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"We Are the 99%": Voices From the Occupy Wall Street March

"We Are the 99%": Voices From the Occupy Wall Street March

Piece by Amy Goodman at Democracy now.

Amy Goodman interviews NYU student Robyn Caplan at #OccupyWal... on Twitpic

Amy Goodman interviews NYU student Robyn Caplan at #OccupyWal... on Twitpic

My little sister!!! So proud!!!

October 5th

My heart is pounding, I have lumps in my throat, my stomach is churning and I'm not even there. Watching the livestream, reading twitter, and watching the youtube videos of police violence has been nerve wracking, but I can't turn away.

I'm a witness to the events of tonight. It feels like I'm there with them, when I'm actually miles away.

Yet the mainstream media and Barack Obama are still diminishing what's going on.

Today reports of 50,000 people marched together, in solidarity. Union workers, nurses, teachers, students, unemployed Americans, vets all in one unit peacefully, democratically sending a message together. People are still ignoring what's going on!

Now to touch on the not so heartwarming part of today's events. After a very peaceful march, demonstrators tried to converge on Wall Street, and the Police used the opportunity to act like babaric assholes with daddy issues. Beating, macing and pushing otherwise peaceful protests, just like the bullies they are. Lucky for them, it was all caught on video, and they weren't as smart as the G20 police were, it won't be that hard to find them.

This movement isn't going anywhere, it's only getting stronger, and on October 15 the world will join in.

Canadians and Occupy Wallstreet

I haven't seen the support for OccupyWallstreet here in Canada that I would have hoped to see. I believe it's because Canadians sincerely believe that what's happening on OccupyWallstreet doesn't apply to us. But they're wrong. Here's a short list of reasons why Canadians should be occupying as well.

1. The telecommunications monopoly:

Companies like Bell and Rogers own everything related to the way we receive and send media. They own our cable lines, they own our television stations, and they own our politicians. We are paying far too much for our internet, phone and cable because Bell and Rogers have no competition, and very little regulation. Check out openmedia.ca to learn more about this.

2. Bill C-52 (and other internet privacy bills)

The government has been quietly pushing through bills that are scarily similar to the privacy acts that the Bush administration pushed through following September 11th.

http://www2.macleans.ca/tag/bill-c-52/

3. The Alberta Oil Sands

The Alberta Oil Sands are one of the most destructive pollution sources in our world. And the Canadian Government won't do anything about it.

4. The CPC's lack of consideration for Canadian ideologies

Canadians have said time and time again that the environment is an issue we care about. "An overwhelming 85% of Canadians are concerned about “climate change.” " . Yet the federal Conservative Government has been passing, or attempting to pass legislation that's harmful for our environment.

5. Harper's Mega-Jails

Crime is down, yet Stephen Harper and his Conservatives want to build multi-million dollar mega jails, much like those in the US that have been proven incredibly INEFFECTIVE! It's another manipulation by the Harper Government to convince Canadians that we need a tough on crime government (ahem, Conservative). Because a lot of Canadians refuse to do any research for themselves, the simple act of building these jails sends them the message that Crime is a massive issue, and we should be afraid. This unfounded fear helps Conservatives get elected.

6. The Toronto G20

In 2010, Canada hosted the G8 and the G20. The G20 (with much anger) was hosted in downtown Toronto, against the advice of numerous officials.

The police went above and beyond their duties, and carried out the largest mass arrest in Canadian History, violently. We're still waiting for apologies, and a proper investigation into what happened. Canadians were denied their right to peacefully assemble, and demonstrate, we need to take that right back.

7. Stephen Harper wants to take public financing out of campaigns. Being that the CPC is great for corporations and not for people, private only financing gives them a HUGE advantage! Just another way that Stephen Harper and the CPC are manipulating laws to benefit them, not Canadians.

Canada is not a perfect country, and with the current Conservative government, things are only going to get worse. We need to stand up now, and take our country back.

Join OccupyCanada on October 15th, and be counted.

What makes this protest different?

Last night I was on twitter and got an update from Pitchfork media. The tweet mentioned that Jeff Mangum (from Neutral Milk Hotel, absolutely one of my favourite musicians) was playing a lullaby for the demonstrators in New York. I immediately switched to the GlobalRevolutions live feed just in time to catch his very last song. It was amazing, serene and a moment in time that they will remember for the rest of their lives. But what was even more amazing was that sitting in my basement in St.Catharines, I was able to be a part of that incredibly special moment. They were miles away, and I got to be there with them.

I stayed on the livestream and watched a Q&A with some of the occupiers. People were able to chat with them, ask questions and receive answers immediately. The demonstrators have made it so that we don't have to "be" there to "be there". We can support them, and their actions by acting as their witnesses, by asking them questions to help streamline their mission, by spreading their words through twitter, facebook and other social media sites.

The fact that the mainstream media appears less then pleased to give the occupation any screentime bothered me at first, but thanks to social media and alternative news sources, and people like me, their words are getting out.

You don't understand why they're doing what they're doing? Go on the livefeed and ask them, or if you can't make it there, tweet @OccupyWallStNYC and ask your question there. They are more then happy to answer, and explain to anyone who wants to know.

A Letter to President Obama

Dear President Obama

Two years ago you campaigned on a message of hope, and change. You gathered support from people who felt underrepresented and were fearful about the future in Republican hands. You convinced us all that you were the answer to the problem. I believed you.

I spoke highly about you to anyone who would listen. I listed your merits, your experience. I defended your right to be President against ignorant internet trolls, and misinformed American citizens. I stood up for you time and time again. Every new decision, ever misdirection, every bill you tried, I defended you.

I have been waiting for you to address what's happening on Wallstreet and is spreading across your country, and the globe. I've been waiting for you to even acknowledge the plight of your citizens, to wake up and pay some attention to what's happening on your soil. I'm tired of hearing your statements about other issues, without even one mention of the biggest revolution to hit your country in years. Your youth have stood up, finally! Your retirees, teachers, union workers, unemployed citizens are all standing together to fight for an America that you promised them.

Mr. President I am done defending you and your actions, or lack their of.

I refuse to continue to rationalize to people about your motivations for wimping out in your fight against Republican tactics. I am finished spreading your message, and standing for your agenda.

That is until you stand up for me, and the rest of us 99% who are desperately needing you to do so.

Your country, the world, need you now more then ever. Now is when your message of hope and change would be the most effective. Those people who have been demonstrating need you to be their voice, and their hope again. They need your action.

Stop putting your career above your people, and start being the President you convinced us all you would be.

Sincerely,

An American Canadian.

Cynicism and Politics

Occupy Wallstreet has brought up a lot of emotions from varied, and diverse groups. People are hopeful, frustrated and most of all cynical.

It's amazing to me the amount of times I've read things like "what are they hoping to accomplish?" "This isn't going to amount to anything" "got a job you no good hippies". Well, that would be one of the various things they're hoping to accomplish from this.

The claim that civil disobedience and revolution doesn't accomplish anything isn't new. People used that same argument to convince people to stop the sit-ins at Woolworth lunch counters, to deter women from burning their bras, and to prevent Homosexuals for fighting for equal rights. Every time a movement for equality, civil rights and basic human needs springs up, the same cynical, irrational discourse follows it.

If revolution accomplished nothing we wouldn't have the majority of the rights we grasp onto on a daily basis. We wouldn't have a United States of America.

So many of the things North Americans take for granted on a daily basis came from protests, demonstrations and plain old "anarchy" (although the definition of anarchy used in this context is not at all the definition of anarchy that political scientists acknowledge.) Why shouldn't it work this time?

Yes, when this movement started, the message was vague, but as the movement has developed so has their mission. I've been saying for years that Americans needed to stand up against Lobbyists and Big Business, and fight for their interests to become the focus of Politicians. That's what this movement hopes to accomplish.

The cynicism that's prevalent is just more ignorance, and more rhetoric. They're using this argument to deter people from joining the movement, because they know it CAN accomplish something, and change scares them.

Politics and economics are not meant to be stagnant. Politics is an ever evolving system. As people's needs change, government and politics should be changing to meet them. And if it won't change willingly, it needs to be forced, hence revolution.

The Great American Scam

For years the rest of the world has been being sold an image of the United States that they should prosper to be. A land of the free, the happy, the proud, the wealthy. A place where anyone's dreams could come true. A place where people truly knew the meaning of freedom. What we're learning today is that the image of the America we've been raised with is the made up face of a fractured nation.

Most Americans I speak too are struggling, are unhappy, and are incredibly frustrated. They've been sold this image too. They were raised to believe they could be what they wanted, that they could have a family, a job and total happiness. The reality they were met with was very different. With unemployment rates still high in the United States, and the costs of necessities like food and power rising, Americans are traveling a tough road, and it doesn't appear to be letting up anytime soon.

And while a majority of Americans are working two jobs just to scrape by, the rich are getting richer. Globalization has made it so that American Corporations don't need American consumers to survive. And with their major sway and influence in Washington, American Consumers don't have a voice, or anyone looking out for their best interests.

Cue in #OccupyWallstreet, or now #Iamthe99. Born out of the frustration of Americans at their lack of representation in politics, OccupyWallstreet is a movement that has major symbolism, and is inspiring similar movements around the world. Finally someone is speaking up for the consumer, the student, the mother, the average person.

As a student of political science, I am excited at the prospect of this movement. For far too long Politicians have been representing the wants of the highest bidder, rather then protecting the needs of their people. They've been trading the wellbeing of the American Citizen for stocks, and post term jobs. It's high time the citizens of the United States, the World, stood up for themselves and stood up against the blatant corruption prevalent in the "land of the free". Finally, people have stopped believing the rhetoric and have started educating themselves on reality. I stand with this movement, I stand with these people, and I have hope that a better America, a better world will be born from this.