"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [these banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.
The issuing power [of currency] should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."
- Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States.
We Are The Other 99We have all become part of this movement in different ways. Some of us through sheer chance, some of us through our willful dedication to progressive/liberal causes - Some of us because we are homeless - some of us because we can't feed our families - some of us because tire of seeing the ones we love suffer from economic injustices. Whatever that reason may be it is an inspiration to us all.
Day in and day out people travel in from all over the city, state, country to participate in democracy in it's purest form. We use our voices to communicate because we have to. In truth we are not allowed to us any PA systems whatsoever. So in order to get news out to everyone around we issue:
MIC CHECK - For those of you who need - To shower today - See Bill - At the comfort station.
It is these simple measures of communication the flows from the general assemblies held twice a day - to the poetry circles that form at night that have shown a sense of brotherhood/sisterhood/compassion to an extent I have not seen in New York since the days following 9/11.
Much has been said that we are dirty - idiotic hippies - that outdoor protesting went out of style after the `1960 - I say you have not been paying attention. There are children sweeping, parents washing dishes, grandparents dropping off bags of apples or even gentlemen in suits putting a 10 or a 20 in the kitchen donation jar.
These are people - These are Americans. These are the poor. These are those that still hold hope. These are people who have lost their voice in this system where money buys influence and if you don't have it - Tough luck.
I wanted to focus today on some of the people you will never see on the news. Might never meet in person. Might never share a story - or ever hold a conversation with.
This is the Comfort Station. This is where the donations of sleeping bags, emergency blankets, clothing, female/male hygienic products, toothpase, yoga mats, ground tarps, blankets, and everything that has made being able to stay at Liberty Plaza possible. There are people there that work double shifts for free to be able to hand out these supplies to everyone that needs them. I myself lost a sleeping bag and no sooner had I lost it - then it was replaced.
Here are some of the voices as to why they decided at this moment to help with the Comfort Station:
I asked this wonderful young lady why she chosen to help at the comfort station and what it meant for her.
Below are the volunteers in action!
This is the Sanitation Station - One of the places I've spent the last few days volunteering at for a few hours a day. Here you will find cleaning products, brooms, dust pans, gloves, bleach and all the essentials in cleaning. I've always loved cleaning and cooking - most of the time when it's done for people other than myself. Cleaning the garden and picking up garbage has gone a long way to countering the meme that we are nothing more than an arrogant mob bent on destroying the public space.
My question to Mark: Of everything you could be doing down here, why have you chosen to work at the Sanitation Station?
That is the message we need to get out there. That this is a hearts and mind issue. That we are doing this - keeping the flowers pretty - sweeping the streets - recycling our garbage - feeding anyone who is hungry at the kitchen - hell the kitchen has already started a compost water filtration system to recycle the dish water.
People might rag on hippies from time to time but I have nothing but respect for people who are able to come of with viable solutions to problems that might not always be the easiest -but are practical and eco friendly.
I spoke to so many people yesterday about why they were down here - I didn't record all the conversations but the message is clear - the fact that the media ignores the message that this is about economic inequality is unbelievable.
We have the richest 400 people in the country who have more wealth then the bottom 80 percent of the country combined.
We have a Senate that responds to the needs and wants of the poor and middle class 0 percent of the time.
We have allowed commercial banking and investment banking to become one again which has subjected our economy to the economics of the 1600's-1930 boom and busts.
We have corporate backed astroturf groups putting out fake populist messages while their useful idiots are manipulated with issues like gay marriage or abortion.
This is an organic movement. This has come from the discontent and inequality when people are no longer able to achieve the American dreams. These are the people on the front lines fighting there day in and day out so that they can make a better tomorrow possible for not only me - but for my children - their children - your children and those around us who we will ever know.
Please continue to go to :
OccupyWallStreet.org
We Are The Other 99
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Thank you Dailykos for all the love and support we have received. I will be taking a short break tomorrow to visit my grandma in the hospital tomorrow. I will be back on Wednesday night to cook dinner and help clean.
Thank you all those who have helped and we will never know your names. You are the heros of this movement and I wish I could get to know each one of you.
For love, peace, and a hope for a better tomorrow.
Tool.