Samain \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Moon of the Winter Solstice<\/p>\n
Protesters as Person of the Year. \u00a0Tyranny comes at a price, at first often with an invisible price. \u00a0Who can see thwarted dreams, diminished freedom? \u00a0An early reaction to tyranny may be to turn anger toward oneself, increasing domestic violence, suicide, anxiety, depression.<\/p>\n
If tyranny has an effective enforcement arm, then the early reactions can change to despair and, worst of all, resignation. \u00a0Eastern bloc countries under Soviet rule. \u00a0Native Americans on reservations around the turn of the last century. \u00a0Nanking under the Japanese.<\/p>\n
Even despair, though, masks, does not eliminate, the human desire for liberty. \u00a0Any tiny crack in the casing of despair or fear can bring outsized responses. \u00a0Just ask Qaddafi, Mubarak, Assad, Wall Street.<\/p>\n
Protest speaks the language of despair, gives visibility to the invisible. \u00a0Protest changes our perceptual range so we can see into the infrared end of the political spectrum, the place where the oppressor’s hand lies heavy but hidden.<\/p>\n
Some Occupy Wall Street folks say their time in the occupying camps are the highlight of their lives. \u00a0Of course. \u00a0Whenever we stand up, say enough, our lives themselves become visible, tangible, even to ourselves.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Samain \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Moon of the Winter Solstice Protesters as Person of the Year. \u00a0Tyranny comes at a price, at first often with an invisible price. \u00a0Who can see thwarted dreams, diminished freedom? \u00a0An early reaction to tyranny may be to … Continue reading Five Fists In the Air<\/span>