I know I have been absent now for about... three weeks? Give or take?
There are many reasons for my disappearance. I'll put the full story at the end, behind a cut, but basically it entails me being arrested for peacefully practicing my First Amendment right to assemble in Phoenix, Arizona). If you don't want to read the full story, that is definitely fine. I understand. And whatever you think about the Occupy Wall Street Movement is also fine. But it is the main reason behind me not being here.
I also survived another small bout of chest pains from my earlier pneumonia, lost my job due to my fingerprint card being revoked for being arrested, interviewed for a new position, had my card reactivated, moved, had visits from friends, started dating someone, and have taken on a more community organizer role in this movement.
Its been a crazy three weeks.
I'm getting back on the wagon, though. In the three weeks since I've stopped working out (and I mean absolutely stopped. No runs, no Curves, NOTHING. Unless you count marching. Lots of marching), I've started to feel that old anxiety and that old feeling coming back. I forgot that even though I'm dedicated elsewhere now, I am still becoming a runner. I am going to be a runner.
Restarting C25K next week. I'm going to drop back to W3, see how that feels, and go from there. I can honestly say that I miss it. I miss running, and working out, and eating right, and most of all I miss you all. I don't have internet at my new place yet, but hoping to fix that tomorrow.
And now, read on for the whole story...
I was arrested on October 16th for peacefully practicing my First Amendment rights of peacefully protesting. Forty-five of us in all were arrested. About twenty of us so far have pled Not Guilty. We have ACLU representation and are set to appear in court two weeks from now.
I keep getting asked, why now? Why this movement? I have been involved heavily with lots of other political activism. I am staunchly pro-choice, pro-migrant, anti-death penalty and overall just a very progressive liberal person. I've been to more demonstrations, rallies and marches than I can remember. I have never been arrested. A single speeding ticket is the amount of experience I have with the police.
And trust me - this was a choice. We were given quite a lot of time to leave. So why now? Why here?
I've known about this movement for a long time. I've watched what has happened on Wall St. and around the world. This matters. Movements like this matter. Phoenix is small and just hitting its stride, in my opinions. We're working it out. A small but dedicated core group (of which I am honored to be a part of) continues to show up to our Occupation site day after day and night after night. What we are doing matters. Change doesn't happen over night. It happens in steps, in people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. and in people in Phoenix, Arizona. I was arrested for a movement that has seen almost 25,000 arrests since the initial occupation. I am in the company of Dr. Cornel West, Tim DeChristopher and so many other people whom I admire and look up to.
Civil disobedience pushes us forward. It gets the job done. I don't regret it, and I would't change it.
Please ask! If you have questions, ask. I want to get you involved. I want to see you here, if you are in Phoenix, or see you head to your nearest Occupation. Talk to your friends, your neighbors. Your kids. Your parents. This happens.
