My version of facebook
tonight is loaded with clips and quotes about the movement to occupy Wall
Street and its spread to other cities around the country. "Something's happening here, and what it
is..." is very exciting.
Only a month ago, I heard someone from Vermont mention
heading down to participate and offering to carry donations to help the
protesters. A veteran of Viet Nam era
rebellion, I commended his effort, proud to see someone so willing to take a
stand, and went about my day.
Currently, too swept up in my own drama and healing, I
admit ignorance as to how this protest started, but am thrilled to see the
commitment many are making to see it continue, transforming it, it seems, into
a movement. Like a spark and a wildfire,
the streets are alive with voices clamoring for change--not so very different
as what we saw in Egypt, Tunisia and even Libya, and yet very different to see
it on our own shores and hear the slogans shouted in our own language.
The plutocracy is all too nervously aware and so it is
inaccurately reported by the mainstream press.
On cue, the flock, with their eyes closed, bleat silly jokes about
"the Flea Party," even as they scratch at their own itches.
The argument that the 1% can no longer have 50% of the
income and be supported by the rest of us adds up to a lot of cents jingling very
true to me. Wall Street represents
ridiculous wealth in the hands of a few and there are finally some among the
rest of us fed up enough to shout "NO".
Thus far, I am not aware of big names and famous people at
the head of this. No one particular
voice has stepped up like a Lech Walenca to represent the body, but those many,
many more gathering, moving and shifting, showing up to add their voice and going
home to their families, are powerfully more eloquent. While the mainstream
press focuses on spoiled youth, dirt, debris and festivities of fun for welfare
abusers, from alternative sources I see articulate people of differing ages and
colors, and across cultural and economic strata, a union of angry souls who
love their country and want to see us do better for ourselves, each other and
the rest of the world.
"The times they are a-changing..." and this is
not some idealistic movement of left-over love from the Sixties, but very real
today and with a broad scope of well-spoken points. It is full of Americans who have bought into
the Dream with their hard earned sweat and blood of student loans and mortgages
with none of the jobs left that had been promised to pay for them.
"Enough!" they cry because they are not content
to live their lives anesthetized and subdued by the entertaining sexploits of
reality shows and bigger-than-life sports stars who are still just kids with
candy in a store. The 90% (there are 9%
who are still doing pretty damned well) who struggle every day are tired of
just having the cake and no chance to enjoy it.
Something is rotten in the state and there are finally some citizens beginning
to make a stink about it.
As one who scrambled himself silly and ultimately had to
sell his modest home out of a sub-prime mortgage, I applaud the voices that are
rising. As one who sends out countless
resumes without the slightest response and knocks on doors only to hear
"please, send us your resume online," I have noticed at every level,
we have accepted the notion that it is okay to answer only the emails that can
help us out, ignoring all the rest.
Even in Vermont, where it is celebrated that we all know
our neighbors, the headlines last month gushed about the out-pouring of
kindness for strangers in the wake of disastrous hurricane damage as if
surprised that we would stop to help each other. Still a part of the problem, I shamefully justify
my own pitifully small contribution to the cleanup by citing the effort it
continues to take just to heal and take care of myself.
As life goes forward, there are many who predict apocalyptical
results for those who join in and help each other as well as for those sheep
turning a blind eye who do nothing but make silly jokes and/or "earn"
lavish incomes. Amidst the joy and
celebration of the inauguration of our first non-white President, I feared not
much would actually change. Perhaps my
fear made it so.
My inaction is a more likely a part of the cause.
As voices rise on Wall Street and march down more and
more Main Streets (remember that phrase?) across this great country, my hope is
refreshed, my commitment to join hands and become a part of something important
revitalized.
What can you do to help?
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