99% Spring Training

Yesterday I attended a 99% spring training session. The goal is to educate citizens on the use of non violent direct action, allowing people to understand that it is a valuable tool that has led to many of the most meaningful social and economic changes we've seen throughout history.

If you have the time to attend on of these trainings, I really couldn't recommend it higher. Click here for a list of trainings in your area.

I also think that for liberal organizations to be investing serious resources into this type of training is very significant. There was a debate among occupy folks and others over how this should be perceived. Worries of attempts at co-option from the occupy movement are completely valid, but my hope is that it's going on the other direction. I couldn't agree any more with Alexis Goldstein's comments here:

"These organizations are encouraging thousands of people to undergo direct action training, without any electioneering diluting that goal, despite the fact that we are six months out from a presidential election," says Occupy the SEC's Alexis Goldstein. "This is unprecedented, amazing, and shows that there is an important focus on trainings and educations among groups that may have different strategies."

Goldstein adds that Occupy is fighting an information battle, and any effort to educate people on direct action is a positive act.

"If anything, this is Occupy 'co-opting' [MoveOn]," she says.

And having attended a training, I can say this is completely true. The videos shown and discussion of the financial crisis don't spare team D, and there is no discussion of electoral politics, something that's honestly rare based on my time working with the labor movement. Check it out, it's worth your time.