True Occupation

From Day 1 I was disenchanted with what seemed the entitlement mentality, occupation mentality, aimless mentality, of the occupiers. They seemed to want without having anything to offer, not even ideas.

Today I read about them occupying a foreclosed house in NE Portland. One that had boarded up windows, owned by the bank. Empty. In a city with homeless people that live on the street.

The occupiers have taken up residence. The police are reacting and getting them out of there. I suppose they are tasked with upholding property rights - even the property rights of an absent landlord that has neglected the property and allowed it to be a blight on the neighborhood.

Well finally this is a cause I can stand with them on. Think about it as an equation: homeless people needing shelter, especially with the onset of winter - cold rainy never drying out sleeting mossy winter in Portland. Houses, left for no one. Still serviceable shelters.

I don't know how these two things will find each other, and I don't know if the occupiers just want to glean off these houses, as they gleaned off the public parks. If that is their goal (and they have nice warm homes to go to), then nothing is accomplished. But if they can pave the way for all the fring-ers who co-mingled with them and intruded on their peaceful protest in the park, then maybe something good can come about. Occupy the houses.