Yesterday on KGO radio (#1 rated local San Francisco Bay Area station for over 30 years), Gill Gross entertained a discussion about the treatment of OccupyOakland by police when they raided their encampment by force. As media coverage in the Bay Area (San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland) has been limited to misinformation, negative bias and catastrophizing sound bites, the public at large is ill aware and confused about why Occupy is holding their ground, risking arrests, tear gas and injury instead of complying with city orders.
I was disheartened by callers and by Gill Gross.
The initial discussion was centered on callers' reactions to the city’s treatment of Occupier’s peaceful demonstration at a time when the city faces massive decreased funding, a slim police force, heavy gang violence and a crack epidemic.
Gill agreed with callers who stated that Occupy is “…unclear, …has no real voice, …no message, and is …violating laws.” He asked over and over again what is the message of Occupy?
Is not the message in the name OccupyWallStreet implicit? Why should protests follow historical protocol? Why are people so fearful of this movement? Gill Gross is part of the 99% (he admitted this) and most likely so is every caller who blamed, name called and degraded our beloved Occupy movement.
“…You made your point, move on, nothing’s changed, no new legislation has been passed.” Americans are so embedded in the system that devalues the individual that we are losing our voices. Americans have bought into the ideology that we do not deserve, that we cannot have; that no one will listen to us because our voices are disappearing slowly and insidiously… without our awareness. Fear paralyzes and reinforces that one should stay put and not risk change, a different outcome is worse than what we have now. Revolution is for other countries; we are America, we are great, we had our revolution! History repeats itself and we are again in the grip of a deregulated parent.
Occupy recognizes this and wants to give us back our voices. Occupy means courage to change the system of corporate ownership of the people. Occupy means that each of us has an individual voice; a personal stake in the quality of our lives and in the future we leave for our children; a choice in how we interpret and utilize the constitution for the benefit of the people.
And to the jerk that called the Occupiers, “low lives…” I say this:
“You are part of the 99% and we are fighting for you. You are valued as an individual and your voice is needed to protect the sanctity of the United States. Together we will find the courage to stand up to this degrading system that has forced you to blindly follow the masses and believe their word over the integrity of Americans and the judicial process.”