Social Change is Messy

Copyright the Portland Tribune

It has been two-months since the Occupy movement landed in Portland, Oregon.
October 6, 2011 began with a march of hundreds of people through downtown Portland’s streets carrying signs and shouting for a change. Since then encampments have been created and evicted, rallies and marches have permeated the streets, and stories of clashes between OccupyPortland and the civil servants in City Hall have made headlines.

In a matter of 60 days a country that was at one time fixated on the United States’ massive debt has shifted focus to who is controlling the money that got us there. Alex Pio, 25, a committee member of Occupy Portland, knows their goals are on a broad base and encompass a massive amount of problems. He feels that by choosing to focus on getting corporate money out of politics and encouraging citizens to rise up and reclaim the government, it will help to get the more specific harms adequately addressed. Those problems include the unemployment rate, education and tax reform, food security, foreclosures, and clean energy.

Occupy Portland's Activities on Prezi

Creating a Conversation

While the Occupy Portland movement cannot state any concrete successes, the intangibles are what they are focusing on. Simply starting the conversation about corporate personhood, political corruptness and improper banking practices is one thing they hold as a token of progress. Illona Trogb, a member of Occupy Portland since September 27^th, stresses how crucial it is that these topics have moved beyond people’s living rooms and out into the streets. The movement is banding people together and creating a network that was never possible before. Pio states, “I am now part of a network of over 400 activists who are dedicated to changing the world. Two months ago I didn’t know any of them.”

Two-Pronged Approach

Most members of Occupy Portland are eager to express they are trying to work in a two-pronged approach; both within the system and outside of it. Committees and strategy teams work with City Hall to organize tackling corporate personhood, as well as drumming up support for Run-off Voting.  

The tactics outside the system are the ones most publicized and tend to attract the most attention. These include encampments, Move Your Money and Foreclosure rallies, the N17 march, and the calls for actions against banks. These demonstrations tend to draw police presence and even riot or SWAT teams despite pleas from both sides of the movement to remain peaceful.

The Impact on Portland

Closed Chapman Park - Adolph 2011

Because encampments and marches garner the most media attention, more of these kinds of demonstrations are planned in coming days. In a statement released in response to a letter by Occupy Portland by Mayor Sam Adams on December 2, 2011, Adams states he supports the movement’s objectives by writing, “we have learned a lot in the eight weeks since the first Occupy Portland camp set up … the camp shone a bright light on important national issues of economic equity, it also showed the on-the-ground local impact of state and federal cuts to social service funding.” He is clear to point out however, that another camp would be detrimental to the city. Adams says he “would much rather spend our finite dollars on direct services to those in need, rather than patrolling and cleaning up after an encampment.”

Protester outside the Justice Center - Adolph 2011

It is unclear how the struggle between those in power and the Occupy Portland protesters will resolve. Police will continue to enforce park rules and make more arrests where they deem it necessary. Occupy members will continue to march, rally, chant and gather in places to make sure their message is heard. The general public will undoubtedly be affected: commutes may be interrupted, parks may be closed, and when walking the streets of downtown one may find them more crowded than before. Occupy Portland asks you to remember social change is messy. Pio comments, “Sometimes disruptions are necessary to make people aware they’re on a sinking ship… it’s time to realize the hard, uncomfortable truths and try to rectify them.”  

CCF - VuVox

Saving Sadie - Oregon Basset Hound Rescue

How much would you give to save your pet? What about someone else’s? Oregon Basset Hound Rescue (OBHR) sees no difference between the two. Founded in 1999, OBHR is supported by volunteers who help rehome around sixty basset hounds a year. These volunteers help find foster or adoptive families and are guided by a few dedicated board members.

A Desperate Call

Sadie at home

The organization was Diana Zwicker’s last resort when she turned to them in 2006 to help her basset, Sadie. At one year old Sadie was diagnosed with an adrenal disorder, known commonly as Addison’s disease, in 2004. Addison’s affects the production of steroid hormones and can lead to crises if not closely monitored and medicated. Zwicker and Sadie received more tough news when they learned she also suffered from hypothyroidism. “You have to keep an eye on it all the time; notice their ups and downs,” Zwicker says about Sadie’s care which costs approximately $150 each month.    

As the economy began to turn down, Sadie’s medical bills began piling up and Zwicker could no longer afford to keep her healthy. When OBHR learned of the situation they immediately placed Sadie in their foster program and began paying for her medicine. Unfortunately, this problem is not uncommon. Nancy Vanis, board member of OBHR, reports “bassets are prone to Addison’s... they are known to be hit by it.” Sadie has had a great response to both treatments. At one point she tipped the scales at 71 pounds, but as soon as her thyroid was regulated Zwicker was able to slim her down to 48. She gets two pills a day, exactly 12 hours apart with each of her meals.

Sadie's Future With Addison's

If an owner doesn’t understand the disease and how regimented the medicine has to be it can be deadly for the dog. OBHR tried to adopt Sadie out to a new home which was looking for a companion for their male basset. Within one week Sadie was experiencing Addison’s related complications because her adopted family didn’t stay on top of the situation.     

   

So for now Sadie, 9 years old, stays with her owner who knows her every mood and is adamant about her medicine. OBHR still pays to keep the medicine cabinets full and Sadie healthy and happy. They hope to one day find a donor to cover the remainder of her bills, but until then they do as much as they can.

Help OBHR Help Hounds

A limboing basset at the Games 2011

Fundraisers like the Oregon Basset Hound Games (pictured), a yearly event showcasing the best bassets have to offer, and adoption fees make up the majority of funds for OBHR. Most of the dogs they receive are relinquished by their owners because they didn’t understand the breed or don’t have time for the dog.  Others they pull out of shelters which are so overcrowded, many dogs are euthanized simply because there is no room.  

If you would like to help please visit their website, www.oregonbassethoundrescue.com, for more information.

Check Out My First Published Piece

No Fairy Tales at Bedtime
By Kimberlee Adolph

Published by Yahoo! Associated Content

Collateral Damage in State of Play

Collateral damage. That’s how Rep. Stephen Collins refers to the civilians killed in the name of war in State of Play. Unfortunately the real collateral damage in this film is journalism’s ethics. Conflicts of interest, obstruction of justice, gathering information under false pretenses, and scare tactics are all issues raised by Russel Crowe’s character, Cal McAfferty- journalist for the Washington Globe.

credits: IMDB

This film, released in 2009, follows the trail of McAfferty as he tracks the killer of four people in the streets of Washington, DC. Unfortunately that path leads him to the doorstep of his former college roommate, Collins (played by Ben Affleck). From the moment this connection is made fellow journalists gravitate to McAfferty for inside information and access to its biggest player. While he shuns their questions, he is digging for a story of his own.

In McAfferty’s efforts to protect the reputation of his friend and a major public figure, he crosses more lines than he toes. Not only does McAfferty begin to craft a story to take the spotlight off of Collins, but he drags colleague Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) down a dangerous trail. Giving in to his methods of gathering information, she lies to potential sources regarding her intentions of speaking to them.

This film takes on the task of examining how far one should go to get a story. While it’s debatable, the Globe’s withholding of evidence from the police may very well have cost two people their lives. Had the killer been apprehended earlier in the case, he may not have killed the witness to his first murder nor would the police have needed to use lethal force to save McAfferty’s life. Conflicts of interest are everywhere in all the personal relationships intertwined in this story and they lead McAfferty to the wrong conclusion. He thinks he is ahead of the story when his bias has actually caused him to almost miss the real man pulling the strings.

The Society of Professional Journalists calls on each reporter to always question sources’ motives before promising anonymity. This is one of the major errors in McAfferty and Frye’s reporting. It never occurs to them what Collins’ motives or stakes may be in this case. Because they begin their search for answers with the goal of clearing the Congressman’s name they fail to consider he may be behind all the problems.

The film is slow to begin as it sets up the relationships, but takes off once the scandals begin to develop. While it is entertaining and reveals twists in the story only at the last possible moment, it does have collateral damage. A viewer can be left with an even larger distrust for the media and journalists themselves. Too many rules are broken to justify the outcome of this story. Pressure does not mean an editor should overlook illegal taping or allow them to leave a reporter on a case when the conflicts of interest are so glaring.

How far do you think one should go in the name of justice? How far does one have to go before collateral damage becomes a primary target?