WARNING BEING INVOLVED IN THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT CAN GET YOU "UNFRIENDED" ON FACEBOOK

I know that my blog heading will attract a lot of attention out there and it should. If you read this you will not only learn what just happened to me, but you may receive some good encouragement if this should ever happen to you.

Yesterday, I have done a survey on my Facebook page and discovered that three individuals (two of them were family members) had "unfriended" me from their Facebook pages. This does not surprise me because all three of them were devoted right-wingers who have more than 100 friends each.

On my Facebook page I have been sharing and posting news, information about what has been going on in the Occupy movement along with videos from news outlets like CNN, CBS and RT. These three individuals would always post remarks about some of the things I would share and saying the usual right-wing jargon that the Occupy Movement is a bunch of Lazy Liberals who just want something for nothing or they call us Socialist/Communist, or as Glenn Beck calls it "Progressives." As a result of my continued posting of facts and directly countering their remarks, all three of them have "unfriended me."

The only big hurt I am experiencing out of this is that two of the individuals are my stepdaughter and her right-winged preacher husband. Apparently, both of them have about 200+ friends that they don't want seeing the truth about what is happening in America, or do not want to be embarrassed by their so called "Liberal Step-Father." Personally, I forgive my step-children for doing so and wish them well. Eventually, one way or another they will come to see the truth and will regret what they have done, when the 1% finally come and take away everything they still have, which is not much. The other person ... well, I was surprised he lasted this long without pulling the plug.

Friends, what I just described will happen to you if it hasn't already happened and you need to be emotionally prepared for this. During the Civil War and earlier The Revolutionary War, entire families were split apart because one brother was for the Union while the other was a Confederate, or one was loyal to the new nation and the other loyal to England. Benjamin Franklin, one of our most celebrated forefathers lost his beloved son due to his involvement in the American Revolution. They never spoke again and his son returned to England. What is happening in this nation and world-wide is no exception.

If this happens to you, you will have two choices, continue in the cause and hope they come back or leave the battlefield and chase after them. This is not an easy choice to make. If you choose the latter, no one can blame you because as the saying goes "blood is thicker than water," but you will weaken the movement and the 1% will win if enough people do the same thing. However, if you stay in the fight, there is a chance that your beloved friend or relative will return to your side after the war is over, or may even change their mind and come back. Nobody in the occupy movement should condemn you if you choose to leave due to family, but everyone should encourage you to stay.

Family is one of the leading casualties in war and this war is no different. I hope this helps someone out there who may be experiencing the same thing. Keep your chin up and keep fighting the good fight in faith. A brighter future is possible.

Views: 49

Comment by Deborah Hart Yemm on December 3, 2011 at 9:28am

I'm not surprised about the possibility; but I have not personally seen any loss of "friends" at Facebook, on my own profile.  Of course, with the possible passage of S1867 The National Defense Authorization Bill with its explicit approval of military detention of US citizens on national soil without trial and for indefinite periods, one could easily see the stakes of aligning with reform are clearly going up.  I can not believe we are living in the same country now, that I was born into. 

Watch the Thrive movie - it is a real eye-openner.

In my case, I belong to a "real activist core" of acquaintances, through an online social networking community, some of whom jumped into Facebook primarily, as the bumps of entrepreneur to corporation have taken their toll upon our sense of continuity; but not ended our allegiances to one another.  We do have a "new" manifestation of that same core community, which "core" I have belonged now going on 5 years, the new incarnation is called A New Gaia, which is also a Ning platform community.  Proudly we have an #OccupyNow group within our own umbrella of interests there.

In solidarity -

Deb

Comment by indiana.activist on December 3, 2011 at 9:35am

Thanks Deborah for telling me about A New Gaia. I will have to check it out. Also I'll look up this S1867 and read up more on what it entails.

Comment by indiana.activist on December 3, 2011 at 10:59am

I have looked up S1867 and after about 20 minutes I found what you were referring to. The bill states the military would have the right to arrest and detain indefinitely:

A person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored those responsible for those attacks.

(2) A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.

I can see how such a provision could sound warning bells in people's heads, however for the moment if the bill passes to the most part Americans are still safe. If the bill would give the right for the Millitary to arrest and detain people at the will of the Government on suspicion of any other activity, then I would start worrying. Still, you are right about one thing, it will give the military too much power.

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