32 points: Proposal for Movement's Rules of Order (Addendum to CoC)

http://occupynashville.org/forum/index.php?topic=1487.0 is the forum link, but out of respect for those of you that either don't want to sign up on the forums or are having problems, here is what I posted:

1)Code of Conduct applies within email as well as on the Plaza. (Cyber-bullying not allowed.)
2) We will not engage in cronyism.
3) We leave our ideologies at the door, to come together united as a group of people facing the problems that plague us together.
(Reason: This is not a socialist/anarchist/vegan/democratic/communisitc/carnivorous/feminist/chauvanist movement..although it
has been started by members of all walks of the aforementioned and contains members of such.)
4) We will be open and transparent..and where issues of concern involve that transparency, we will work together to fix those problems.
5) Autonomous groups must be clearly designated, but may not have access to money from Occupy Nashville, nor any of its resources.
6) The resources donated to Occupy Nashville are meant for the movement and its forward movement, not for personal use, or to promote personal agendas.
7) Those that have violated Code of Conduct may not handle money from Occupy Nashville.
8)Those that do not participate in the encampment may not decide its fate.
(Reason: It is unfair to those that do work with the camp to have their fate decided by people that do not work with it or them.)
9) The encampment is a part of Occupy, and as such..debasing or defiling it is a violation of code of conduct as it takes away from the movement and creates a weaker front. We need a unified front to continue to create real change.
10)Occupy Nashville is not, and may not be..used as a recruiting tool for any autonomous group. We are here to come together, not be driven apart.
11) There will not be a division of working groups. Consistent and uniform achieves greater focus. Having multiple of one working group only makes things tedious. Under this rule, existing divisions would unite and must start working together, which was the purpose of this movement in the first place. (So, we can have 5 livestreams that are Occupy nashville, but one Livestream group. <---Example, so that everyone works together and covers each other.)
12)We will not accept any donation that causes us to be less that a good steward of, or compromise the integrity of this movement.
13) We will not allow donations to dictate what we will and will not do, as this is little more than the very lobbyism we claim to oppose.
14) If someone has been found to have taken donations from Occupy Nashville, they must return what was stolen to have any chance at redemption. Even after however, they are not to utilize any donations further from Occupy Nashville, especially monetary.
15) We will support our local small businesses, bringing aid and support to our communities.
16) We will find ways to aid and support our local soup kitchens, missions..and shelters..this will alleviate the burden on the encampment and allow us a stronger focus.
17) We will not give into appeasement, or to those whom have a broad sense of entitlement. (No means no. Followthrough.)
18) We will respect our encampment, and those camping whom are putting alot on the line in their own right.
19) In regards to the Homeless, those that help maintain and work with the camp are Occupiers.
20) We will present the same face in private that we do in public, or not at all.
21) We will treat our critics and whistleblowers with respect. (If we don't like what the public may think..fix the problem..and there's no longer anything to concern yourself with!)
22)Regarding positions of authority..no one that has violated Code of Conduct, or refused to uphold Code of Conduct will be allowed near one of these.
23) In the event that a group is formed comprised of individuals that have repeatedly harrassed others, or violated Code of Conduct,
that group will be dissolved and no longer considered a part of Occupy Nashville. We work together, or not at all. That is and has been the core of our movement. (The same goes with a constant disruption of GAs or Occupy events.)
24)Any event in which an autonomous group may well take over proceedings or lead planned events into their own events must be
discussed beforehand at GA. People must know what they are getting themselves into and be honestly informed and know their rights.
25) Meetings must be made known. (Where and when) and at the very least, a summary as notes so that it is known what was discussed. These will be posted up to 24 hours before, and the notes 24 hours after. (Transparency clause)
26) Email clause (after much forethought): Anyone that divulges the mass emails of another must do so within their own emails within 24 hours. In the interest of transparency, anyone that asks for a copy of an email proceeding should be able to see such...with the only exceptions being passwords, security information..and so on. It is adviseable not to say anything in chains that you wouldn't want the world to see. Even a movement needs its whistleblowers.
27) Regarding camp closure: (To finally settle this) The only way to close down the camp is to have first a camp consensus to close,
and then a GA consensus.  If it does not pass the camp consensus..it will not go to GA.  (Though to be transparent, the camp working group will make it known that a consensus meeting was held.) Those members whom are outside of the camp and have refused to participate in it..or have harrassed its members are not allowed to influence the camp consensus meeting in any way, and if they attempt to do so they will be barred from any future meetings regarding the operation of the camp.

In order to hold a camp closure consensus, *all* of the following criteria must be met:
-Valid threat of eviction
-Loss of porta-johns
-Zero donations left
-State of total disrepair or abuse.
-consistency of negative element (As in abusive people)
-complete loss of police presence
-severe weather (tornado, flood, super blizzard..in that vein.) (This is the exception to the rule, given that the safety needs
of our Occupiers encamping is paramount)

In this regard, the issue may be settled once and for all, and everyone knows what they have to do in order to bear appropriate responsibility.

28) Regarding those that solely wish to work without an encampment and prefer alternative methods, these are not allowed
to influence an anti-camp mentality. However, they will be treated with respect by those in the encampment..as they are seeking alternative methods and (common element in all of this) we need to work together as a unified whole. Just as the encampment is not wrong to seek its path, neither are those that wish to work outside of it. So let us have both, and support each other to the fullest.

29) We will work to accentuate the positive, with the establishment of programs and ideas to bring more of a positive front to the movement. A place where everyone can enjoy themselves..with the re-establishment of art, music..writing, poetry..and even sports (to such an extent as does not cause property damage. ).

30) We will attempt to do what few movements previously have been capable of: To create an alternative and not fall back into the same bad behaviors and mentalities that create the problems we face currently. We must never be just a different version of the same and we will take proper stewardship of this movement and of our nation by being committed to finding a healthier alternative and creating a world we can all be proud of.

31) We understand that this is not about promoting our personal platforms *as* *much* as it is about ensuring that by coming together that anyone is even allowed to have a platform at all. Our opposition is unified, and we should be as well..but we should also be clear that if we are busy fighting each other..and worrying only about our personal agendas..we will not accomplish nearly as much as we could have had we worked together.

32) Finally, we will not play the victim..or hide behind labels (right, left..etc) or terms like Fascism when we are clearly capable of intelligent communication, understanding..and getting our point across in other means.

Something to think about.

You know, shortly after the last post I had myself removed from email chains altogether. Before that occurred however, I made one final notation..which was this.

"What would happen if I forwarded these email chains to the state and to the press? Tell you what, the day I leave..that is the first thing I am going to do."

Apparently, now, because of this, at least one person "has it out for me." A severely imbalanced keyboard commando that can't keep her own stories straight and feels the need to bully others into submission. Please lady...I worked in retail for years. A typical Sunday morning has you beat in spades, so stop wasting my time and my inbox space with your blatant stupidity..before you decided to email me I at least thought you were somewhat intelligent..a perception that has been greatly changed since.

Its kind of absurd, you know. A group of people claims to care so much about their personal image,
and what others think of them. Yet...they repeatedly let things happen that are not good for their personal image..or the movement period. The order of the day is bullying other people...or running off
and tantruming by doing their own thing rather than working as a group. The statement has been made that for the State to see us like this..they would be laughing at us.

Indeed, for we have met the enemy, and it is us.

To say it will get you chastised, jumped on, ridiculed or regarded in an abusive manner. What was once a unified whole has become factions, each trying to speak FOR the whole. Some of them happening to be quite fringe or just severely imbalanced/hostile to anyone that is not a part of their inner circle. One faction in particular seems to be quite dedicated to the destruction/ending of the encampment..and they have yet to actually provide real reasons for why we have to without fail be without an encampment.

Keep in mind, they are also not a part of the encampment, either, nor do they work with it. In fact, they have refused to work with it..and on occasion harassed its members. Largely in person, they usually refuse to discuss anything..their only real bravado comes from behind a desk and a keyboard. Then its like animals devouring each other.

To see these displays is enough to truly horrify folks. The curious thing is the sheer level of cowardice displayed during these events. The bullies and the manipulators are in full swing..but what is amazing is not what you hear but in fact..what you don't hear. We can't tell people "No." And we certainly can't tell someone to stop being abusive..or playing the victim.

We will argue for days straight about the use of language...however, what we will not do for at least a week is take care of our occupiers and get winterization straight, or help protect them from the rain. Or come up with a more adequate donation system...or situate the food situation in camp. Nope, lets take the least pressing matter and argue about how our own backsides appear to the whole..because clearly that is more important than starvation, dehydration, or exposure.

Yet, the moment you try to say something that isn't goody 100%..you become the enemy. Whistleblowers and critics aren't allowed in this Occupy, and in many ways we have come to truly act like the very things we claim to oppose. What is worse..these seem to be okay..and *allowed* as long as it doesn't clutter one's inbox too much.

Accuse someone of supporting women's abuse? Nothing is said.
Accuse someone of hacking their computer and getting threatened with a lawsuit over it?
Apparently that's fine!

Now, say something about these people on the other hand..then you're being a bully, and they are the victim. Isn't interesting how the bullies make themselves out to be the victim, and how they never know what you're talking about when you confront them?

The only cowardice worse than those that decide to be bullies is the cowardice of the silent consent of those that allow it to continue.

If Occupy Nashville really cares so much about its image, it should work harder on its followthrough, accountability, and transparency...rather than just leaving things to the bullies and professional victims that want to turn this into their own personal circus for their own private agendas that have nothing to do with Occupy. If what the email chains contain is *that* seriously worrying to them...

...then maybe we should practice what we preach and show in those email chains the same face that we show to the world. In a word, its called consistency..but it also means that of those two sides..one of them is real..and one of them is not..and we should get it in gear and make sure we know what side that we put forth is the real Occupy nashville.

If that real side isn't something we like..then letting it slide won't change anything. It just proves our opponents right. We either fix it..or as a whole..we deserve whatever we get if it hits the press and the state.

We don't like to hear it, but that is very much the reality of things..and we should always be more concerned about doing the right thing, not inflating our egos and protecting our backsides. That is what the government and our opposition does. We can't change them by imitating them, and it is insanity to presume otherwise.