I apologize for the overly aggressive tone. It isn’t characteristic of my writing here and I let some frustration from social media spillover. However, your suggestions remind me of how a perfectly timed and potentially world-changing protest, OCCUPY, was wasted for the sake of peace and love. The world was watching and what did we give them? Drum circles.

It was that kind of pacificism that allowed the left to completely merge with the right politically except for the name. How long do we continue to watch the left struggle and fail to pass legislation that has upward to 70% approval while the right stomps on long-held institutions of America and shovels public money to their donors at will and still remain a viable political party without becoming angry? When does it dawn on us that how we vote seems to not affect how they vote one iota? When do we take action that can motivate “real” change? After the climate apocalypse? After the nuclear war?

I am an old hippie that spent many days taking advantage of the hospitality of many city and town jails, often while recovering from concussions and other injuries, in the ’60s. I didn’t get those injuries from “non-violent” protests, but what we did changed the world for the better. We just made the mistake of letting up on the pressure after we mistakenly thought we won. One does not “win” against evil. It is like the tide and always returns. Whatever you don’t sacrifice for and work to change at any cost you accept.