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11:39:55 02/06/12
Obama's grandmother recovering from car accident: Georgia court overturns assisted suicide restrictions
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 11:39:55 02/06/12
Sarah Obama, President Barack Obama's grandmother, is home recovering from an accident --- Police in the town of Kisumu say the 87-year-old was traveling to her home Saturday night, the driver lost control and the vehicle rolled into a ditch --- All five people in the car, including her two bodyguards, were taken to a hospital for treatment --- All were released with minor injuries ### On Monday, Georgia's top court struck down a state law that restricted assisted suicides, siding with four members of a suicide group who said the law violated their free speech rights --- The Georgia Supreme Court's unanimous ruling found that the law violates the free speech clauses of the U.S. and Georgia constitution --- Defense attorneys said it means that four members of the Final Exit Network who were charged in February 2009 with helping a 58-year-old cancer-stricken man die will not have to stand trial --- Georgia law doesn't expressly forbid assisted suicide --- But lawmakers in 1994 adopted a law that bans people from publicly advertising suicide, hoping to prevent assisted suicide from the likes of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the late physician who sparked the national right-to-die debate --- The law makes it a felony for anyone who publicly advertises, offers or holds himself out as offering that he or she will intentionally and actively assist another person in the commission of suicide and commits any overt act to further that purpose --- State attorneys said the law doesn't infringe on the free speech rights of people who support assisted suicide, but only those who take concrete steps to carry one out
0 Views
18:45:50 02/01/12
Cordarelle Patterson signs with Tennessee
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 18:45:50 02/01/12
Cordarelle Patterson signs with Tennessee
Cordarrelle Patterson Wide receiver, 6-3, 205 Rock Hill, SC (Hutchinson [Kan.] Community College) Committed: Feb. 1, 2012 Prospect Rankings 247Sports: 5-star Rivals: 5-star Scout: 5-star 247Sports Rating: 99 (No. 1 junior college prospect in the nation) The skinny: If Patterson would have been more willing to talk about his recruitment process, this could have been one of National Signing Day's top storylines. Instead, Patterson kept Ole Miss, LSU, Auburn, Georgia and UT waiting until the very end, when he unceremoniously announced his decision to join the Vols. Patterson instantly gives the Vols another viable target in the passing game and should be considered a threat to start right away. His body is SEC ready, and his former coach, Rion Rhoades, recently told 247Sports that Patterson was up to 214 pounds. Lightly recruited out of Northwestern High in Rock Hill, SC, because of grade issues, Patterson caught passes from Worley for his final two high school seasons. From: knoxnews Views: 500 0 ratings Time: 01:09 More in Sports
0 Views
02:19:33 02/01/12
Deion Bonner signs with Tennessee
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 02:19:33 02/01/12
Deion Bonner signs with Tennessee
Deion Bonner Cornerback, 6-0, 170 Columbus, Ga. (Carver) Committed: Jan. 21, 2012 Prospect Rankings 247Sports: 3-star Rivals: 4-star Scout: 3-star 247Sports Rating: 87 (No. 45 cornerback, No. 39 prospect in Georgia) The skinny: Once considered a top target from the state of Georgia, Bonner saw his stock dip significantly when he and two of his teammates were arrested and charged with taking iPods and iPhones from the lockers of seven Georgia players during a visit last April. He served an eight-game suspension and then made the absolute most out of the final six games of his career, recording 53 tackles, three tackles for loss, five interceptions, four pass breakups and a forced fumble. He's served his time and conducted plenty of community service. If he's truly learned from the experience, UT will have made out with quite the coup because it's clear that he can play. From: knoxnews Views: 1 1 ratings Time: 01:35 More in Sports
0 Views
18:51:48 01/31/12
State Of State Address: Part 4
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 18:51:48 01/31/12
State Of State Address: Part 4
Gov. John Lynch delivers his final State of the State address. The governor calls for a commitment to the I-93 widening project and criticizes attempts to limit the power of unions. From: wmurtv Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 10:06 More in News & Politics
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04:14:41 01/19/12
Recruiting Mailbag 1/18
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 04:14:41 01/19/12
See Florida's new QB prospect, Zach's latest mock class and how the UF commits/targets fared in the final Rivals100 rankings.
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04:14:41 01/19/12
Recruiting Mailbag 1/18
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 04:14:41 01/19/12
See Florida's new QB prospect, Zach's latest mock class and how the UF commits/targets fared in the final Rivals100 rankings.
0 Views
14:21:44 01/18/12
AG Releases Final Report On Warner Home Invasion
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 14:21:44 01/18/12
AG Releases Final Report On Warner Home Invasion
A man who terrorized an 82-year-old Warner resident for hours during a home invasion last year and then committed suicide had no criminal history and was not on drugs that would explain his behavior, according to a report released by the attorney general. From: wmurtv Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 02:04 More in News & Politics
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23:00:06 01/15/12
On This Week, The Long, Last Desperate Gasp of Gov. Rick Perry
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 23:00:06 01/15/12
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Poor Rick Perry. Back when he still had a chance, he couldn't string two coherent sentences together. And now that he's probably at the end of the line, he finally learns to play the game: Namely, to lie, exaggerate and deny with the best of them. >
STEPHANOPOULOS: Governor Perry, thanks for joining us this morning.
PERRY: Good morning, George. How are you?
STEPHANOPOULOS: I'm doing well. Thank you. Less than a week to go in South Carolina, you're still lagging far behind. To borrow a metaphor from your home state, has South Carolina become your Alamo?
PERRY: I don't think so. But we get out every day and go take our message of job creation, and, you know, we're the most consistent fiscal conservative and social conservative in the race, and that's our message, both on the airwaves and out on the campaign trail. The retail politics in South Carolina has been awesome.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But as you know, Governor, that big group of social conservatives meeting in Texas yesterday, decided you're not the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. They want Rick Santorum to have that mantle. You didn't even make the final ballot.
PERRY: Well, that's what they said about Ronald Reagan as well, that, you know, he was unelectable, he was not the one that they wanted to pick. But South Carolina citizens said, you know what, he is. So we'll wait and see Saturday what the people of South Carolina say.
STEPHANOPOULOS: What is your message this final week?
PERRY: Well, it's all about jobs and getting this country back working again. I'm -- 11 years of executive governing experience that have created a million jobs in my home state , the 13th largest economy in the world. I keep the taxes low, the regulatory climate fair and predictable, a legal system that doesn't allow for oversuing. And in a state that's got quite a military history and a lot of veterans here, I think they're looking for a president who not only has worn the uniform of the country, but also has been the commander in chief of 20,000-plus National Guard troops that have been deployed multiple times. They know my commitment to the men and women of the military, and we'll stand with them and support them over the course of the years.
As we already know, Texas has a "weak governor," one whose powers and responsibilities are few. We see how well that same "executive governing experience" prepared George W. Bush to be president. >
STEPHANOPOULOS: Governor, as you know, you have taken some heat this week from many Republicans for your attacks on Mitt Romney as a vulture capitalist during his time at Bain Capital. Want to read some of them here. Sean Hannity said, "it almost sounds like Occupy Wall Street." Rudy Giuliani, "it's ignorant and dumb." Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, "it really gives the Democrats a lot of fodder." Any regrets for using that phrase?
PERRY: I think the issue -- it's not a new phrase. It was used by Stewart Stephens (ph), who was one of Mitt Romney's consultants, against Meg Whitman. I think the issue for everyone is, look, this is something that we knew wasn't going to come up. And it's better to be talking about it here in January in South Carolina than it is in September and October with a nominee. So if it's a fatal flaw, then we need to talk about it now.
The issue has been about who's best prepared and who has the background of creating jobs, and that's what those comments were always about, was that, who is the job creator that's on that stage, and I will submit to you that my job creation record is incomparable when it comes to the other candidates on that stage.
Oh yeah, there's the little fact that most of the jobs created in Texas were federal jobs. >
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you don't buy Mitt Romney's argument that at Bain he created more than 100,000 jobs?
PERRY: I think, you know, the issue is, what is the total -- it's just like Sarah Palin, when Sarah asked that question, she said, you know, that's really what this issue is all about, not whether or not did the Bain Capital is a job creator or not, but did they really create that many jobs? So, yes, I think the question is out there, and it's a good conversation to have. We're going to get tested by Obama and his group. So, you better have all of these answers done early. No surprises in September and October.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But I think what a lot of Republicans are worried about, is they're going to hear that phrase "vulture capitalism" coming out of your mouth, from President Obama and the Democrats in the fall?
PERRY: Well, the issue is about job creation. And as I said, I think if this is a fatal flaw, it needs to be talked about now, rather than in September. So, you know, we're talking about it, and the people of South Carolina will decide whether or not that's a problem or not.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So, Governor Perry, what is your plan going forward? If you don't come in first or a close second in South Carolina, is that it for your campaign?
PERRY: Well, we'll make that decision on Saturday. Our intention is to win South Carolina and go forward from there. But to try to plan out your campaign months in advance, I think is a little bit of a stretch.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Governor Perry, thanks very much for your time this morning.
PERRY: So long, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Take care.
0 Views
23:00:06 01/15/12
On This Week, The Long, Last Desperate Gasp of Gov. Rick Perry
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 23:00:06 01/15/12
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Poor Rick Perry. Back when he still had a chance, he couldn't string two coherent sentences together. And now that he's probably at the end of the line, he finally learns to play the game: Namely, to lie, exaggerate and deny with the best of them. >
STEPHANOPOULOS: Governor Perry, thanks for joining us this morning.
PERRY: Good morning, George. How are you?
STEPHANOPOULOS: I'm doing well. Thank you. Less than a week to go in South Carolina, you're still lagging far behind. To borrow a metaphor from your home state, has South Carolina become your Alamo?
PERRY: I don't think so. But we get out every day and go take our message of job creation, and, you know, we're the most consistent fiscal conservative and social conservative in the race, and that's our message, both on the airwaves and out on the campaign trail. The retail politics in South Carolina has been awesome.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But as you know, Governor, that big group of social conservatives meeting in Texas yesterday, decided you're not the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. They want Rick Santorum to have that mantle. You didn't even make the final ballot.
PERRY: Well, that's what they said about Ronald Reagan as well, that, you know, he was unelectable, he was not the one that they wanted to pick. But South Carolina citizens said, you know what, he is. So we'll wait and see Saturday what the people of South Carolina say.
STEPHANOPOULOS: What is your message this final week?
PERRY: Well, it's all about jobs and getting this country back working again. I'm -- 11 years of executive governing experience that have created a million jobs in my home state , the 13th largest economy in the world. I keep the taxes low, the regulatory climate fair and predictable, a legal system that doesn't allow for oversuing. And in a state that's got quite a military history and a lot of veterans here, I think they're looking for a president who not only has worn the uniform of the country, but also has been the commander in chief of 20,000-plus National Guard troops that have been deployed multiple times. They know my commitment to the men and women of the military, and we'll stand with them and support them over the course of the years.
As we already know, Texas has a "weak governor," one whose powers and responsibilities are few. We see how well that same "executive governing experience" prepared George W. Bush to be president. >
STEPHANOPOULOS: Governor, as you know, you have taken some heat this week from many Republicans for your attacks on Mitt Romney as a vulture capitalist during his time at Bain Capital. Want to read some of them here. Sean Hannity said, "it almost sounds like Occupy Wall Street." Rudy Giuliani, "it's ignorant and dumb." Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, "it really gives the Democrats a lot of fodder." Any regrets for using that phrase?
PERRY: I think the issue -- it's not a new phrase. It was used by Stewart Stephens (ph), who was one of Mitt Romney's consultants, against Meg Whitman. I think the issue for everyone is, look, this is something that we knew wasn't going to come up. And it's better to be talking about it here in January in South Carolina than it is in September and October with a nominee. So if it's a fatal flaw, then we need to talk about it now.
The issue has been about who's best prepared and who has the background of creating jobs, and that's what those comments were always about, was that, who is the job creator that's on that stage, and I will submit to you that my job creation record is incomparable when it comes to the other candidates on that stage.
Oh yeah, there's the little fact that most of the jobs created in Texas were federal jobs. >
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you don't buy Mitt Romney's argument that at Bain he created more than 100,000 jobs?
PERRY: I think, you know, the issue is, what is the total -- it's just like Sarah Palin, when Sarah asked that question, she said, you know, that's really what this issue is all about, not whether or not did the Bain Capital is a job creator or not, but did they really create that many jobs? So, yes, I think the question is out there, and it's a good conversation to have. We're going to get tested by Obama and his group. So, you better have all of these answers done early. No surprises in September and October.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But I think what a lot of Republicans are worried about, is they're going to hear that phrase "vulture capitalism" coming out of your mouth, from President Obama and the Democrats in the fall?
PERRY: Well, the issue is about job creation. And as I said, I think if this is a fatal flaw, it needs to be talked about now, rather than in September. So, you know, we're talking about it, and the people of South Carolina will decide whether or not that's a problem or not.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So, Governor Perry, what is your plan going forward? If you don't come in first or a close second in South Carolina, is that it for your campaign?
PERRY: Well, we'll make that decision on Saturday. Our intention is to win South Carolina and go forward from there. But to try to plan out your campaign months in advance, I think is a little bit of a stretch.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Governor Perry, thanks very much for your time this morning.
PERRY: So long, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Take care.
0 Views
04:29:23 01/11/12
Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi in Chhibramau, Kannauj (U.P) Part 7
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 04:29:23 01/11/12
Addressing a Congress workers’ rally at Tirwa, Kannauj on the final day of his second phase campaigning in Uttar Pradesh All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Rahul Gandhi said that the state can be developed only if we will have a government of aam aadmi. Rahul Gandhi promised that a Congress Government in the state assembly will guide the state to the top position again. Reiterating Congress’ commitment towards the cause of farmers’ Rahul Gandhi said, “UPA is committed towards the welfare of the farmers. The intention behind the Central government to waive off loan worth Rs 60,000 crore was to serve the common man. We opened the doors of the banks for the farmers. When we decided to waive-off farmers’ loan and brought in MGNREGA and other welfare schemes, the opposition parties asked us from where will the Government arrange money for this? If we do anything for the rich and elite they keep silent but if we draft policies for the aam aadmi they raise a number of questions.”
16 Views
03:53:57 12/14/11
The Ban of Cellphone Use
[LESS INFO] 16 VIEWS | ADDED 03:53:57 12/14/11
First up, the National Transportation Safety Board is suggesting a nationwide ban on all cellphone use while driving. The board called distracted driving the new DUI and says a ban would help limit accidents. While it’s only a recommendation, the board has been instrumental in implementing previous transportation safety restrictions.
In other news, Facebook is teaming up with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to help save some lives. A new program will let people enter a live chat and speak with suicide prevention specialists. In the past, Facebook would flag users who posted suicidal content.
And finally, Apple is making changes to its advertising platform in hopes to attract more marketers. Apple has reduced the minimum commitment to $400,000 and will offer training programs for interest buyers. Despite the compromise, advertising in Apple prison still has a high cost of entry.
29 Views
19:20:22 12/08/11
Orchestra Kids: 2011 Elementary Honor Orchestra at UCLA
[LESS INFO] 29 VIEWS | ADDED 19:20:22 12/08/11
Go behind the scenes with the All Schools Elementary Honor Orchestra as it prepares for their annual concert in renowned Schoenberg Concert Hall at UCLA. Combining interviews with school-age musicians and a formal concert, the viewer meets players, not just as musicians, but as real kids. Interviews with the teachers, parents, administrators and orchestra members are interspersed with moving footage of the orchestra's early school rehearsals, the dress rehearsal and final concert performance. This documentary examines the complexities involved in playing in a symphony orchestra and the discipline, hard work, and commitment necessary by each student --and their families -- in order to bring the music to life. Produced and conducted by Larry Newman.
[Arts and Music] [Show ID: 23231]
19 Views
19:20:22 12/08/11
Orchestra Kids: 2011 Elementary Honor Orchestra at UCLA
[LESS INFO] 19 VIEWS | ADDED 19:20:22 12/08/11
Go behind the scenes with the All Schools Elementary Honor Orchestra as it prepares for their annual concert in renowned Schoenberg Concert Hall at UCLA. Combining interviews with school-age musicians and a formal concert, the viewer meets players, not just as musicians, but as real kids. Interviews with the teachers, parents, administrators and orchestra members are interspersed with moving footage of the orchestra's early school rehearsals, the dress rehearsal and final concert performance. This documentary examines the complexities involved in playing in a symphony orchestra and the discipline, hard work, and commitment necessary by each student --and their families -- in order to bring the music to life. Produced and conducted by Larry Newman.
[Arts and Music] [Show ID: 23231]
6 Views
21:31:00 11/28/11
RnRTV #266 - Dave Mustaine Headbanging Injury Plus Sir Page?
[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 21:31:00 11/28/11
Rock n Roll TV for the rockers of the empire! Hosted by Share Ross! Dave Mustaine undergoes surgery; Mick Jones to play Clash songs once again; Gene Simmons speaks out about Axl; Gorillaz new release; Jimmy Page up for knighthood.
Dave Mustaine says headbanging is like chronic whiplash syndrome and has finally had to undergo surgery for a neck and spine condition known as stenosis. He struggled with the pain for a long time and said he used to think, "I'm hurt. I'll get through this. A couple glasses of wine, a couple of trigger point injections… an epidural .. he was seeing chiropractors and masseuses all the time. Dave is now recovering well.
Mick Jones has committed to playing Clash songs again in concert for the first time in almost 30 years. He will play a string of dates in December for the Hillsborough Justice Campaign which raises money for families of those killed in the Hillsborough soccer stadium disaster of 1989.
Gene Simmons the bass man of KISS and always one to speak his mind was recently in London hosting the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards and he did a lot of press interviews. Gene was asked what advice he would offer Axl Rose about staying at the top of his game.
Gene basically said, "You get to sleep in the bed you make". And went on to add about what Axl could have done differently …
"Guns n Roses could have been the best band in the world and the reason they're not is because of Axl Rose.
The final note.. "A good beating would have helped."
SHORTS:
Alice Cooper was the guest host for British game show Never Mind the Buzzcocks recently.
Gorillaz are set to record and release new track in February 2012.
At the 10th anniversary of England's Download festival Metallica will play their 1991 self titled disc aka the Black Album in its entirety.
Brian Johnson the singer for AC/DC had to cancel his book tour due to needing surgery on his wrist.
WHATEVER:
Mariah Carey says being pregnant actually helped her vocally.
Heidi Fleiss says if Lindsay Lohan ever wanted a career change that she'd make a great hooker.
------------------
A member of British Parliament, Conservative MP Louise Mensch has proposed Jimmy Page for Knighthood . Just so happens Louise's husband is Peter Mensch who manages Metallica, Muse and formerly managed Page. Jimmy has already been awarded an OBE, Order of the British Empire for his charity work. Now we wait to see if the idea of knighthood finds favor with the Honours Directorate.
British Punk bands like the Clash know all about anarchy! You gotta make sure your point of view is sealed up tight and use Mozy to protect your information and innovative ideas in the cloud! Now you can save with our Mozy coupon codes!
6 Views
03:00:00 11/08/11
Occupy's A**hole Problem: Flashbacks from An Old Hippie
[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 03:00:00 11/08/11
During Tuesday's Occupy Oakland General Strike, the so-called "Black Block" vandalized stores and buildings as peaceful Occupiers try desperately to stop them. [Caution: Strong Language-- NSFW]
Guest Editorial by Sara Robinson , Senior Fellow, Campaign for America’s Future
I wish I could say that the problems that the Occupy movement is having with infiltrators and agitators are new. But they’re not. In fact, they’re problems that the Old Hippies who survived the 60s and 70s remember acutely, and with considerable pain.
As a veteran of those days — with the scars to prove it — watching the OWS organizers struggle with drummers, druggies, sexual harassers, and racists brings me back to a few lessons we had to learn the hard way back in the day, always after putting up with way too much over-the-top behavior from people we didn’t think we were allowed to say no to. It’s heartening to watch the Occupiers begin to work out solutions to what I can only indelicately call the a**hole problem. In the hope of speeding that learning process along, here are a few glimmers from my own personal flashbacks — things that it’s high time somebody said right out loud.
1. Let’s be clear: It is absolutely OK to insist on behavior norms.
Occupy may be a DIY movement — but it also stands for very specific ideas and principles. Central among these is: We are here to reassert the common good. And we have a LOT of work to do. Being open and accepting does not mean that we’re obligated to accept behavior that damages our ability to achieve our goals. It also means that we have a perfect right to insist that people sharing our spaces either act in ways that further those goals, or go somewhere else until they’re able to meet that standard.
2. It is OK to draw boundaries between those who are clearly working toward our goals, and those who are clearly not.
Or, as an earlier generation of change agents put it: You’re either on the bus, or off the bus. Are you here to change the way this country operates, and willing to sacrifice some of your almighty personal freedom to do that? Great. You’re with us, and you’re welcome here. Are you here on your own trip and expecting the rest of us to put up with you? In that case, you are emphatically NOT on our side, and you are not welcome in our space.
Anybody who feels the need to put their own personal crap ahead of the health and future of the movement is (at least for that moment) an a**hole, and does not belong in Occupied space. Period. This can be a very hard idea for people in an inclusive movement to accept — we really want to have all voices heard. But the principles Occupy stands for must always take precedence over any individual’s divine right to be an a**hole, or the a**holes will take over. Which brings me to….
3. The consensus model has a fatal flaw, which is this: It’s very easy for power to devolve to the people who are willing to throw the biggest tantrums.
When some a drama king or queen starts holding the process hostage for their own reasons, congratulations! You’ve got a new a**hole! (See #2.) You must guard against this constantly, or consensus government becomes completely impossible.
4. Once you’ve accepted the right of the group to set boundaries around people’s behavior, and exclude those who put their personal rights ahead of the group’s mission and goals, the next question becomes: How do we deal with chronic a**holes?
This is the problem Occupy’s leaders are very visibly struggling with now. I’ve been a part of a**hole-infested groups in the long-ago past that had very good luck with a whole-group restorative justice process. In this process, the full group (or some very large subset of it that’s been empowered to speak for the whole) confronts the troublemaker directly. The object is not to shame or blame. Instead, it’s like an intervention. You simply point out what you have seen and how it affects you. The person is given a clear choice: make some very specific changes in their behavior, or else leave.
This requires some pre-organization. You need three to five spokespeople to moderate the session (usually as a tag team) and do most of the talking. Everybody else simply stands in a circle around the offender, watching silently, looking strong and determined. The spokespeople make factual we statements that reflect the observations of the group. We have seen you using drugs inside Occupied space. We are concerned that this hurts our movement. We are asking you to either stop, or leave.
When the person tries to make excuses (and one of the most annoying attributes of chronic a**holes is they’re usually skilled excuse-makers as well), then other members of the group can speak up — always with I messages. I saw you smoking a joint with X and Y under tree Z this morning. We’re all worried about the cops here, and we think you’re putting our movement in danger. We are asking you to leave. Every statement needs to end with that demand — We are asking you to either stop, or else leave and not come back. No matter what the troublemaker says, the response must always be brought back to this bottom line.
These interventions can go on for a LONG time. You have to be committed to stay in the process, possibly for a few hours until the offender needs a restroom break or gets hungry. But eventually, if everybody stays put, the person will have no option but to accept that a very large group of people do not want him or her there. Even truly committed a**holes will get the message that they’ve crossed the line into unacceptable behavior when they’re faced with several dozen determined people confronting them all at once.
Given the time this takes, it’s tempting to cut corners by confronting several people all at once. Don’t do it. Confronting more than two people at a time creates a diffusion-of-responsibility effect: the troublemakers tell themselves that they just got caught up in a dragnet; the problem is those other people, not me. The one who talks the most will get most of the heat; the others will tend to slip by (though the experience may cause them to reconsider their behavior or leave as well).
This process also leaves open the hope that the person will really, truly get that their behavior is Not okay, and agree to change it. When this happens, be sure to negotiate specific changes, boundaries, rules, and consequences (if we see you using drugs here again, we will call the police. There will be no second warning), and then reach a consensus agreement that allows them to stay. On the other hand: if the person turns violent and gets out of control, then the question is settled, and their choice is made. You now have a legitimate reason to call the cops to haul them away. And the cops will likely respect you more for maintaining law and order.
Clearing out a huge number of these folks can be a massive time suck, at least for the few days it will take to weed out the worst ones and get good at it. It might make sense to create a large committee whose job it is to gather information, build cases against offenders, and conduct these meetings.
And finally:
5. It is not wrong for you to set boundaries this way.
You will get sh-t for this. But…but…it looks a whole lot like a Maoist purge unit! No. There is nothing totalitarian about asking people who join your revolution to act in ways that support the goals of that revolution. And the Constitution guarantees your right of free association — which includes the right to exclude people who aren’t on the bus, and who are wasting the group’s limited time and energy rather than maximizing it. After all: you’re not sending these people to re-education camps, or doing anything else that damages them. You’re just getting them out of the park, and out of your hair. You’re eliminating distractions, which in turn effectively amplifies the voices and efforts of everyone else around you. And, in the process, you’re also modeling a new kind of justice that sanctions people’s behavior without sanctioning their being — while also carving out safe space in which the true potential of Occupy can flourish.
2 Views
03:00:00 11/08/11
Occupy's A**hole Problem: Flashbacks from An Old Hippie
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 03:00:00 11/08/11
During Tuesday's Occupy Oakland General Strike, the so-called "Black Block" vandalized stores and buildings as peaceful Occupiers try desperately to stop them. [Caution: Strong Language-- NSFW]
Guest Editorial by Sara Robinson , Senior Fellow, Campaign for America’s Future
I wish I could say that the problems that the Occupy movement is having with infiltrators and agitators are new. But they’re not. In fact, they’re problems that the Old Hippies who survived the 60s and 70s remember acutely, and with considerable pain.
As a veteran of those days — with the scars to prove it — watching the OWS organizers struggle with drummers, druggies, sexual harassers, and racists brings me back to a few lessons we had to learn the hard way back in the day, always after putting up with way too much over-the-top behavior from people we didn’t think we were allowed to say no to. It’s heartening to watch the Occupiers begin to work out solutions to what I can only indelicately call the a**hole problem. In the hope of speeding that learning process along, here are a few glimmers from my own personal flashbacks — things that it’s high time somebody said right out loud.
1. Let’s be clear: It is absolutely OK to insist on behavior norms.
Occupy may be a DIY movement — but it also stands for very specific ideas and principles. Central among these is: We are here to reassert the common good. And we have a LOT of work to do. Being open and accepting does not mean that we’re obligated to accept behavior that damages our ability to achieve our goals. It also means that we have a perfect right to insist that people sharing our spaces either act in ways that further those goals, or go somewhere else until they’re able to meet that standard.
2. It is OK to draw boundaries between those who are clearly working toward our goals, and those who are clearly not.
Or, as an earlier generation of change agents put it: You’re either on the bus, or off the bus. Are you here to change the way this country operates, and willing to sacrifice some of your almighty personal freedom to do that? Great. You’re with us, and you’re welcome here. Are you here on your own trip and expecting the rest of us to put up with you? In that case, you are emphatically NOT on our side, and you are not welcome in our space.
Anybody who feels the need to put their own personal crap ahead of the health and future of the movement is (at least for that moment) an a**hole, and does not belong in Occupied space. Period. This can be a very hard idea for people in an inclusive movement to accept — we really want to have all voices heard. But the principles Occupy stands for must always take precedence over any individual’s divine right to be an a**hole, or the a**holes will take over. Which brings me to….
3. The consensus model has a fatal flaw, which is this: It’s very easy for power to devolve to the people who are willing to throw the biggest tantrums.
When some a drama king or queen starts holding the process hostage for their own reasons, congratulations! You’ve got a new a**hole! (See #2.) You must guard against this constantly, or consensus government becomes completely impossible.
4. Once you’ve accepted the right of the group to set boundaries around people’s behavior, and exclude those who put their personal rights ahead of the group’s mission and goals, the next question becomes: How do we deal with chronic a**holes?
This is the problem Occupy’s leaders are very visibly struggling with now. I’ve been a part of a**hole-infested groups in the long-ago past that had very good luck with a whole-group restorative justice process. In this process, the full group (or some very large subset of it that’s been empowered to speak for the whole) confronts the troublemaker directly. The object is not to shame or blame. Instead, it’s like an intervention. You simply point out what you have seen and how it affects you. The person is given a clear choice: make some very specific changes in their behavior, or else leave.
This requires some pre-organization. You need three to five spokespeople to moderate the session (usually as a tag team) and do most of the talking. Everybody else simply stands in a circle around the offender, watching silently, looking strong and determined. The spokespeople make factual we statements that reflect the observations of the group. We have seen you using drugs inside Occupied space. We are concerned that this hurts our movement. We are asking you to either stop, or leave.
When the person tries to make excuses (and one of the most annoying attributes of chronic a**holes is they’re usually skilled excuse-makers as well), then other members of the group can speak up — always with I messages. I saw you smoking a joint with X and Y under tree Z this morning. We’re all worried about the cops here, and we think you’re putting our movement in danger. We are asking you to leave. Every statement needs to end with that demand — We are asking you to either stop, or else leave and not come back. No matter what the troublemaker says, the response must always be brought back to this bottom line.
These interventions can go on for a LONG time. You have to be committed to stay in the process, possibly for a few hours until the offender needs a restroom break or gets hungry. But eventually, if everybody stays put, the person will have no option but to accept that a very large group of people do not want him or her there. Even truly committed a**holes will get the message that they’ve crossed the line into unacceptable behavior when they’re faced with several dozen determined people confronting them all at once.
Given the time this takes, it’s tempting to cut corners by confronting several people all at once. Don’t do it. Confronting more than two people at a time creates a diffusion-of-responsibility effect: the troublemakers tell themselves that they just got caught up in a dragnet; the problem is those other people, not me. The one who talks the most will get most of the heat; the others will tend to slip by (though the experience may cause them to reconsider their behavior or leave as well).
This process also leaves open the hope that the person will really, truly get that their behavior is Not okay, and agree to change it. When this happens, be sure to negotiate specific changes, boundaries, rules, and consequences (if we see you using drugs here again, we will call the police. There will be no second warning), and then reach a consensus agreement that allows them to stay. On the other hand: if the person turns violent and gets out of control, then the question is settled, and their choice is made. You now have a legitimate reason to call the cops to haul them away. And the cops will likely respect you more for maintaining law and order.
Clearing out a huge number of these folks can be a massive time suck, at least for the few days it will take to weed out the worst ones and get good at it. It might make sense to create a large committee whose job it is to gather information, build cases against offenders, and conduct these meetings.
And finally:
5. It is not wrong for you to set boundaries this way.
You will get sh-t for this. But…but…it looks a whole lot like a Maoist purge unit! No. There is nothing totalitarian about asking people who join your revolution to act in ways that support the goals of that revolution. And the Constitution guarantees your right of free association — which includes the right to exclude people who aren’t on the bus, and who are wasting the group’s limited time and energy rather than maximizing it. After all: you’re not sending these people to re-education camps, or doing anything else that damages them. You’re just getting them out of the park, and out of your hair. You’re eliminating distractions, which in turn effectively amplifies the voices and efforts of everyone else around you. And, in the process, you’re also modeling a new kind of justice that sanctions people’s behavior without sanctioning their being — while also carving out safe space in which the true potential of Occupy can flourish.
