I am a supporter of Occupy. I am a supporter of civil disobedience. But I do not support assault, when it is physical or verbal. And I do not support trespass on private property, which I regard as violence against people and the community.

Specifically, I did not support the guerrilla gardening exercise by Carrboro Commune this past Saturday.

Carrboro Commune is the Donald Trump of Occupy. They take themselves really seriously. But no one else does.

They are all about stunts and showboat and sizzle – but no steak.

Occupy at its best is about building community. Not disruption and destruction.

There was nothing about last Saturday’s protest that had to do with building community. It was about a few folks getting publicity for themselves. Not for a cause. Not for community. But for themselves.

Some may see this as harmless. But it’s not harmless when it detracts attention from those of us who are doing the hard work of building genuine community.

And especially when it detracts attention from the legitimate protest being waged by those living around the proposed CVS building.

Frankly, I might have been more impressed if those protesting private property rights, did not themselves own private property. And I might be more convinced by the line that private property represents theft, if those same homeowners did not have insurance against theft.

Bottom line? There are some things you can do. Some things you can’t. And then there’s just plain cant.

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