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Message from the Chair
November, 2011
The past few months have been exciting in the political arena, with election buzz, redistricting and, of course, the emergence of the Occupy Wall Street movement and its spin-offs.
It has been a long time since our country has seen protests of this sort. Many of today's "Occupiers" weren't even born during the movements of the 1960s and 1970s, but for those of us who were, it is a reminder that activism is one of the many things that makes America great. Even if you don't agree with the specifics of the movement, it's hard to ignore the spirit of unity that this type of phenomenon creates.
As a Democrat, I want to see all of the people in this country have a voice and a vote, and I share the frustration of the Occupy movement regarding the income inequality that seems to be at the forefront of these protests. Although there are many who fault the Occupy movement for their "leaderless-ness" and lack of coherent message, there seems to be a sense of passion and camaraderie in the Occupy movement that fuels our collective consciousness and makes us want to get involved.
At the November Central Committee meeting, the SLO County Democratic Party passed a resolution in support of the Occupy movement. While their message may still be in the formative stage, we applaud their fervor and involvement. We saw many good results in the elections this week, thanks to invigorated voters, and environmental protesters managed to persuade President Obama to reconsider the certification of the Tar Sand XL Pipeline.
Activism still works. Whatever the outcome of this movement, it is great to see that our community is ready and willing to fight for reform. Meaningful change is never effortless.
Pat Harris is currently serving her first term as Chair of the SLOCDP.
A long-time community leader and activist, Pat served as the Assistant Director of Student Life and Leadership at Cal Poly, the Chair of the County Commission on the Status of Women, Chair of the Central Coast Women's Political Committee, and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Community Counseling Center. She has worked for many years with the grassroots Latino group, Living in America, presenting educational programs on civic participation.
Pat recently resigned from her positions as Executive Director of the California International Choral Festival and as Executive Director of the Vocal Arts Ensemble. She had worked with these groups since 2006.
Since 2003 Pat has owned Exceptional Events, an event planning business. She has lived on the Central Coast for almost thirty years.
