Occupy Cafe2024-03-29T16:01:16ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkinshttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1554122456?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://www.occupycafe.org/forum/topic/listForContributor?user=10qupdittkxrk&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThe Reconomy Global Timebanktag:www.occupycafe.org,2013-09-11:6451976:Topic:421592013-09-11T17:01:51.909ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkins
<p>As we all watched the Occupy Movement erode, and as I witnessed an emotional force there more interested in opposition than support, which is of course the nature of emotional force, I returned my focus to alternative pathways. In 2012, I began researching the possibility of creating a "time bank" as a tool for crowdsourcing support for all positive avenues to a future of sustainable prosperity - and by facilitating all approaches, even ones in apparent opposition to each other, finding a…</p>
<p>As we all watched the Occupy Movement erode, and as I witnessed an emotional force there more interested in opposition than support, which is of course the nature of emotional force, I returned my focus to alternative pathways. In 2012, I began researching the possibility of creating a "time bank" as a tool for crowdsourcing support for all positive avenues to a future of sustainable prosperity - and by facilitating all approaches, even ones in apparent opposition to each other, finding a common ground that intrinsically disarms demagoguery.<br/><br/>My first approach to creating this structure was crowdfunding with a focus on identifying persons whom support the concept. This was putting the cart ahead of the horse, in the sense that funds are a generic structure that first needs an organization to fund, and consequently I found little interest in funding the concept before broad and deep interest was demonstrable. Thus, in late 2012, I established a discussion group and page on Facebook to facilitate networking support, and began organizing pledges of time, rather than money, to the time bank as a tool for empowering ourselves and each other to build a sustainable future, selecting a membership of 1000 as a goal, which goal was recently achieved.<br/><br/>With the help of an open and transparent discussion at our Facebook board, I've now selected the software and hosting service for the Reconomy Global Timebank. We were fortunate to have the help of some of the leaders and experts in alternative economics along the way and through this final process. The members of our Timebank are pledged to support sustainable development and especially at the community level, and the software will enable us to create and manage independent community time bank and currency systems.<br/><br/>The organizational structure of this time bank is democratic, and my own role as creator and caretaker will be phased out such that the tool works as a pathway for many visions. My own focus regarding the time bank will be to support local currency systems that discount renewable energy when purchased with their local money, which is a project that has support from some of the leading progressive voices today as well as from many of the persons pledged to support this Timebank.<br/><br/>The Reconomy Global Timebank will be up and running in the very near future. All are welcome to participate.<br/><br/>For more information, you can visit our pledge page at <a href="https://www.causes.com/peoplepower">https://www.causes.com/peoplepower</a>, our group at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/peoplemoney">https://www.facebook.com/groups/peoplemoney</a>, our Facebook page at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ReconomyGlobalCooperative">https://www.facebook.com/ReconomyGlobalCooperative</a>, and our website at <a href="http://reconomy.net">http://reconomy.net</a>. You may also email me at peoplepower@me,com, and I also subscribe to comments here.<br/><br/>Cheers,<br/>Kevin </p> Sustainability at a Crossroadstag:www.occupycafe.org,2013-05-09:6451976:Topic:383602013-05-09T22:26:03.310ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkins
<p><strong><a href="https://shiftnetwork.infusionsoft.com/go/sosBROB/newstories/" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122455?profile=original" width="160"></img></a> Do you miss our regular calls?</strong> Were you hoping to join one but never made it? Then perhaps you will join Occupy Cafe's Ben Roberts on a free Cafe Call he is co-hosting this Saturday as part of <strong><em><a href="https://shiftnetwork.infusionsoft.com/go/sosBROB/newstories/" target="_blank">The Shift Network's Spring of…</a></em></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://shiftnetwork.infusionsoft.com/go/sosBROB/newstories/" target="_blank"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122455?profile=original" width="160" class="align-right"/></a>Do you miss our regular calls?</strong> Were you hoping to join one but never made it? Then perhaps you will join Occupy Cafe's Ben Roberts on a free Cafe Call he is co-hosting this Saturday as part of <strong><em><a href="https://shiftnetwork.infusionsoft.com/go/sosBROB/newstories/" target="_blank">The Shift Network's Spring of Sustainability</a>:</em></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sustainability at a Crossroads</strong><br/> Saturday, May 11<br/> <span>5:30-6:50pm Eastern / 4:30-5:50pm Central / 2:30-3:50pm Pacific<br/></span> <a href="https://shiftnetwork.infusionsoft.com/go/sosBROB/newstories/" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p><a href="https://shiftnetwork.infusionsoft.com/go/sosBROB/newstories/" target="_blank">Register here</a><span> (you will receive an email before the call with call-in information)</span></p>
<p>Ben will be joined by <span class="author-p-36466"> Leslie Meehan of </span><span class="author-p-36466 attrlink url"><a class="attrlink" href="http://thrivingresilience.org/" title="http://thrivingresilience.org/">The Thriving Resilient Communities Collaboratory</a>, an organization that <span>works to help make the movement towards sustainability (and beyond) visible to itself, so that individuals and organizations can be more effective in navigating the complexity of these times.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="author-p-22256" style="font-size: 13px;">Tom Atlee (author of </span><span class="author-p-22256 i" style="font-size: 13px;"><i>The Tao of Democracy</i></span><span class="author-p-22256" style="font-size: 13px;"> and </span><span class="author-p-22256 i" style="font-size: 13px;"><i>Empowering Public Wisdom</i></span><span class="author-p-22256" style="font-size: 13px;">) has written that we live in a time when "things are getting better and better, </span><span class="author-p-22256 i" style="font-size: 13px;"><i>and worse and worse,</i></span><span class="author-p-22256" style="font-size: 13px;"> faster and faster." With so much happening in so many realms--food, energy, the economy, spirituality, government, etc.-- and at so many levels--household, local community, bio-regional, national and global-- it can be a challenge to craft our own journeys and to help guide the communities and organizations we are connected with. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><span class="author-p-36466"><span class="font-size-4"><i>What are the</i><i> sustainability</i><i> opportunities and dilemmas that you </i><i>are facing</i><i>?</i></span></span></strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122502?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122502?profile=original" width="403" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p><span class="author-p-36466 i u" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="author-p-22256"><span> </span></span></span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p> Occupy Occupy Cafetag:www.occupycafe.org,2013-04-26:6451976:Topic:383472013-04-26T15:50:00.986ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkins
<p><a href="http://www.commonblog.com/files/2011/11/2011-11-18-occupy-this.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" height="247" src="http://www.commonblog.com/files/2011/11/2011-11-18-occupy-this.jpg" width="247"></img></a> <strong>OCCUPY OCCUPY CAFE</strong><br></br> <br></br> After founding and running Occupy Cafe for a year and a half, Jitendra and Ben have moved on to other projects.<br></br> <br></br> HOWEVER, we still see new members pop up here and there. The conversations and the concerns have not gone away.<br></br> <br></br> IF you feel inspired to take up the charge and reinvigorate activity here at the cafe, let us…</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.commonblog.com/files/2011/11/2011-11-18-occupy-this.jpg"><img class="align-right" src="http://www.commonblog.com/files/2011/11/2011-11-18-occupy-this.jpg" height="247" width="247"/></a><strong>OCCUPY OCCUPY CAFE</strong><br/> <br/> After founding and running Occupy Cafe for a year and a half, Jitendra and Ben have moved on to other projects.<br/> <br/> HOWEVER, we still see new members pop up here and there. The conversations and the concerns have not gone away.<br/> <br/> IF you feel inspired to take up the charge and reinvigorate activity here at the cafe, let us know by way of a post here that you're interested. Or <a href="http://www.occupycafe.org/profile/21u3twzbb9qcp" target="_blank">send us a message</a>.</p>
<p>We may not get back to you instantly because we're not checking that often, but you will get a response.<br/> <br/> Peace, Justice and Freedom to All</p> Farewell Celebration for Occupy Cafetag:www.occupycafe.org,2013-01-17:6451976:Topic:370192013-01-17T15:02:12.848ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkins
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122369?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122369?profile=original" width="246"></img></a> Dear Friends:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Thank you so much</strong> for your support and attention over the past fourteen months. It's been quite a journey!</p>
<p><strong>Please join us this Monday, January 21st for <a href="http://myaccount.maestroconference.com/conference/register/QZM4SO8P3IMHFVV" target="_blank">the final Occupy Cafe Call</a></strong> that…</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122369?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122369?profile=original" width="246" class="align-right"/></a>Dear Friends:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Thank you so much</strong> for your support and attention over the past fourteen months. It's been quite a journey!</p>
<p><strong>Please join us this Monday, January 21st for <a href="http://myaccount.maestroconference.com/conference/register/QZM4SO8P3IMHFVV" target="_blank">the final Occupy Cafe Call</a></strong> that co-founders Ben Roberts and Jitendra Darling will be hosting (8-10a PDT | 11a-1p EDT | 3-5p GMT). <em>(Note there is no need to re-register if you have been participating in our regular Monday Vital Conversations).</em></p>
<p><strong>We gather as a community to celebrate</strong> all we have explored together and the relationships that have been forged in the process. <em> </em>And while this is billed as a farewell party, it marks new beginnings as well,<span> so we also will take some time to talk together about things that are now in motion and new possibilities that are emerging</span><span>. We hope you can be with us. <em> Note that we will be keeping the <a href="http://www.OccupyCafe.org" target="_blank">www.OccupyCafe.org</a> site open for the foreseeable future--the transition now involves the end of our cycle of hosted weekly dialogue via Cafe Calls and forum discussions.</em></span></p>
<p><strong>As always, we also have this forum space to expand the conversation. </strong><span>Please post something here if the spirit moves you!</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://www.groupworksdeck.org/patterns/Celebrate" target="_blank"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275123250?profile=original" width="500" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><em><a href="http://www.groupworksdeck.org/patterns/Celebrate" target="_blank">Photo courtesy of GroupWorksDeck.org</a></em></p>
<p><span> </span></p> Can't you see the Mighty Warrior? (A Poem)tag:www.occupycafe.org,2013-01-04:6451976:Topic:366302013-01-04T23:33:47.405ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkins
<p style="text-align: center;">How often you ask,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">What is my path?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">What is my cure?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">He has made you a seeker of Unity,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">isn't that enough?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">All your sorrow exists for one reason-</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">that you may end sorrow forever.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">How often you ask,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">What is my path?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">What is my cure?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">He has made you a seeker of Unity,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">isn't that enough?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">All your sorrow exists for one reason-</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">that you may end sorrow forever.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The desire to know your own soul</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">will end all other desires.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The smell of bread has reached you-</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">if that aroma fills you with delight</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">what need is there for bread?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">If you have fallen in love,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">that love is proof enough;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">If you have not fallen in love,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">what good is all your proof?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Can't you see?-</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">If you are not the King</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">what meaning is there</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">in a kingly entourage?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">If the beautiful one is not inside you</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">what is that light</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">hidden under your cloak?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">From a distance you tremble with fear-</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Can't you see the mighty warrior</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">standing ready in your heart?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The fire of his eyes</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">has burned away every veil,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">So why do you remain behind the curtain,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">scared of what you cannot see? -</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Open your eyes! The Beloved is staring you right in the face!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">If a master has not placed</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">His light in your heart,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">What joy can you find in this world?-</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">every flower is lifeless,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">and sweet wine has no taste.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Rumi</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">(A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi, versions by Jonathan Star)</p> A Time for Courage: theme for the week of Jan 6, 2013tag:www.occupycafe.org,2013-01-04:6451976:Topic:365332013-01-04T13:59:18.547ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkins
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122402?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122402?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450"></img></a> We are being called to a place of courage. </strong> As we contemplate the state of the world at the beginning of 2013, there are so many dimensions that are deeply troubling. Fear is rampant in our country, our communities and our own hearts.</p>
<p><strong>"Courage is fear that has said its prayers." </strong>As this aphorism suggests, courage is not the absence…</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122402?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="450" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275122402?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-right"/></a>We are being called to a place of courage. </strong> As we contemplate the state of the world at the beginning of 2013, there are so many dimensions that are deeply troubling. Fear is rampant in our country, our communities and our own hearts.</p>
<p><strong>"Courage is fear that has said its prayers." </strong>As this aphorism suggests, courage is not the absence of fear, but going beyond it. Chogyam Trungpa talks about this concept in <em><a href="http://www.shambhala.com/shambhala-3.html" target="_blank">Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior:</a></em></p>
<blockquote><p><em>In order to experience fearlessness, it is necessary to experience fear. The essence of cowardice is not acknowledging the reality of fear... Going beyond fear begins when we examine our fear: our anxiety, nervousness, concern, and restlessness. If we look into our fear, if we look beneath its veneer, the first thing we find is sadness, beneath the nervousness. Nervousness is cranking up, vibrating, all the time. When we slow down, when we relax with our fear, we find sadness, which is calm and gentle. Sadness hits you in your heart, and your body produces a tear... That is the first tip of fearlessness, and the first sign of real warriorship. (pp.47-9)</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Let us <em>en</em>courage one another in our dialogue this week.</strong> <strong> </strong>Let us embrace our fears and rise above them. As Meg Wheatley urges us in <em><a href="http://www.margaretwheatley.com/sofarfromhome/A-Path-for-Warriors-new.pdf" target="_blank">So Far from Home</a>,</em> let us:</p>
<blockquote><ul>
<li>discover our right work and be happy to be engaged in it</li>
<li>refrain from adding to the aggression, fear and confusion of this time</li>
<li>stay present to the world as it is, with open minds and hearts, knowing this nourishes our gentleness, decency and bravery.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>As always, our conversation here in Occupy Cafe takes place on this forum as well as <a href="http://www.occupycafe.org/page/schedule" target="_blank">our three Cafe Calls</a> </strong>(times and registration links on the right side of this page). Please join us in any way that you wish. You are invited to <span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><em>start here by</em></strong> <strong><em>sharing a story about a time when you acknowledged and went beyond your fears.</em></strong></span></p>
<p>This week on Occupy Heart, we'll explore shifting our body and mind from fear to Love. Fear is a signal from our environment that a threat is immanent. What makes our fear mechanism so complex, is that past fear messages are often mixed and mingled with present fears and subconscious fears are tangled with conscious fears. The key to powerful living is to understand the difference and know how to dance with and transform them.</p> Opiniotag:www.occupycafe.org,2013-01-02:6451976:Topic:367062013-01-02T22:48:00.955ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkins
<h1>Commentary: Government Violence: The Missing Link in the Gun Control Debate</h1>
<h2>January 2, 2013<br></br>By John W. Whitehead</h2>
<p><em>“We need to look more closely at a culture that all too often glorifies guns and violence.”—President Barack Obama</em></p>
<p><em>~</em></p>
<p>It didn’t take long for the tragedy of the Newtown, Connecticut shootings, which left 20 schoolchildren and six adults dead, to be co-opted by politicians and special interest groups alike, all eager to advance…</p>
<h1>Commentary: Government Violence: The Missing Link in the Gun Control Debate</h1>
<h2>January 2, 2013<br/>By John W. Whitehead</h2>
<p><em>“We need to look more closely at a culture that all too often glorifies guns and violence.”—President Barack Obama</em></p>
<p><em>~</em></p>
<p>It didn’t take long for the tragedy of the Newtown, Connecticut shootings, which left 20 schoolchildren and six adults dead, to be co-opted by politicians and special interest groups alike, all eager to advance their ideas about how to prevent another deranged madman from taking innocent lives. President Obama is calling on Congress to issue gun control legislation that would limit access to assault weapons. The National Rifle Association (NRA) wants armed guards patrolling every school in America. Legislators in several states, including Florida, want to allow teachers to carry guns on school grounds. Others are clamoring for a lockdown of the schools, complete with metal detectors and guard dogs.</p>
<p>To our detriment, we have revisited this scenario in the wake of every school shooting since 12<sup>th</sup> graders Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, and opened fire, killing 12 classmates and one teacher. Yet in the midst of widespread finger pointing (not even violent movies, crime dramas and violent video games have been spared) and calls for reform of the mental health care system and gun control, not a word has been said about the greatest perpetrator of violence in American society and around the world—the U.S. government.</p>
<p>Violence has become our government’s calling card, starting at the top and trickling down, from President Obama’s “kill list,” which relies on drones to target insurgents, to the more than 80,000 SWAT team raids carried out every year on unsuspecting Americans by heavily armed, black-garbed commandos and the increasingly rapid militarization of local police forces across the country. We even export violence worldwide, with one of this country’s most profitable exports being weapons.</p>
<p>Thus, any serious discussion about minimizing the violence in our society needs to start with the government and its tendency to use violence as a means to an end, whether in matters of foreign policy or domestically, deploying heavily armed agents to enforce a myriad of arcane, bureaucratic regulations that impinge on Americans simply going about their business, such as the goat farmers whose homes were raided by SWAT teams with the Food and Drug Administration, or those attempting to exercise their constitutional rights such as the Occupy protesters who were subjected to all manner of violence.</p>
<p>It is no coincidence that the assault weapons used by killer Adam Lanza were military-grade weapons. These weapons, commonly wielded in video games, action movies and by invading SWAT teams, go hand in hand with the steady diet of violence that permeates everything in our culture. What is more significant, however, is that these weapons are not just the stuff of celluloid fantasy. In the hands of government agents, whether they are members of the military, law enforcement or some other government agency, these weapons have become routine parts of America’s day-to-day life, a byproduct of the rapid militarization of law enforcement over the past several decades. Over the course of 30 years, police officers in jack boots holding assault rifles have become fairly common in small town communities across the country.</p>
<p>This is what happens when you turn a nation into a police state: weapons become accepted instruments of tyranny, whether in the hands of government agents or in the hands of raging lunatics.</p>
<p>Much of this can be traced to the government’s so-called “War on Drugs,” which opened the door for police to be equipped with military weapons. In 1981, Congress passed the Military Cooperation with Law Enforcement Act, enabling the military to share equipment, training, and intelligence with local police. In 1997, Congress approved the 1033 Program, which allows the Secretary of Defense to transfer surplus military supplies and weapons—everything from surplus assault rifles to mini-tanks, grenade launchers, and remote controlled robots—to local police agencies without charge. Since 1997, more than 17,000 police agencies have taken advantage of the 1033 Program, acquiring $2.6 billion dollars worth of weapons and equipment, and demand is only getting higher. In fact, a record-setting $500 million worth of equipment was distributed in 2011, twice the amount given away in 2010.</p>
<p>This armory of weaponry designed for war is not limited to local law enforcement agencies. All levels of government, including regulatory agencies within the federal government, are in possession of high-powered weapons designed to wreak havoc on the battlefield. For example, in March 2012, defense contractor ATK agreed to produce 450 million hollow point rounds to be used by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office. DHS placed another order for 750 million rounds of various ammunition in August 2012. In August 2012, the Social Security Administration (SSA) placed an order for 174,000 rounds of hollow point ammunition. The SSA plans to send the ammunition to 41 locations throughout the United States, including major cities such as Los Angeles, Detroit, and Philadelphia, among others.</p>
<p>No wonder many Americans are armed to the hilt. Many feel the need to protect themselves against their own government, whose arsenal only keeps growing and whose steady encroachments on civil liberties have resulted in a climate of surveillance wherein 1.7 billion communications between Americans, whether email, text, or phone call, are intercepted by the government daily, not to mention the impact of overcriminalization, which has rendered otherwise law-abiding individuals as lawbreakers for such mundane acts as holding Bible studies at home, making and sharing unpasteurized goat cheese with friends, and growing rare varieties of orchids.</p>
<p>Our culture’s fundamental loss of morality doesn’t help matters, either. Making the case that a government lacking in morality which fails to abide by its own laws is essentially inviting anarchy, acclaimed filmmaker Oliver Stone, co-author of <em>The Untold History of the United States</em>, argues, “Can we kill Bin Laden without having to bring him to trial, can we just get it done? And that ‘get it done’ mentality justifies the ends and that is where countries go wrong, and people go wrong. All of our lives are moral equations. Does the end justify the means? No, it never did.”</p>
<p>There are no easy answers. Clearly, if someone really wants to wreak havoc, they'll find a way to obtain a weapon. Placing armed guards in every school in the country, as the NRA suggests, would merely heighten the culture of violence and contribute to a school environment that is already in lockdown mode. Indeed, as the <em>Washington Post </em>recognizes, there is evidence that the presence of armed guards in schools actually<em>increases </em>the chances of violent incidences occurring.</p>
<p>However, if President Obama, Congress and the American people really want the country to reconsider their relationship with guns and violence, then it needs to start with a serious discussion about the role our government has played and continues to play in contributing to the culture of violence. If the American people are being called on to scale back on their weapons, then the government and its cohorts—the military, the defense industry, the special interest groups, etc.—need to do the same. We owe it to the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary and Columbine High School and the victims of every other senseless act of gun violence in this country to do more than score political points off each other. If we’re serious about real change, it needs to start at the top.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Shared by Jerry D. Hill</p> Gun Lobby in Americatag:www.occupycafe.org,2012-12-15:6451976:Topic:364152012-12-15T11:18:14.687ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkins
<p> As a UK citizen it seems amazing to me that in America you can buy guns and ammunition so easily.</p>
<p>The American Culture seems to be obsessed with self protection,and everytime I see films and articles it seems like you worship violence.If nearly every home has a weapon it makes it so easy for children etc to commit these awful shootouts. Sorry but I think you are all rather gun ho, why don,t you take on the gun lobby, too much momey involved.Can I have some feedback,I,m getting a bit…</p>
<p> As a UK citizen it seems amazing to me that in America you can buy guns and ammunition so easily.</p>
<p>The American Culture seems to be obsessed with self protection,and everytime I see films and articles it seems like you worship violence.If nearly every home has a weapon it makes it so easy for children etc to commit these awful shootouts. Sorry but I think you are all rather gun ho, why don,t you take on the gun lobby, too much momey involved.Can I have some feedback,I,m getting a bit weary of all the killings your country is doing all over the world in the name of Democracy. Martin Shaw ex schoolteacher</p> The Tragedy in Newtown: theme for the week of 12/16/12tag:www.occupycafe.org,2012-12-14:6451976:Topic:363032012-12-14T21:35:03.116ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkins
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275121518?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275121518?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a> We are in mourning. </strong>Shock, grief and anger wash over us in waves. For many, the media (old and new) has become the place we turn in order to deal with such an event. In traditional societies, we would have physically gathered together as a community to process our pain. This week, Occupy Cafe will attempt this virtually on behalf of its members, including…</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275121518?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275121518?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a>We are in mourning. </strong>Shock, grief and anger wash over us in waves. For many, the media (old and new) has become the place we turn in order to deal with such an event. In traditional societies, we would have physically gathered together as a community to process our pain. This week, Occupy Cafe will attempt this virtually on behalf of its members, including founding steward Ben Roberts, who is a Newtown resident.</p>
<p><strong>A friend wrote Ben an email saying that she hoped that "we can use this as a catalyst for new ways of making sense together."</strong> We would especially like to hear from one or more people who have gone through something like this and come out the other side with their spirit intact. Perhaps they even discovered some sense of mission and purpose that is their own form of "making sense" of something that seems to defy the very notion with its randomness. </p>
<p><strong>Join the online conversation by posting below. </strong>Our Cafe Calls are complete for 2012 and will resume on Jan. 7, 2013.. Perhaps we might all contemplate this question:</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;" class="font-size-4"><strong><em>How do we respond to this tragedy in ways that serve life?</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;" class="font-size-4"><strong><em><strong><a href="http://occupycafe.podcastpeople.com/posts/49213" target="_blank">Podcast for Monday's call available here</a></strong></em></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #000000;" class="font-size-3"><em><em>Image: memorial display on Church Hill road in Sandy Hook, CT</em></em></span></p> Confronting Climate Change: theme for the week of 12/9/12tag:www.occupycafe.org,2012-12-09:6451976:Topic:356542012-12-09T23:06:48.400ZJohn Mulkinshttp://www.occupycafe.org/profile/JohnMulkins
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275121367?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275121367?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450"></img></a> <span class="font-size-4"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">What is the climate conversation we most need to have now?</span></strong></span></p>
<p><strong><em><strong><a href="http://occupycafe.podcastpeople.com/posts/49097" target="_blank">Our podcast is now up for the Monday Cafe Call</a></strong></em></strong></p>
<p><strong>A lot has been happening recently on the…</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275121367?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="450" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1275121367?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-right"/></a><span class="font-size-4"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">What is the climate conversation we most need to have now?</span></strong></span></p>
<p><strong><em><strong><a href="http://occupycafe.podcastpeople.com/posts/49097" target="_blank">Our podcast is now up for the Monday Cafe Call</a></strong></em></strong></p>
<p><strong>A lot has been happening recently on the climate front.</strong> Hurricane Sandy put the issue front and center after it was virtually ignored during the elections. Echoing the anti-apartheid efforts of the 1980's, 350.org has started the new <a href="http://gofossilfree.org/" target="_blank">Go Fossil Free</a> campaign, which calls on students to demand that university endowment funds divest from the coal, oil and gas industries. And the COP18 talks just finished up with another round of <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/12/08" target="_blank">failed negotiations</a>, highlighted by <a href="http://youtu.be/3OjAv4aBiqY" target="_blank">a tearful delegate</a> from the storm-ravaged Philippines pleading for action on behalf of the seven billion people on this planet.</p>
<p><strong>Join us this week in the Cafe for a conversation on the varied dimensions of this crisis. </strong>What is moving in the world? How might this online community participate? What are the personal challenges this subject brings up for you? Explore these questions together here on our forum, and on each of the three Cafe Calls we will be hosting. <strong><em>Monday's Vital Conversation</em></strong> will start us off with an overview, <strong><em>Connect2012 on Tuesday</em></strong> will focus on what this community might do and <strong><em>Thursday's Occupy Heart</em></strong> will address the inner struggles a crisis like this evokes. See the schedule on the right side of this page for times and registration links.</p>
<p><strong>We will be testing out MaestroConference's new "social webinar" feature this week</strong>, which allows you to see who else is in your breakouts with you. <strong><a href="http://social.maestroconference.com/socialwebinar/" target="_blank">Click here to access this feature</a></strong> once you are on a Cafe Call (note: you will need your call-in and PIN handy to sign up).</p>
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