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Sunday 4 December 2011

Colin Wenger

On Dec 2, 2011 I posted the following as a blog entry.
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Apparently I've gotten under the skin of Occupy Calgary.

Case in point.


Colin please explain where and how I have slandered you or your group?

My previous post was a collection of your own words and commentary from Twitter, mostly media reporting on the days events.

So please point me to where I have slandered.

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There have been many comments, including a response from Colin. He uses the name DecryptedNight. I promised him I would respond to he comment. Rather than it getting lost in the comment section, I've opted to create this page for it. Later I will archive this as a post. Colin's comments are in red with my responses below.

In response to earlier comments... I am NOT one of the "Squatters". I have a career of 10 years in electronics manufacturing, so no I'm not a jobless whiner either.

Colin I've read and reread the comments. No one has said you were unemployed, jobless or anything to that effect. Perhaps you inferred that from the one commenter who said "If he is one of the squatters..." in which case you've assumed the writer thinks all the campers are unemployed or that is your own belief your are applying to the comment. Also I don't recall anyone saying you were a whiner.

And for your information taking other people's words (especially in text form), cutting out the parts that are no good for supporting your agenda. then spinning the rest to imply that the people in this movement are constantly at each others throats. Is in fact slander... You have removed the "context" of the actual conversation, and largely ignored anything that is actually good or progressive.


I have no "agenda". I'm simply sharing some insight on the goings on of the Occupy Calgary group.   

The screen snapshots, which I get from one of your very own active members, are not altered in any fashion.  You will note that what this person has been doing is repeating the last bit of stream at the beginning of the next one, to show the continuity.

When you say "text form" I'm not clear if you might be referring to the comments section of my blog. Those can't be edited, they are either accepted or rejected.  Have I rejected some, yes.

Slander (as Matt pointed out in the comments), is the spoken word. Specifically, someone would have to speak a lie to be guilty.  

Libel (which is what I think you really mean) is the written word. Specifically, someone writing falsehoods. 

To the best my knowledge, I have neither spoken nor written any lies about you or the Occupy Calgary group. If you feel there is "missing information" that will somehow make anything I've posted be seen in a better light, by all means send them to me.  

It is inevitable when you bring a diverse group of people together that they will in fact disagree. But there are also ways to work together and around that. Case and point, I personally don't actually support the continued presence of the camp itself and I have made that known before. However I am getting ready to head down there again to bring people food and even warm clothing. 
I do this because they are PEOPLE! Standing up for what they feel is right. I might not agree with the specific methods, but if simply spit that in someones face, it destroys any chance of working together on common ground. 
However as for you, and anyone supporting your little laugh riot here. You are achieving nothing that is even the slightest bit productive. Nothing you are doing right here is ever going to solve any problems. You are from what I can see only scheming the next way to get a laugh out of people over how the supposed 'dirty hippies are arguing with each other'. 
If that's all you can manage in the expenditure of time you put into this, then it saddens me to realize you, likely have any real self-worth deep inside.
And if you think a electronics manufacturer don't have the ability to make such a pronouncement. This particular worker happens to spend a great deal of his free time reading philosophy, Psychology, neuroscience and even theoretical physics... Because I like it and it's fun.


Colin I realize you don't know me and you likely don't know my position on the Occupy movement. I also think you and possibly others, are confusing me with my husband. So let me share some things with you to give you a better idea of who I am.


I have a full-time 40 hour a week job. 
I volunteer in my community and as a director for the Wildrose Party. Both of these tie up another 20-25 hours a week on evenings and weekends.
We occasionally help homeless individuals by providing them transitional housing. (Currently we are helping two) 
We give regularly to the food bank, charities and we give blood.


I've been blogging for four years now. I blog about very personal things and about current issues. On average it's worked out to less than 50 posts per year. Actually I wish I could spend more time doing it, but I'm also working on a book


My recent posts come together very quickly simply because someone else is creating the images for me.


As for Occupy.


I fully support everyone's right to protest and stand up for whatever they believe in.
I also believe the laws (and bylaws) should be applied equally to everyone.
I've never called them hippies. Nor have I made any assumptions about you.
I haven't posted the threads that show worst of the bickering. Besides, you and I know they deleted most of them and kicked out the "problem people" 
These blog postings are not meant to solve any problems.


Having said all that, the occupiers and their supporters can't expect to go through life and not be questioned as to their motives and rationale.  I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, to examine what your movement is doing (or trying to do).  Frankly, I've by and large used the groups own words. That can hardly be construed as libelous (or "pathetic slander" as you've stated.)


Added at 11:15 PM


The Occupy Calgary Facebook page was changed to "secret" a couple of days ago.
They have now also made their forum private.


This is exactly the type of thing that lead people to question the sincerity of the group. They repeatedly say they want an "open vibrant discussion" yet their actions don't demonstrate that.


This entry was previously available via a "page" tab. I've converted it to a posting and only way I could move comments was to screen snap them. They were as follows:







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