Violence in Oakland

I am shocked and appalled at what I saw happen in Oakland California in the early morning hours of Tuesday October 25, 2011.

If you are unaware of this action, this violence, this attack on the first amendment, then please see the video that I am including at the end of this post. Sadly I am afraid that the videos might not last as long as this blog does so I’ll do my best to fill you in with my words as well.

In the early morning of Tuesday October 25, 2011, dozens of police swarmed Frank Ogawa Plaza where hundreds of protesters had set up their solidarity Occupation movement encampment. These police were armed with flash bangs, Tear Gas, and a Sonic Cannon. They were dressed in full riot gear and came equipped with gas masks.

Briefly they gave warning that the protesters needed to disperse. They surrounded the encampment and announced that any and all of the people within needed to leave immediately, though their locations and full riot gear made this a daunting idea. People would have to cross this line of surly looking, aggressively dressed, police in order to comply.

Within minutes of this one brief warning the officers began throwing flash bangs and teargas canisters into the unsuspecting crowd. The officers shot people with rubber bullets, causing serious injury to a few.

Mothers tried to get their children out of harms way but were choked with Tear Gas and found themselves unable to escape the ever growing cloud and the panicking people around them. Disabled people, some in wheelchairs, were trying to make their way out when the tear gas hit and found themselves in the middle of a scene unlike any we have previously witnessed during this peaceful worldwide protest.

News crews and unsuspecting people working in the surrounding buildings found themselves suddenly and unexpectedly within a cloud of smoke that burned their eyes and throats. For them there was no warning, these were innocent bystanders and unsuspecting citizens simply doing their jobs or going about their daily lives.

As I watched in horror I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person would order such a drastic and violent action be taken upon people who have been so careful to remain peaceful. What monster could order such measures be taken on an encampment where there could be innocent children or people unable to move quickly such as the person in the wheelchair who didn’t make it out before the chaos began?

I began doing a bit of research and watching many posts go up on different sites about what was happening in Oakland. As I did so I learned the name of the individual responsible for this action, Oakland’s Mayor Jean Quan.

In my research I was led to a post on her Facebook page that was a response to the mornings enforcement actions. I’m including it as an image below.

What? Peaceful resolution? Is she serious? 

When I last looked there were over 1900 comments below that update and none of them in support of this Mayor. People from around the world are shocked and disgusted by this violence upon the American People.

Let us remember this. The first amendment gives Freedom of Religion, Press, & Expression.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

What is Next?

On the livestream this evening I watched as two very different, very vibrant, people came to the microphone with the following thoughts.

The first man, Max, said he was feeling the loss of purpose. He had been at the Occupy Wall Street encampment since day one. At first he felt that it wasn’t going to go anywhere, then as more people arrived he thought “this is going to really go somewhere”, and now he is back to wondering where it is going and how.

You Don’t Look Sick

 

"You look fine to me."

"You don't look sick."

"What's wrong with you this time."

Any of those sound familiar? If they do then you probably live with one of the many invisible illnesses that so many of us do. For me personally it's Fibromyalgia.

Living with Fibromyalgia every single day of my life, it has become routine for me to hear phrases like this from the people I meet, friends who know me, and even doctors. People simply do not understand. If they can't see it, test for it, or quantify it on some level than they just don't believe you.

I've heard comments said to others who live will illness like this, or said about them. I have a friend who has a friend with a neighbor who walks with a walker on some days and on others they don't need. This friend of a friend has commented how this neighbor couldn't be that sick if they don't need it some days. I wish they'd think the opposite. I wish they'd comment how nice it was to see this person not need it today.

I've lived in campgrounds where people have found out that I am disabled. On my good days I like to take walks. I've had people make the same kind of comments as those at the beginning of this writing. I've had people challenge me to explain why I am disabled. For a long time I really used to think I had to understand this illnesses every nuisance and do just that. I used to try. Now I mostly just say that I have several illnesses that I'd rather not talk about. It's just easier.

What most people don't think about is how they would feel if they had to live every day of their lives with an illness like this. We too desire to do things. We want to enjoy the outdoors. We HATE the days that we cannot walk without assistance. We DESPISE the days that illness keeps us from being able to get out of bed. We ABHORE the moments when we have to go in public while we are feeling ill. And those precious times when we are able to live for just a little while like someone without disease lives are golden for us. They are treasured moments that we get very few of. Even then we are often dreading the days that will follow our outing, as we know this will surely put us in a bad place for days to come. Even then we are often fighting against pain and sickness, but we continue forward out of stubborn desire to LIVE.

Sometimes I can go months without too many issues. I have my typical daily pains. I try to keep myself limited on activity so that I don't put myself in a bad place. Most times it is possible, as long as I remain aware of my own capabilities and do not try to surpass them, to live relatively normal or without too much issue.

But then there are times, like now, when I go through what they call a Fibro flare up. What it means is regardless of how much I have or haven't done, my body is suddenly thrown into a mass amount of pain coming from multiple areas at once. This can also include flu like symptoms of nausea, aches, and fatigue. This can also, as it does this time, include new symptoms I have not experienced before; in this case sharp abdominal pains, spasms in my shoulder blades, and MASSIVE migraines.

During these flare ups life becomes a place I don't want to be. I wonder why sometimes I am allowed to continue living in this much pain. I joke with others about how if I was a horse someone would just shoot me.

During these times there is no comfort. There is no way to lay or sit or stand that does not cause me excruciating pain. During these times, there is also no way to just stop living. I have to continue to do the shopping. I still need to get food to eat. I still have to take my dog out. I don't have a choice. And sadly these flare ups can last months or even years.

Personally I don't want to go out into public and cry the whole time I am shopping. I don't want to walk around with a bad attitude and be rude to people. I don't want to snap and be mean to others. So I suck it up and I do what I have to with a smile on my face.

To someone who doesn't live with me, I probably don't look all that sick. I'm sure people see me in the drivable buggy at the supermarket and wonder what a 90 pound woman is doing in one of them. I'm sure some people think I'm being foolish or lazy.

It's sad and unfortunate that some people judge others on nothing more than the moments they see. It would behoove us all to remember that none of us can see inside someone's life unless they invite us to. None of us know what another lives with unless they share it and even then only to an extent.

As someone who lives every moment of my life being very aware of what I can and cannot do, what might make me sick or hurt, of every pain in my body, I can tell you that I would not wish Fibromyalgia on anyone for any reason, but there are times that I wish someone could live for just one week with what I live with every day of my life. Maybe then they wouldn't be so quick to judge others. Maybe it would provide some perspective.

A Lifetime Of Pain

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Tracy Seekins

In 1998, when I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I was relieved and grateful to have some sort of explanation for the pain and illness that had been disrupting my life.

It had been a little over a year since I had finally had to stop working due to this previously unexplained illness. I had been poked, prodded, scanned, and tested for an extended period of time. I had been told by at least one doctor that this was in my head and I should just learn to handle my own stress better. I had been made to feel like I was lazy, crazy, and pretty much worthless by doctors and even some supposed friends.

So when the diagnosis finally came I was somewhat relieved. At least there was a name for what was affecting me. At least I wasn’t crazy, though these encounters with many not so nice doctors had almost driven me there anyway.

Check Your Facts!

Check Your Facts!

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Tracy Seekins

Have we forgotten how to do research? At the very least, do most people not know how to use a search engine?

I find it increasingly frustrating to see comments or in some instances statuses or tweets that are being just randomly thrown out there as if it is the truth when people have not bothered to do a small amount of research to find out it is not.

How many of you saw the great “It is official it was even on the news. Facebook will start charging due to the new profile changes. If you copy this on your wall your icon will turn blue and facebook will be free for you. Please pass this message on, if not your account will be deleted if you don’t pay.”? For heavens sakes this doesn’t even sound legitimate. And yet so many people posted it.

This is who you are feeding

How often do you see someone post a “child is missing” or “Prayers needed” that seems to almost go viral instantly? Do you stop for a moment to google the information and see if there is any evidence to contradict it? I’m all for helping and praying but I think it is sad to ask people for these things when they are simply not true. It creates sadness, fear, and it feeds energy to the creator of such things. (see Energy Vampires)

The latest trend I have been noticing is commenting with questions that could so simply be answered with a quick google search. Have we become so lazy or so self righteous that we do not believe it is up to us to do that work? Have we become a society of “it’s just easier to ask someone else to check the information”? Again, I’m all for asking questions when someone doesn’t understand something and I’m all for helping one another out. However, sometimes the question is also an accusatory statement which leads to conflict that could have been avoided if the questioner had bothered to take a moment of their time to confirm their facts before making such a statement/question public.

I implore you to check your facts before posting. If you, like myself, are writing an opinion based piece then most times there are few facts to check, however there will always be a few. If you are simply putting up a status or responding to something via a comment, please for the love of all that’s good check the facts first. It takes all of about 2 minutes at the most to make sure you do not come off sounding foolish, looking ignorant, or appearing lazy.