Occupy Oakland! Democracy-Democrado

The kids and I went to the Occupy Oakland Protest on Wednesday.  According to Occupy Wall Street the purpose of the movement is thus:

“Occupy Wall Street is a people-powered movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. #OWS is fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations. The movement is inspired by popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, and aims to expose how the richest 1% of people are writing the rules of an unfair global economy that is foreclosing on our future.”

The Occupy Wall Street Movement has a lot of problems, most notably a specific game plan other than storming around making noise, but I believe in public demonstrations of Democracy.  I don’t know how we’re going to stop the Oligarchy, but I know that the American Dream of owning a home, a car, and having a job that adequately supports a family is in major crisis.  The economy is a disaster and children suffer the trickle down effects.  I blame both corporate greed and our American sense of entitlement (from which I have undoubtedly benefitted and am doubtlessly guilty).  This is not the best way to run a society and a government.  The system is broken and we all do what we need to do to survive within a broken system (including sleeping with “the man,”  love you Some Guy you Insurance Mathematician genius you!)

But wait, I’m from Danville.  Isn’t that where the 1% live?  According to CNN Money.com:

“Collectively, their adjusted gross income was $1.3 trillion. And while $343,927 was the minimum AGI to be included, on average, Top 1-percenters made $960,000.”

News to readers:  you are probably part of the 99%.

Thus, we went to support the 99%, even if we ourselves are part of the 5%. 

 

Grand Lake Theater

It’s been a long time since I went to a protest, but let me tell you how empowering and incredible they feel.  The best comparison I can make is like when you hear a huge group of missionaries singing “Armies of Helaman” or something.  You feel like you’re part of something positive and supporting something that has great importance.  If you’ve never been to a protest you should go.  Mimi got into it shouting “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!”  They were a bit overwhelmed, but were proud to walk along with the parade.

Mimi’s sign. Representing the Pony Contingency.   

My sign got a lot of amusing attention.  I never miss an opportunity to represent the fact that Mormons are among us, even where less expected.  Also I’m not-so-secretly campaigning for my own “And I’m a Mormon” ad.  Somebody out there in blog land needs to hook a Sister up with connections to resolve her irrational pining for an “I’m a Mormon” ad.  I know one of you knows somebody involved in that ad campaign.  Send them my way! 

Jude’s sign.  

Our protests have popsicles!!

 

There were far more people there than I ever expected.  Nearly every street in downtown Oakland was filled with protesters.

 

And here’s the kicker: 

WE MADE THE NEW YORK TIMES!!

Here’s our article!  Front page, people, both online and in print!! 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/us/occupy-oakland-protesters-set-sights-on-closing-port.html