by Annie Muse

Annie Muse comments on use of the word occupy, jumping off from a December blog post (“What if We Occupied Language?” 21 Dec 2011, nytimes.com), in which H. Samy Alim wrote, “Occupy Wall Street has occupied language, has made ‘occupy’ its own…. What if we transformed the meaning of occupy yet again?”

I rather like the recent appropriation of the word occupy with all it’s new connotations.  I feel that one reason it may resonate so well with people is that when one is faced with the abuse of privilege, it requires energy and force to set things right. So occupy, with all its martial baggage, may well have an appeal.

Is it a radical stance?  To those with privilege, anytime a group appears and has great power without the appearance of leadership, the privileged become fearful. And isn’t that going after symptoms (national debts, immigration policy, etc.) is what we always try first?… even medically the “sensible” approach is “conservative”.

To occupy has historically been a term associated with the occupation of lands and the intrusion of aggressive cultures, but where this new usage is truly different is that it seems to specifically target hearts and minds — an interior and far more local space.  And
this may be why when certain folks first heard of the Occupy movement they were dismissive and condescending toward it: “…they don’t know what they want!”

No, I believe they truly do know what they want. It can be very difficult to express yourself when the only language you possess has already been bent for use by previous understandings.

As far as the New York Times‘s blog post is concerned, I agree, mostly.  But I think that focusing on the racial ramification of the historical use of occupy makes for a discussion small in scope. Although the emphasis on the “99%” has been effective (and a great battlecry), those who live on the tails of the bell curve at this time in our history may actually have a chance of getting some help from the “majority” who occupy the movement. This gives me hope.

My experience is that if my little cohort is too small, too weak, too silenced, it will be thrown under the bus. And no one will complain. What those with privilege have never understood is that they too are minorities of one, just backed up with a lot more support. It’s not just racial oppression that our society is blind to.

[December 27, 2011]

Photo: Occupy Anchorage demonstration, Anchorage Town Square, 8 October 2011. Photo by Melissa S. Green.