“Real Human Conversation” from “Occupy Dartmouth”

I spoke with a few protestors from “Occupy Dartmouth.”  This group of collectivist-driven people that want “peace, love, and support” and “real human conversation” came about in an effort to promote “solidarity” with “Occupy Wall Street.”  Nathan Gusdorf ’12 has some insights about the group that will be camping out in a tent outside Collis “indefinitely, all day all night” (taken directly from group’s Facebook page).

Their mission: “Showing solidarity with the protests on Wall Street.”

Elaboration: “We’re talking about democratic participation here. It’s not just about voting. It’s about people coming together in the act of collective decision-making and what’s necessary for that to happen.”

More Elaboration: “I’m talking about equal structures that permit people to talk to each other. I’m talking about the way people think and what that has to do with collective decision-making. So it’s not a matter of just enjoying the right to assemble.”

In other words: “It’s not a question about coming up with policy recommendations.  It’s about changing the way we participate in the system…Occupy Wall Street is a democratic movement.” (Nevermind the violence and riots protestors are causing….)

Main Point: “We’re talking about equal structures that permit people to talk to each other. I’m talking about the way people think and what that has to do with collective decision-making.”

Cue the Kumbaya music.

—Melanie Wilcox