OccuπA Personal Perspective on Lincoln’s Occupy Movementby William Matchett

A lot has changed since the beginning of the Occupy Move-ment. The word ‘occupy’ is now a noun and a tent is now an icon for protesting systemic inequalities. Many local laws were enacted to curtail First Amendment Rights and many more local people are now familiar with consensus decision making processes.

The uprising in Tunisia in Jan-uary of 2011 started a move-ment that became known as the “Arab Spring.” It was an avalanche of political upheaval that washed up on the shores of North America on Septem-ber 17, 2011 with Occupy Wall Street in New York, New York; at the heart of this country’s financial district. Protesters camped out in a park near Wall Street to draw attention to the

systemic economic inequalities perpetrated on the bot-tom 99% of the population, by the top 1%. Soon a vast crowd was Occupying Wall Street and the message began to get out, even through mainstream me-dia. Occupy had teeth sunk into the ankles of the eco-nomic elite, labeled as the 1%, and would prove to have legs and last a long time on the streets. The authors of the Constitution did not mean that we could gather in someone’s backyard and speak to each other; they intended to preserve the people’s rights to publicly protest political corruption. This right was to be protected always.Most people in the world had been affected by the eco-nomic down turn of 2008; Nebraska didn’t escape un-scathed. In mid-October of 2011, people in Lincoln, Ne-braska began planning what would (continued on page 3)

1st Edition August 2012

Common root zine ContentsLincoln’s Occupation 1, 3-6, 11-13Note About The Zine 2Egg Sposed Comic Strip 2, 14Photography 3-7, 11,13Occupy Inspired Art 1, 12Vegan Recipe 7Community Calendar 8-9Radical Poetry 10, 14-15Quote from Utopian Spirit 15Pages from William’s Book 16

The Constitution begins, “We the people of

the United States, in Order to form a more

perfect Union, establish Justice, insure do-

mestic Tranquility, provide for the common

defense, promote the general Welfare, and

secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves

and our Posterity, do ordain and establish

this Constitution for the United States of

America.”

And the First Amendment to the Constitution

is: “Congress shall make no law respecting

an establishment of religion, or prohibiting

the free exercise thereof; or abridging the

freedom of speech, or of the press; or the

right of the people peaceably to assemble,

and to petition the Government for a redress

of grievances.”

My interpretation of these documents is

that Occupy was the exact type assemblage to

gather on the commons and speak out against

threats to the “domestic Tranquility” and

to stand up for the “general Welfare” that

our forefathers viewed in their “Posterity.”

-William Matchett

Original photo by: Velvet DevoeDigital Artwork by: Lacey Losh

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A note about the zine:This zine has been a long time coming. I first proposed an Occupy Lincoln zine back in the early winter. When that idea garnered little more than lip service, it perco-lated under the surface of the LUNk House through the end of Lincoln’s occupation, and now through the uneasy transition to LUNk’s new identity as Common Root. Full of promise and with a spirit of cooperation, it arose again. Ambitious ideas were exchanged. A deadline passed. Stories and features were solicited. Another deadline was set, and here you are with this fine hodgepodge in front of you, reading my gob of bravado. Congratulations, us! Congratulations to “them” too! We’ve managed to cre-ate something truly... um, physically real? Hope you like it! It is the brainchild of each of us, and like Athena, it only took a few hard knocks at Zeus’ head to bring her forth. Welcome, new zine!

Expect change, evolution and maybe even a new issue.

-Scott the Agitator

Zine ContributorsShaina Allison - Computers n’ Eggs

Velvet Devoe - Slim JimCindy Elder - Food Transport Guru

Andrew Losh - The MetalerLacey Losh - Designer / Ornament

William Matchett - Travelin’ Handy PoetAlan Morris - Patron Saint

Scott - Agitator

Have a submission for anupcoming issue? Send it to us at:

commonrootsubmissions@hushmail.com

Check out our blog forupdates and other goodies:

https://commonrootzine.wordpress.com/

3

Photo by: Scott

(continued from the cover) become Occupy Lincoln. Public meetings were held first on social media, then at a collective event space, then at Cooper Park and then Sunken Gardens and then by October 15 “We the People” assembled on the North steps, and in the shadow of the Nebraska State Capital Build-ing at noon on a Saturday and numbered 500 people. The Assemblage then marched down Centennial Mall to O St., to 13th near some large financial institutions and then down 13th to the Governor’s man-sion; then back to Centennial Mall, for a General Assembly, held on the green space. Soon Occupy camps were springing up all across America. People took to the streets and physically Oc-cupied important public spaces. People camped out to draw attention to a myriad of economic and po-litical issues, such as campaign finance reform, the lobbyist industry, the real estate bubble, the student loan lie, outsourcing jobs, tax loop holes and corporate assaults upon the general welfare of this once great nation. These core principles were sound enough to attract a huge level of support from people of incredibly diverse backgrounds and social standings. After Occupy Lincoln’s first GA, we sorted ourselves into committees and had small group meetings

4

Photo by: Lacey Losh

A General Assembly (GA): a method of large group discussion and decision making. This process has been developed from decades of trial & error and organic evolution of what works in facilitating people through a productive meeting where group efficiency and individual accommodations are balanced as equally as humanly possible. As the dynamics of the group changed, the process changed too. There are several official positions in a GA; it is moderated by an impartial facilitator, has a note taker, someone keeping ‘Stack’ or order of who is next in the queue to speak; and sometimes, even a ‘vibe watch’ person who keeps a benevolent thumb on the pulse of the discourse and peacefully interjects when tempers are flaring. There are various protocols and hand signals that are all meant to help each person be heard and to hear; so that the time spent meeting will be the most productive towards our collective goal. All the while, promoting inclusionary communication skills, that work toward the long term goals of creating a better world through positive change enacted on a daily basis, through informed and compassionate compromises that promote individual prosperity and regional harmony. -William Matchett

``...we were able to Occupycontinuously for 201 days and nights;

the longest Occupy in the nation.´´

5

Photo by: Scott

to plan the future; camp logistics, education, art, medical, food, legal, sanitation, out-reach and media were some of our initial committees. We put up our tents at dusk; we did not know how long we were going to be allowed to Occupy that space in the shadow of the capital. As it turned out we were able to Occupy continuously for 201 days and nights; the lon-gest Occupy in the nation.

Our common presence created a platform for the formation of various shifting dialogues. Many social, political, econom-ic and environmental injustices were discussed, explained, examined and confronted. Much of our collective energy was spent running a dynamic camp of diverse people with diver-gent ideologies. Our goal was not to form solutions to all of the problems but to bring attention to the corruption that allowed the perpetuation of inequality between the rich and the poor. A lot of people came together to stick up for the rights of the bottom 99% of “We the People.” Occupy Lincoln grew the first week with more the 60 tents filling the green spaces of Centennial Mall between K St. and M St. There was a buzz of communication between the people that came together every day. They shared their life expe-riences, stories, knowledge, perspectives, issues, dreams and suggested solutions to the many problems.Things started out optimistically, with what bordered on naiveté. In an attempt to be equitable and accessible, we formed a circular power structure which made us susceptible to many problems. Indi-vidual selfishness, grand-standing egos, ignorance, personal agendas, infiltration, mental illness and interpersonal conflict began to manifest in a power vacuum which simply begged to be filled. Many at-

tempted to fulfill that role, some had leadership thrust upon them, while others grasped for the invisible microphone. Some joined forces along ideological platforms some were devout servants to the process of consensus decision-making, others bore unbreakable allegiances to existing political ideologies or platforms. We all made our mistakes.We had meetings about how to have meetings, re-crafting our procedure and protocol in the attempt to address shortcomings and faults. There was never an established protocol for ‘tabling’ an agenda item. It was my perpetual suggestion to discuss “long term goals” and it was always being pushed down the list of things to be talked about so we could focus on some camp drama or micro-managing every crisis. With a process of ‘tabling,’ an item could be designated to be talked about during the next GA instead of yet again being pushed back to accommodate peoples short sighted lust to explore peripheral problems and not delve into some larger topics, such as ‘long term goals.’ As people burned out they were not re-placed by new people because when new people came to our GA’s, they would witness an epic linguistic dual over ideological turf; replete with dirty laundry, profane language, grudges, power plays and all the other delightful faults that afflict the human condition. Those well intentioned souls who attended were often exhausted by interpersonal drama. At the end of a 3 hour meeting, even the most optimistic would-be participant was turned off.But it’s not exactly our fault. We were a group thrust together and formed in the crucible of a political action of epic proportions. Generational and global forces were manifesting in society and each indi-vidual life was manifesting a reaction to those pressures. Each person brought their own real life experi-ences and struggles. This was no solidarity action. Occupy was not about shedding light of some other group being affected by some other unfair system. Occupy was a people’s movement, meant to embody the struggle of each person in the 99%. That’s a lot of views to reconcile. Occupy ended up focusing too much on the personal struggle of each person in first world nations and not on the overall ingrained in-equalities that negatively affect some people on this planet. The hierarchy of the oppressed was ignored as the “Me! Me! Me!” aspect of entitlement reared its ugly head, and even when Occupy Lin-coln united behind the “Stop the Trans-Canada Pipeline” move-ment many viewed it as a purely environmental issue rather than one deeply related to inequality and the dominance of the eco-nomic and political elite. Those who could not assert themselves or promote their ideas were often heard but not listened to. These could access the process and suggest something but still not draw enough support to en-act anything. After about a month and a half the General Assembly process devolved into interper-sonal conflicts. Individual ideolo-gies faced-off, cage-match style,

6Photo by: William Matchett

``We formed a community based on some coreprinciples and, where we may not havesucceeded as fully as could be hoped

in our giant undertaking, we did learn howto come together for a common cause.´´

Ramirez Family EnchiladasIngredients:• 46 oz. can of tomato juice• 1/4 cup chili powder• 1 tbsp. garlic powder• 1 tbsp. ground cumin• Desired sauted veggies (onions, peppers, zucchini, potatoes, olives, etc.)• 20 vegan tortillas• 2 cups shredded vegan cheese• About 1/2 cup of olive oil (or your favorite cooking oil)

Directions:1. Pour tomato juice into a large pot over medium-high heat & add in chili powder, garlic powder & cumin2. Bring to a boil & take a taste. Add more seasonings if desired3. Once the sauce thickens set it aside4. Heat 1 tsp. of oil on a frying pan or cast iron skillet on medium-high heat5. Meanwhile, lay out sheets of aluminum foil (cut just a little larger than the tortilla shell) you’ll

need one sheet per shell6. Once the oil is hot, dip a tortilla in the sauce & transfer it to the frying pan7. Let the tortilla cook for just a couple of seconds on each side8. Transfer your tortilla to a piece of the pre-cut aluminum foil9. Add your fillings & roll the tortilla up10. Next roll the whole thing in aluminum foil11. Continue steps 4-10 until you’ve exhausted your tortilla supply12. Preheat your oven to 350o F13. Place all the enchiladas you want to cook in a glass baking dish & cook them for 30 minutes in the foil14. All the rest of the enchiladas can be labeled & frozen. Later you can take them straight from

freezer to baking dish & cook 30-40 minutes at 350o

VeganRecipe

Photo by: Cindy Elder, June 2012 Location: Minneapolis, MN

An innovative approach for transporting restaurant leftovers!

7

in linguistic duals during GA’s. Much of our energy seemed to be used for burning down and building walls around personal ideas and ideological platforms. Interpersonal and camp drama eventually took center stage and we began to fight merely to survive our own social construct. Meanwhile, camping became a revolutionary act of protest all across the USA. In many places, the local police immediately thwarted the efforts by confiscating property, tents, tables, chairs, signs, personal items, etc; and arresting people who remained in the area. What started as a protest to financial regula-tions that allow and often promote economic inequalities, became a struggle to retain our basic right to protest. Our First Amendment Right of Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of Speech were targeted as threats to establishment and economic order. Occupy Lincoln camped throughout the winter, and by December stuff in the kitchen began to freeze. The winter was mild but not to those of us that camped outside. The only time the police hassled us was

when they began to come through in the middle of the night and knock on our tents to “Check on our welfare.” When I was woken around 4 am and told they were there to check on my welfare, I said, “Welfare??? I got a job.” The police officer did not find this funny. The next time they came through they asked for my name, I told them “William” then he asked for my last name, I told

him that I did not see the relevancy and I asked if he understood my hesitancy. He said he was told to get our names by his commanding officer but did not press the issue, then went to the next tent which contained a person who was at that minute calling 911 because of being harassed by strange persons in the middle of the night. After this instance, the police never came back in the middle of the night to check on us or inquire about our welfare.On the surface, our attempt at crafting a new paradigm meant to deconstruct our collective social program-ming seems to have failed, but considering we were try-ing to correct all the mistakes and faults of human history, I think we did very well. We formed a community based on some core principles and, where we may not have suc-ceeded as fully as could be hoped in our giant undertak-ing, we did learn how to come together for a common cause. We learned how to form a new group, how to mediate and perform conflict resolu-tion triage and traction, and how to avoid non-productive habits. (Continued on page 11)

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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Lincoln CommunityEnergy Conversation

9 AM - 1:30 PMLocation:City/CountyBldg

Free Saturday @ 5 PMLocation:HavelockPark

ARAN Meeting @ 7:30 PM

CollectiveNetworking Potluck

Topic: What’s the Next Step Toward a Better World?

6-9 PM

ALLCOMMONROOTEVENTSAREFREE&OPENTOTHEPUBLIC

“Unruining” ChildrenDiscussion Group @ 4 PM

July

Mutual Aid Center

August 2012 Community Calendar

1315 South 24th StLincoln, Nebraskacommonroot.netFind us on Facebook

Common Root

M

utual Aid Cente

r

“Move to Amend”Barnstorming Tour with

David Cobb Time:TBA

Location:UnitarianChurch Radical Poetry

Gathering @ 7 PM

Common RootHouse and Zine

Meeting @ 7 PM

Common RootHouse and Zine

Meeting @ 7 PM

Common RootHouse and Zine

Meeting @ 7 PM

Game Night @ 7:30 PM

Veda Yoga Class 6-7 PMScience Cafe

Topic: Happy Thoughts @ 7 PM

CommonRootMutualAidCenter(formerly The LUNk Collective)is dedicated to building aninclusive support network, andproviding resources to meet the needs of our community. We are committed to safe, sup-portive and accessible common space where learning and con-nections happen. Bring your ideas and your passion, bring your friends and your family.

September

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Zine LaunchParty & Potluck

(Bring your ideas!)6-9 PM

Knitting Circle & Skillshare @ 7:30 PM

Common RootHouse and Zine

Meeting @ 7 PM

Common RootHouse and Zine

Meeting @ 7 PM

Skillshare: Making Tie-up Tank Tops @ 4 PM

SlutWalk @ 4 PMLocation:StateCapitol

Midwest FreethoughtConference Aug 3-5

$25+Location:UNOCampus

Mutual Aid Center

Workshop: DIY Safe &reusable tampons, pads &

wet-bags @ 7 PMMake notes & doodle here:

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The Revolution We Share

By Andrew Losh 07/15/12

The revolution won’t be handed down from above, will nei

ther preclude,

nor revolve around hippie love. Will be wholistic, inclu

sive

nonabusive, considerate militant heart decorated boots,

taking back

the streets. Stomping in rainbow pride... force applied

as needed to

resists class-based genocide.

The revolution won’t involve manning-up or knowing your

place, won’t

be prepackaged for white middle-class christian suburban

ites.

The revolution will be hard, painstaking, joyous and tri

umphant.

The revolution means sacrifice, dedication and focus.

It won’t be comfortable, as are not the lives of day-to-

day wage

slaves, and it won’t be easy, made to please, just happy

dancing

carelessly, but that’s not precluded either. This isn’t

a homogeneous

mono-culture redistribution... This is an inclusive worl

d-wide

intersectional solution. This is WORK, but to a kindhear

ted end, like

that you do in support of a friend.

The revolution won’t be an overnight coup on reality TV,

replacing

the boss A with boss B. Boss B talks candidly and cultured

, put in a

position of authority, she too abides the rules of ruler

-ship, guides

this ship, in the logic of centralized power, rather than d

elegated

empowerment. We need to not devour the self-management pow

er, a capacity

denied in dependency, which we can invert in horizontal

family.

The revolution will be a challenge to self and others.

The revolution won’t be a facet of your self revelation.

Our

conciseness rising, will be the crest of the wave unitin

g every nation.

Some may be laid in the grave, both master and slave, bu

t who will be

on the side of liberty? Defending the rich man’s gold or

the beings

being sold as labor property? Let’s take a stand before

we all grow

old. This death toll keeps rising like profits, and why a

re we

climbing to the top of it? Let’s get together ...let’s p

ut a stop to

it. Let’s rise above, revolutionaries fight and unite in

reason, in

compassion and love.

POETRY

11

Photo by: Scott

``We learned how to work with people who held different views, were from different

backgrounds, personality typesand varying degrees of education. ´´

(Continued from page 6) We learned how to navigate the lo-cal political system and avoid some pitfalls. We learned how to work with people who held dif-ferent views, were from different backgrounds, personality types and varying degrees of educa-tion. These are all very impor-tant skills that will serve each of us throughout our lives and may provide an excellent foundation to build more deft movements of social and political reform. The act of speaking out for jus-tice and equality is protected by the very first Amendment of our esteemed Constitution. The act of Gathering together as an As-sembly is protected by the first Amendment. The act of pointing

out the gross inequities that exist in our present culture as contemptible to individual religious view-points may or may not be protected by our First Amendment, but speaking out against the poverty and exorbitant wealth caused by corruption in our Government is covered by the First Amendment. “We the People” have a right, nay, we have the obligation to gather in a public square and speak out against the high crimes of our government and point out how we, the common people, are affected by these legislated economic transgressions. Democracy is a system where power is derived from mandates from the masses, from the will of the people and by the peaceable actions of the people. Persecuting the people who participate in acts of sanctioned protestation is a violation of our constitutional rights.We were eventually served an eviction notice by the police from the City Attorney’s office ef-fective March 1st. In negotiations with city of-ficials, an agreement was reached to voluntarily leave May 1st, to make way for some construc-tion projects slated to occur nearby. In retro-spect, many felt duped by a certain city official and that the agreement was made under duress. Our choices were either May 1st or March 1st; with no real provision for the continuation of our consti-tutionally sanctioned civil protest of endemic problems afflicting our General Welfare. The implication of an alternative public space for Occupy to relocate was a two-faced lie. It was a Machiavellian ploy of the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, and once the agreement was made, the city enforced our agreement to leave Centennial Mall but also shut down the Occupy 2.0 camp at Neighbors Park. In the act of protesting corruption in Federal, State and Local Government we fell victim to a system that values the rights of corporate owners over those of us regular non-rich citizens. In the face of adversity, we decided to be the better people and honored the agreement, participants of

12 13

Photo by: Lacey Losh

Join us at Common Rootfor some of our regular events and gatherings, free & open to the public (scheduled through Dec. 2012)

Collective Networking Potlucks (held the 1st Saturday of every month at 6 PM): We are opening the floor to discuss local organizations and interests. Members and individuals can share their experiences and connect with a broader community. Each month we plan to focus on a different organization or topic. Suggestions for upcoming Networking Potlucks are encouraged.Radical Poetry Gatherings (held the 2nd Sunday of every month at 7 PM): Come read your own work, or writing that inspires you and listen to others perform. All are welcome, novices and professionals alike. We want your social com-mentary; the expression of your life experiences, struggles and triumphs. Bring your performance art, be it inspired, witty, heartbreaking, impassioned, queer, sensitive, alienated, loving, kind or enraged or just partake and support a local community space. Science Cafe (held the 2nd Friday of every month at 7 PM): Join us for an evening of science conversation and re-freshments. Whether you study it for a living or just love learning, come talk science with us!Common Root - House & Zine Meetings (held every Wednesday at 7 PM):A weekly meeting to address house business and discuss ideas for our Zine. If you have article ideas for our Zine, or would like to be a contributor, please feel free to attend one of these meetings and share your thoughts.Workshops and Skillshares (dates and times vary): A radical educational model that throws out the traditional student/teacher hierarchy, in favor of the idea that we can all learn from each other. Experienced folks can show newbies the ropes, newbies can of-fer innovative approaches, and in the very likely event that nobody knows everything, we can discover new solutions together. It’s fun, it builds community, and it’s free.

Mutual Aid Center

1315 South 24th St

Lincoln Nebraska

OL cleaned up the encampment. Chief Peschong of the Lincoln Police was there for much of the after-noon and watched us cleaning up and disassembling camp. He even called in a roll-off dumpster so that we could throw our own debris away. By midnight May 1st, the agreed date, only a few signs, a dozen chairs and people and 2 tents remained. One tent was crammed full of random stuff left as one person’s personal act of protest and mine that was empty, except for my backpack. My tent had been there on day #1 and I had slept in it over 100 of those nights, making my tent the second most occupied of Occupy Lincoln. By the end of the 6 ½ month encampment it was covered with black marker protest slogans and converted into a wearable structure for that day’s May Day March. I had slept in it the day before and was planning to sleep in it again that night as an act of personal protest and as an act of vigilance because along with the constitution, the inscription over the North entrance to the Capital Building is the inscription, “Salvation of the State is Watchfulness of the Citizen.”By 2:30 am May 2nd 2011, 5 of us were hungry and so I ordered a pizza. By 4 am there were only 2 people left, myself intent on making the police bereft me of my First Amendment Rights and a legal observer, camera in hand when we got a text that a bunch of police cars were headed our way. In a few minutes 45 police officers, a helicopter with a spot light, a K-9 unit, people from the Health Dept. and Public Works Dept. and a dump truck were deployed to remove all signs of Occupy from the prem-ises. We had been reassured that day that the eviction order was for the things only and not “We the People”; and that the police would only remove the things and issue an order to back up if they felt we were obstructing them; even the police chief reassured us that very day, that we could be there and that they would only remove the possessions. However, when they came through, they swarmed the area and issued a cursory order to “Move, move, move, you must leave the area.” By this time I was wearing my back pack and protest-tent and both my-self, and the legal observed were filming their approach. I, being intimately familiar with the blind fury of police actions, imme-diately ran away, still wearing my tent; but the other person stopped to stoop down to pick up his bag, sweater, water bottle and snacks and by doing so, he defied their or-der and was immediately arrested. I began filming his arrest, as I backed away at some distance but upon seeing that I was filming a police officer began shining a strobe light at me in the attempt to disrupt my video-taping and I then gave up recording and abandoned my personal occupation of Centennial Mall. As I continued running away from the wall of cops and the hover-ing helicopter I was full of complex and powerful emotions. Occupy created a community of activ-ists who are still networking together to weave the social web, capable of accom-plishing more together than on our own. There were many who participated in Occupy Lincoln, some only a short while and others lasted the

entire duration and still are active today; but all who were a part of it learned something and were in some way en-riched or informed about how to enact positive change in the world.The overall impact of Occupy will be talked about, spec-ulated and studied. Occupy is a tree trunk with many branches and bearing much fruit and many nuts. Many seeds will find fertile soil in the future with not apparent direct connection to Occupy. Many people will go on to other actions and draw unconsciously upon skills and ex-periences learned during Occupy. Occupy Education for instance went on its own course, going on to be one of the most successful branches of the Occupy tree. There will be attempts to recreate it, to emulate it, to evolve it, to learn from it, listen to the echo and envision where to go from here. Powers That Be take heed, Oc-

cupy was not the movement but merely a vehicle that may have stalled out, may have broken down, got-ten four flats and dropped the transmission, but “We the People” shall “Be the People” and we have our metaphoric thumb out there and we each have a longing for the road towards Liberty and Tranquility.

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Turkey DinnerBy Andrew Losh - April, 25 2012

POETRY

Awaken from a social dream, from this hive unconsciousness, I scream!

Beings acting in repetition, out of expectation. No one wanting, no one thriving.Simply denying, getting by. Persisting, this existence an agreement to lay low, to act is if we don’t know; none of us wants to be here.

Living day to day, for the next time we will be alive, for that time when we will shine.Let us pretend that we are in love with our own failure.Don’t let the other next to you know you never tried, you don’t want to call out the unspoken lie.

Today is a good day to hide, to neither fight nor flight, but to abide, to wait out your life.Do you feel the knife? As the pendulum sways, cutting away.

One day nothing will be left, sliced like a thanks-giving turkey. This short life, subsistence onpickings in a pen, sliced through and served roasted again. Now to take a place on the table.Smell it now. Another meal, another fable. Are we all prepared for the test? Or do we scuttleout of line, before our number is next?

Listening to idle banter, office workers,that mull and chatter.

Watching reality TV, playing the lottery,

sitting, talking endlessly; about the livesof conjured people, who remain unknown,

only portrayed and never shown.

I sit in synthetic hollow existence, staring

at cubicles, feeling distant and listless.I await the end of a another day,another round of reality play.

Office OrdealAnonymous

15

rad�i�kuhl Poe�i�tree

Performance and Prose!Water the art seed and see how it grows.

Come performance artists and enthusiasts alike.Prepare yourselves for a wonderful night.

Co

mmon Root

Mutual Aid Cente

r

Come read your own work, or writing that

inspires you and listen to others perform.All are welcome!

Novices and professionals alike.

We want your social commentary;

the expression of your life experiences,

struggles and triumphs.

Bring your performance art, be it

inspired, witty, heartbreaking,

impassioned, queer, sensitive, alienated, loving,

kind, enraged or just partake and support

a local community space. Performances start at 7 PM

2nd Sunday of every month

Common Root - Mutua l Aid Center

1315 S. 24th St.commonroot.net

or find us onFacebook!

UTOPIAN SPIRIT: Footsteps Towardsthe Future On A Visionary Landscape

This vision is utopian in the sense of being a state of future orientation, or consciousness, of the po-tentiality of humanity and the realization of that potential within the future of humanity, than the present course of direction. The possibility of po-tentiality is the Utopia. The Utopia is the change we must make, and not a place or location but the perception of the visionary landscape. A com-pass to show us what direction we need to go, as we seem to have lost our direction, having some-where in human history wandered off the path of sustainability. R. Buckminster Fuller wrote that, “The world is now too dangerous for anything less than utopia.” and “We stand today at the cross-roads between utopia and oblivion.”

With so much hatred and war, domination and inequality, and the destruction of natural systems, we need a vision to find our way towards a land-scape of harmony between Nature and Culture. At the present time, we have a disequilibrium be-tween Nature and Culture in most geographical locations upon this planet, and some locations are much worse than others. It is important to note that no matter what belief system, world view, or philosophy we may have, this condition is in ex-istence on our planet, and should be paramount in our concerns if we are going to continue our existence. But we can all work together with an attitude of love and with a spirit of cooperation to transform our planet into a beautiful place it once was, because in the visionary landscape nothing is impossible if it’s possible. -Alan Morris

16Alaska Pipeline

Loup River, Nebraska - edge of Sandhills