May Day!

That’s not a distress call, just acknowledgement of this traditional pagan day of fun and festivity marking the full arrival of Spring, later an international workers’ day and occasion to celebrate peoples’ revolutions. This year the Occupy Movement wants to plug in to its energy too.

“NO WORK – NO SCHOOL – NO SHOPPING – NO BANKING – NO TRADING. THE PEOPLE OF THE PLANETS WILL TAKE TO THE STREETS.”

Octogenerian E.O. Wilson recently asked the youngsters at Grist why they weren’t taking it to the streets on behalf of the planet.

Why aren’t you young people out protesting the mess that’s being made of the planet?

As we squirmed in our seats, Wilson, 82, continued: “Why are you not repeating what was done in the ‘60s? Why aren’t you in the streets? And what in the world has happened to the green movement that used to be on our minds and accompanied by outrage and high hopes? What went wrong?”

Mike Sandmel says May Day’s a good time to answer that challenge, “a chance at a fresh start… a chance for us inject some green wisdom into the core of the conversation.” We’ll see how dead activism really is. The Occupy tents were still up last time I looked over at Vandy, but so far as I could tell the tents themselves were unoccupied. Symbolism is important but insufficient.

Gus Speth has drafted a strong manifesto… “WE NEED A COMPELLING VISION for a new future, a vision of a better country—America the Possible…” but such fine words invite action, not mere appreciation. Action like “greening the ghetto” for instance, as Van Jones has proposed.

But the Spring is alive in any case. Find yourself a pole and circle it.