REALITY- This is what happens when people of principle stand up for their rights. They are immediately reminded exactly why it was that they hadn't tried to do so before now. Because when anyone steps out of line they are dealt with by the police. Unless by stepping out of line you mean billionaires stealing billions of dollars from people who will never have that kind of cash. The cops ignore you if your crime is to hoard wealth through a corrupt system that stopped truly being a system the instant that it failed to serve the needs of the less fortunate. A system is not a system if it does not function.
On the 40th day of The Occupy Movement people from all over the world are rising up together to demand economic and political justice for themselves and their children. Oakland California has just seen a particularly brutal siege by police that left many injured and one U.S. veteran shot in the head with a tear gas canister and in critical condition at the time of this writing. Police all over the world have responded in very much the same way. Arrest, attack, and attempt to demoralize. The Police in New York have been resorting to what's been called "Stop and Frisk". Which has officers randomly stopping anyone they choose, according to race in many cases, and subjecting the citizen to a pat down frisk. They have also been offering arrested protesters a deal that would expunge their arrest just so long as that person is not arrested again (for protesting) for six months. The NYPD had no right to arrest the peaceful protester in the first place, all that this tactic does is to serve as a deterrent from returning to a protest site for fear of facing jail time. Dirty tricks at best, The Constitution of The United States of America guarantees any American Citizen the right to peaceful assembly and if necessary protest. To petition the government with prayer if you will. At least most of the protests sites have remained peaceful. Unfortunately not all.
The Police in Oakland, California have resorted to heavy use of tear gas, and atomized metal batons to disperse peaceful unarmed demonstrators. Occupy Orlando was evicted last night, and there have been more than 500 arrests at Occupy Atlanta. One man in Austin, Texas was arrested for sleeping.
What are they doing that is so dangerous that you need that many cops, that many batons, and this much noxious chemical gas to attack them? It is not that they are protesting. Necessarily, it's not that they are in camping in public without a permit, and if that's really a law anywhere then that law is really unconstitutional. The Constitution supersedes any such laws, particular during times like these. The real reason that the establishment and its police force can't allow these protests to continue is because that the brave souls at each Occupy location are setting an example for all the lost souls that continue to power the greed machine. The establishment has begun to fear the prospects of actually having to deal with the Occupy movement at a bargaining table if they should inspire a general strike to occur across The United States and eventually the world.
Strike, in particular if you work for an organization or company that you know to be dishonest, corrupt, or otherwise at fault or contributing to the problems we all face as Americans. Those who work at banks would be an obvious example of someone who the establishment would rather didn't wake up. Someone who they like that they trained well who would be somewhat difficult to replace. Strike, if you're tired of breaking your back for just enough while someone less worthy collects way too much to do so very little.
The only problem with that is who is going to feed all these angry, hungry people? How will they stay warm? Occupy Wall Street has been collecting donations in cash and in the form of warm clothing, blankets, sleeping bags. Anything you can think of that people would need while they try to survive the winter outdoors. A New York winter. www.occupywallstreet.org
Who is going to help?
Anybody?
Anyone at all?
Until then The Occupy Revolution marches on.
And As Always,
REALITY- As I gaze upon the 99%. The brave tens of thousands of men and women just like you and me who are Occupy Wall Street. I see the vision of Jefferson, Adams and Franklin. I see American people who have reached out and taken into their grasp the true American dream. The dream that proclaims each individual is equal to any other and as such deserves equal treatment under the law. The Dream that states that we the people as individuals and a group have the right to self determination. The right to live, healthy and free of interference from large corporations and government interests. We the people have the right to the same chance to survive as those who have become financially dominant. Especially these fat cats on Wall Street, who made their millions by gambling with and ruining countless people's lives.
Revolution has been sweeping across the world, and it appears that the American spirit of freedom has finally come home. I can't be more excited that the American people may finally be awake. The thousands and thousands of free man and women who have gathered together in New York have developed a system of amplification where everything that a speaker says is repeated in unison by all gathered closest to the speaker. They call it "The People's Mike". They use it to say in one voice "We want to end the wars and tax the rich."
There it is. That is what the people who live in this democracy want. To quote the late great George Carlin "Even in a fake democracy the people ought to get what they want once in a while". After 20 days the movement appears to be going strong with mass participation and a generally upbeat and peaceful attitude. Live video stream is available at www.occupywallstreet.org
Still here? Sweet, anyway, I'm amazed that so many people are able to remain calm and peaceful considering how much police brutality that they have endured at the hands of The N.Y.P.D. Earlier today I watched a video taken from the inside of a paddy wagon where at least seven people sat and lamented one man's broken nose, several others were handcuffed. All of them arrested for self expression. Everyone has heard about white shirt cop Tony Bologna and his pepper sprayings by now.
But still the 99% endures. That's what we do, we the people, we survive. For many of us there is simply no other option. For these people who have sought the attention of America and the world, for them the mantra is clear in their chants. "This Is What Democracy Looks Like!" - "All day, All Week, Occupy Wall Street!" - "Who's Streets? Our Streets!" And clearer still in the first statement from Occupy Wall Street as read by Keith Olbermann of Current. http://current.com/shows/countdown/videos/special-comment-keith-reads-first-collective-statement-of-occupy-wall-street
Matching protest rallies have emerged in over 30 other U.S. cities including Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Occupy movements have spring up around the world in places like London, England - Milan, Italy - and Sydney, Australia. The people of Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, In all the people of more than 80 nations have all launched or will launch on October 15th 2011( http://www.15october.net/ ) Occupy style marches. Back in New york City's Zuccotti Park renamed by The General Assembly as Freedom Plaza, many celebrities have joined the march to show their support. People like Michael Moore, Tim Robbins, and Mark Ruffalo.
Despite the mass involvment, it is understood that no one man or woman has authority over the people at Freedom Plaza. The people there call themselves The General Assembly. This appears to be a true non-partison grassroots political campaign. Not just the left answer to the Tea Party. In fact there are Tea Partiers at Freedom Plaza too. Independats, Democrats, real Republicans, Tea Partiers, and here to for non-political individuals have all come together to put an end to the tyranny that erodes our exsistences.
If you feel as they do, as I do, as we do, then you must, if capable, find your way to the nearest protest site. Once there please remain peaceful but strong. Let your voice be heard alongside your brothers and sisters in this cause of freedom and equal rights for all. Not to mention the wealthy and otherwise powerful still being responsible for paying their fair share of the taxes, not starting illegal wars, and refraining from gambling people's lives into oblivion.
I, for one, plan to do my part. My emotions about this movement can be summed into of the statements echoed by The People's Mike today...
"This time we have to succeed."
Ps. October 15, 2011 is the day to rise as one and proclaim that we the people shall always be free. See you out there.
And As Always,
