At the last general assembly I attended in Los Angeles’ Solidarity Park, on the night the occupiers first expected to get evicted, the focus topic of the evening was “Why We Occupy.” I will tell you what I've heard from those Occupying Los Angeles and everywhere, and what I know in my heart to be true:
We Occupy to protect our rights as American citizens—to freedom of speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition our government for a redress of grievances.
We Occupy to secure our rights as human beings—to equal treatment under the law, to due process, to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and to a government by, for, and of The People.
We Occupy because we no longer feel our current form of government and economic system represent the values we want to live by.
We Occupy because we see the growing inequalities and injustices in our society, and our government's failure to address them.
We Occupy because the wealth of our nation, which belongs to The People as a whole, has become concentrated in the hands of a small minority.
We Occupy because the corrupting influence of money in politics has undermined our democratic process, and created a system of government by, for, and of the wealthy.
We Occupy because risky, unregulated, unethical and in some cases illegal practices by large financial institutions have put the global economy on the brink of collapse, causing suffering for countless millions through the loss of their homes, their jobs, and their retirement funds, while those responsible have seen very few negative consequences.
We Occupy because we believe we can create a better health care system that covers all our people all the time, and does not bankrupt them when they get sick.
We Occupy because our infrastructure is crumbling and our education system is failing to equip too many of our children with the skills they need to become virtuous, productive, valuable members of our rapidly transforming society, and leaving too many of them with an undue burden of debt when they finish their education.
We Occupy because our excessive fossil fuel consumption, deforestation, and industrial chemical and agricultural practices are damaging our biosphere, and we recognize the need to move swiftly and decisively toward sustainable policies and practices that will preserve the quality of life for future generations.
We Occupy because we do not believe in preemptive, asymmetrical wars. Because we believe we are asking too much of our troops, spending too much on our military, and giving up too much of our liberty for the sake of security. We Occupy because we believe America should lead by the strength of her ideals, and not by the strength of her arms.
We Occupy in the spirit of our founding fathers, whose actions were revolutionary, and in the spirit of Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, JFK, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, all other great American leaders, and all those who represent the best in humanity.
We Occupy for our children.
We Occupy for all those who are oppressed and cannot speak out.
We Occupy because we love our country, and all its inhabitants, and everything it stands for. We Occupy because it is our responsibility to take a stand against injustice, inequality, greed and corruption. We Occupy because we seek to replace the politics of fear and scarcity with the politics of love, and to restore The People to their rightful place in our government, as the only legitimate fountain of power.
We Occupy for a million different personal injustices and equalities, but we all Occupy Together, as One People, with One Voice—a voice that sings with peace and harmony, steadfast and true:
We Occupy for our collective future, to build a better society, in defense of the American Dream.
We Occupy to affirm these sentiments, and because we feel it is the only way we can make our voices heard.
We are the 99%.
God Bless the United States of America.
Frank Lee Speaking is a member of the Concerned Citizens Coalition and Sr. Political Polemicist for Slurve Magazine.