Pittsburgh that tap into important social justice issues. The first is at Chatham tomorrow afternoon. Two other professors and I will be sharing our stories of participation in the Blair Mountain March last May. Mountain Top Removal is a practice that is devastating to the natural environment as well as the physical, emotional, and communal well-being of the people in the area - and it is notable that the people most significantly affected are among the poorest in the nation. (Excuse the wonky graphics.... had a hard time getting these up!)

Then Thursday, late afternoon, we will be on Greenfield Bridge to advocate for jobs for people who want to work - and for the possibility of creating these jobs to repair the decaying infrastructure of the city - like the Greenfield Bridge. Meaningful work that contributes to the community as well as the family's financial health - sounds like a good idea!

On another note - I met a very cool gentleman at the Square today - the ecological artist Alan Kettler - who will be having an exhibit at the Square on December 3. Stay tuned for more information - I am predicting that you will LOVE his work. Even just viewing it online this morning helped me to start the day with a light and hopeful heart - hard to explain, but check it out.

Have a great week in this crazy weather!

How often do we really stop to think about our common infrastructure, and how greatly we depend upon it each day to do our jobs and take care of our families? Public infrastructure includes many different elements, including roads and highways, bridges, waste and sewer systems and water treatment and distribution systems, transportation systems... These are public works that we make use of every day.

And in the US, they need work. Physically, many structures are decaying. Systemically, the works haven't yet caught up to what we need in order to protect the environment in the present and long-term. Think for a minute. Under President Eisenhower, massive work was done to create interstate highways that crossed the country - this coincided time-wise with the explosion of the automobile industry. These efforts led to massive changes in our cities and our daily lives - the birth of the suburbs and shopping centers and malls, the deaths of inner cities and mom-and-pop businesses. We are now recognizing how the reliance on roads and cars has affected us in unexpected and not-so-good ways... but that's another story for another day.

In the 21st century, we are called on to re-examine our structures and systems in terms of safety, environmental, social, and economic needs. We have the ability to collaboratively imagine how we might meet our communal needs in better ways, taking into account what we now know about pollution, the effects of degraded environments on economic, physical, and mental health, the importance of community connections and relationships for our well-being, and so on. It is a different paradigm that we must use, as we imagine and create together.

In Pittsburgh, we have wonderful opportunities to think about these issues - and to act. We need our bridges to function as an integrated city - they need work. Our sewer and water systems are ready for an overhaul. We have willing and able citizens who need jobs. We have the knowledge, skill, and experience base within our citizenry to make these changes in ways that will protect the environment and our health and well-being. Let's talk.

First, from the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network comes an opportunity for people to be visible in showing both the need for jobs for citizens who really want to work AND the need for the nation to strengthen its physical infrastructure. According to PIIN, the Greenfield Bridge is structurally deficient and falling apart. Millions of unemployed people could be put to work fixing crumbling roads, bridges, and other infrastructure like this, across the country - let's urge our leaders to think about how this could be a WIN-WIN situation. Actually, let's become leaders - become part of a Participatory Democracy, as opposed to or even side by side with a Representative Democracy, speaking out directly about concerns and creating and communicating about possible solutions. 

If you want to be present at an event that will involve a conversation that addresses both the jobs issue and the infrastructure needs in a positive direction, consider coming to the Day of Action on the Greenfield Bridge. Details are below:

When: Thursday, November 17 · 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Where: Gather at Magee Park, followed by a march to the Greenfield Bridge, 745 Greenfield Ave,
Pittsburgh, PA

AND.... EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE - OUR AGING SEWERS...  Alcosan is currently proposing one of the most comprehensive overhauls of our sewer system that we have ever seen - it will take years to complete. The work has not yet been started, so this is the time to speak up about using what we now know about green technology to do this project right. Alcosan is holding a series of town meetings to solicit input from community members about their plans - info is available on their web-site. Tonight, there will be a town meeting on the Southside. Details: 

Wednesday, November 9th, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
I.B.E.W. #5 Circuit Center & Ballroom (Region-wide)
5 Hot Metal Street | Pittsburgh, PA 15203 

How fortunate we are to be able to speak up and show up in public to address situations that concern all of us. I hope to see you at one of these events!

Last night I was privileged to attend the fall gathering of the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network. The meeting was held at Rodef Shalom - which was packed with over 1000 people who represented many races and ethnic backgrounds, as well as many religions and faith traditions. PIIN is a vibrant group in Pittsburgh modeled on the Gamaliel Foundation which has as its mission "teaching ordinary citizens to unleash the power within themselves to collectively impact the social, political, environmental, and economic decisions affecting their lives." How cool is that?

What a powerful gathering! The first area of focus in the meeting was gun violence -  remember Rev. Glenn Grayson and Marsha Grayson who lost their son G to random gun violence a year ago? Rev. Glenn spoke - actually raised the roof with his pain and passion about getting rid of the guns that are floating around the city and are being used to kill primarily young black men. Others spoke with wisdom and fervor about civil rights of immigrants, documented and undocumented, the need for better public transportation, the very significant racial gap in education - there is about a two grade-level gap in national reading and math assessment test scores between black students and white students - unacceptable, and employment issues. Many citizens spoke of trying to find work at a living, family supporting wage - wanting desperately to do work that would enable them to buy food and clothing, and pay for housing for their families. Other spoke of having to wait an hour to catch a bus to take their child to daycare so that they could then go to work, only to have the bus pass them by because it was full.

These pleas were particularly meaningful during this time of increasing recognition of the enormous gap between rich and poor. For example, Fred Smith, founder of Fed Ex, has had an average annual salary of $9.79 million over the last six years, according to Forbes Magazine. His employees average between $15-22 per hour. Thus, Occupy X.

I didn't realize it at first, but the timing of this meeting was critical - the week before the November elections. Many candidates and office-holders were invited to the meeting, and several, but not all came. Highlights included Police Chief Nate Harper's commitment to step up the efforts to track and control guns in the city (hopefully with the Mayor's support - he was not present); School Superintendent Linda Lane's commitment to distribute the budget more equitably between all neighborhood schools, regardless of neighborhood income or racial make-up; and State Rep. Dan Frankel's (D - Squirrel Hill) commitment to advocate with Governor Corbett - who was not present - for more funding for public transportation in the city.

We can vote in many ways - during elections next week, with our dollars in terms of spending locally instead of in support of huge corporations, and with our feet and bodies - stay tuned for information about a rally on November 17th at the Greenfield Bridge - where we will speak up about the need for jobs to support our families and to support the nation, particularly in light of our country's need for strengthening of our crumbling infrastructure.

In the meantime, down the road at F.U.S.E....

Jordan Howard will be hosting a release party for his forthcoming debut mixtape, "the DREAM". The event will take place at the F.U.S.E. Center in East Liberty. Admission is a $5 donation at the door. This $5 donation will allow you to gain access to all of the evening's festivities, and you will receive a CD copy of "the DREAM". Jordan will also be performing 3 tracks from the mixtape that evening. The MC for the evening will be Pittsburgh's own DJ Sally Grace. Hope to see everyone there!