Re: The Occupation
Last August we received some communication from Occupy 2011. We committed the resources of The Portland Alliance to this movement.
Everyday people, from across the geopolitical planetary spectrum, have come together in thousands of cities (billions untold) in one unified and vital voice. No amount of dismissive corporate blather can diminish this development.
This revolutionary uprising will not go away.
Committed individuals have come together to raise their voices and speak truth to
power. They refuse to be sold out and lied to while corporate interests are bailed
out on our dime by government officials who remain aloof and unaccountable.
Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Portland are not alone. Nor are they merely parts
of a national movement. Civic Occupations are global movements for solidarity and justice:
"The truth is Occupy Wall Street was already global and had been since it began. The organizers themselves launched an occupation action because they were inspired by what citizens in Tunisia, Egypt, Spain and Greece had done this year. They saw what they were doing as part of a global revolution that had to happen against the forces of greed and corruption in the world, which are forcing austerity measures on people in many, many countries.
Who knows where the “Occupy” movement is headed? That is the beauty of the moment. Possibilities for a better future in America are more possible now than ever before. Young people are stepping out and putting their bodies on the line all because they believe in the revitalization and reinvention of democratic society. They understand that the power has to be shifted from the few—the corporations, the political class and the richest 1%—to the many—the citizens, who should be more included in the decision-making process. They understand that citizens have to take responsibility for putting this country on the right track so that casino capitalists, greedy bankers and war profiteers are not allowed to expand their adventurist, entrepreneurial, neo-liberal agendas, and ambitions.
Rebellion is changing the terms of the debate. The presence of people out in the street is influencing what politicians and talking heads say on news programs.
It is only the beginning. It will only continue to escalate and grow because Americans are angry, they’ve had enough and they see the system is rigged by two parties that operate in service to Wall Street, the military or the security industrial-complex, which protects the financial and ruling elites. They will deliberate over what to do about the systemic problems in this country and rebel until they think these systemic problems have been addressed." ~~~from Kevin Gosztola's musings on Sunday October 16, 2011
Occupy Portland and and associated movements are global, dynamic, and growing. Because our political processes are corrupt, this populist revolution has captured the imagination of everyday people. Taking it to the streets with marches and demonstrations has captured the media spotlight.
The occupations at Wall Street, in Portland, Oregon, and in thousands of cities across the globe will not be ended by police force or political machinations. There is no going backwards because the people who occupy this planet have spoken. We are sending notice to the banking community, congress, the executive branch, the Fortune 500, and judicial systems everywhere:
We want jobs, health care, education, and justice.
Disproportionate suffering, hunger, and poverty are not acceptable. Our demands for an intact social safety net to provide jobs, health care education, and justice must endure, survive, and prevail over the brutish responses of city officials and police authorities. We may have been evicted, but we continue to rise and stand. Inequity, intolerance, ignorance, and intimidation are no longer the order of the day. We assert our civil rights and demand that human rights become a priority.
We will be back.
