Why I love poets (or at least Robert Hass and Brenda Hillman)

University of California, Berkeley's famous poet (and former poet laureate) Robert Hass has been showing his support of the Occupy movement. This first link shows Hass getting pushed around by police, as he and fellow faculty, students, and supporters of the Occupy movement formed a human chain to safeguard occupiers from the police.

The second link is to Hass' New York Times article about this incident, how he and his wife, the poet Brenda Hillman, arrived at the campus to protect the students from police brutality--Hass gives a chilling description of the violence used by police. He also critiques the state's neglect of education and unwillingness to pay more in taxes to fund the university.

Way to go Hass!