I'm not sure I believe in Angels, but I do believe in Humanity.

I have been really slow in getting this post up, but please forgive me. I've been recently floored by one contributor who stepped up unasked and agreed to pay the full amount for the dentist bill that one of our Occupiers recently had. Thaddeus was homeless when Occupy Elkhart set up in the plaza where he would frequently go. He listened to what people were saying, and decided to join our group. Now he's out here at Mishawaka Road.

Ok, so some people have questioned whether or not this is money well spent. Some have suggested that we can't both change the world and take care of the world's least fortunate. That maybe we have to make some hard choices about where we put our resources.

But I'm sorry, we are the world, every last one of us. But I will let our "Angel" contributor speak now (with permission). This is what humanity looks like:
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Alright, I made the offer to pay the dentist bill and ever since then my inbox has been a flutter with messages, both thanking me and trying to explain the whole situation too me. I feel like I need to explain myself.

First let me say, the only person that I know in this group is Ed Jensen. Ed and I have been amigos close to 20 yrs. Nobody, including Ed said anything to me about paying the bill. It was my own decision.

Secondly, let me explain my involvement in the occupy movement. I got involved in the middle of September as an organizer for the Occupation of Indianapolis. On October 8th when the occupation began I was on security detail, which was really unnecessary, there were no security issues. It was beautiful. Just like we knew it would be. Great speeches, unity, humor, marching. It was fucking fabulous.

I had this feeling that I couldn't explain. this feeling like I was about to realize something that I had always known but had never expressed.

So I'm at the Occupation doing "security" on the first day. I had been just talking to strangers, really talking to them, ya know. Listening, ya know, really listening. And this TV Reporter came up to me and asked me why I was there. Without even thinking about it I said that I was there because I believed in the dignity of humanity. And that I was tired of living in a world where greed was put above humanity and dignity wasn't even a consideration anymore.

That's why I'm a part of the occupy movement. That's why I offered to pay the bill. The situation or reasons behind how the dental bill happened really dont matter. They really don't. Whether or not the work needed to be done or if it was elective is completely unimportant too me.

I don't know the man who had the dental work done. I've never met him I know nothing of him personally. What I do know is that he's a human being......

He is someone son, someones grandson. He may be someones father, someones brother. Just like we all are.

He has a history, a story to tell. He may have huge problems to over come. He may have already over come everything that he's gonna in this lifetime. Just like the rest of us.

There but for the grace of God go I

Go all of us

I offered to pay the bill because people took this unknown, to me, man to the dentist to help him out. To restore some dignity to humanity......

Paying the bill was the least I could do. I believe that when we reach back and help those less fortunate than us we create a better world for all of us.

That what I thought all this occupy stuff was about.

It makes no sense to me to take to the streets in civil disobedience in protest over greed and then argue about money.....

The issues of the homeless are many. They're complicated, complex difficult things to understand, make sense of, let alone find a reasonable working solution too.

But, be that as it may, for me, I'm gonna side on the side of humanity, every fucking time I have a chance too.

There's an awful lot of occu-drama out there if I want to buy into it.

There's a lot of stuff that happens in the occupation that I don't necessarly agree with. When something happens or is happening that I don't see eye to eye with, I share my experience, my concerns and thoughts, let the process happen, and if it goes forward, I cut it the fuck loose.

Because in the end I need to support the movement as a whole. Because I do support the movement.

Were never gonna agree on everything. We all have our own truth that we're working towards. Our own world views and understanding. But we must not allow those differences to destroy our unity of purpose.

We must fight to keep the ties the bind us together stronger than those that would tear us apart.

In Solidarity

Scott Michael
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We are "we the people"; we will heal this nation
I might have lost my job, but I found an occupation


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