Showing posts with label Occupy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Occupy. Show all posts

Occupy Wall Street Started 5 Years Ago!

Occupy Wall Street started 5 years ago.


Concepts such as the 99% versus the 1% helped articulate our frustrations.


Money Out Of Politics!
A growing awareness of corporate power corrupting our democracy 
no doubt made Bernie Sanders' success possible.



What We Can Be


"What We Can Be" by fervent Bernie supporter Chris Lockett

Bernie heads a moral movement with roots in Occupy, and prior the labor - and social justice movements. Bernie supporters are not free loaders, are not simply upset about not having gotten a raise or not having advanced in to the middle class or up from wherever they find themselves on the social climbing pole, for laughing out loud.
I believe the US needs a fundamental change, a re-evaluation of our values. Corporate control has to be reigned in. Citizens United has to be reversed.
US manipulation in foreign affairs for it's own good has to come to an end. Unquestioned support of Israel has to give way to a more fair appraisal with an insistence that Palestinians are given a fair shake. Money funneled in to the military complex, 601 Billion in 2015, more then 50% of the overall US budget, should be drastically reduced.
Let us redirect those funds in to a commitment toward a fossil fuel free, green, sustainable future that advances alternative sources of energy. The US could and should lead in it's scientific research, it's implementation and creation of green product lines. I would like nothing more then for the focus of our nearby Los Alamos National Laboratory to shift from the defense industry to developing green energy. Climate change is real and Bernie is the one that makes it his top priority.
Let us be bold and rebuild our crumbling infrastructures and create jobs for Americans. Let us create social support systems such as a single payer health care system for people in need rather then profit for the insurance and pharmaceutical industries.
Let us make education a priority and start with free access to Community Colleges. Let's stop the profiteering of loan sharks from students. There ought to be a cap in the single digits of what is legal and fair profit made off the poor.
Last but not least, as a 'Recovered Catholic' I am so very grateful that Bernie Sanders unlike every repugnant Republican presidential nominee, has not forced religion down our throats. I can relate to his sense of us being in this together, of feeling the pain of another and of synchronicities that seem to guide his seeking the presidential nomination.
What I can not relate to, is Republicans taking away women's health care with their unwarranted attacks on Planned Parenthood, with closures of abortion clinics, with wanting to take away women's choices in pushing to make abortions illegal, going as far as even wanting to criminalize the women choosing an abortion. While the loser finds a return to coat hangers acceptable, women find the repugnant Republican stance on women's rights absolutely unacceptable. We are moving forward, not backward! 
Thankfully Bernie polls best in defeating the repugnant current front runner for the presidency. Imagine vane, vindictive and thin-skinned Drumpf in control of nuclear power and the most powerful military in the world! Strangely this option is not an April 1st joke.
Change is possible. It will not happen over night. It's a process that asks for our engagement and the political will to carry it forward.
"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." Arundhati Roy

(All images off social media.)

OCCUPY - 1 YEAR

While Occupy lost significance since it's sudden explosion on to the world scene, locally I can report that a handful of activists have been meeting regularly three, then two times a week until recently. One young man told me only yesterday that it is because of  Occupy and his involvement that he stopped drinking and that he is now a committed activist involved with several local progressive groups. Occupy brought concerned citizens together, we now recognize each other and know we are not alone in our discontent. While the movement failed to thrive and bring meaningful results, the nerve that it hit is still raw, still hurting and is still in need of real change.

May Day Santa Fe Style

Occupy Santa Fe organized an event at our Railyard park for noon on May 1. followed by a General Assembly beginning at 2 p.m. May 1. a day without the 99%, a day of no work, no shopping, no school, no banking and no chores. Bring your family, friends, bring a picnic or share in food offered at this community building event.
Tania, our dedicated activist, rehabilitation facilitator and mother of a computer wiz kid had gotten there a bit early, all organized and ready for a serious picnic that included cheese and meat, with a brand new role of paper towels in easy reach. Later she would be facilitating the General Assembly seated in one of those little chairs. The woman brings such grace and enthusiasm to our community of activists.
 Occupy The Moment
Santa Fe, The City Different, in The Land of Enchantment, home of various mediation groups that have attempted to raise our awareness toward oneness and away from duality, which includes the 99% versus 1%, with some calling on the 100%. Mats invited folks to join in a meditative approach to activism.
NO WAR ON IRAN
During Occupy Santa Fe General Assembly our civil rights lawyer shared on one working group's initiative to urge our City Council with petitions and presentations to pledge a stance against a war in Iran. The raised hands signal support and agreement from GA participants.
NO WAR
WeArePeopleHere! has endorsed the Tuesday May 1 People's General Strike. We encourage you to join the strike in protest against a government and an economy that unjustly favors the super wealthy and big business at the expense of the American people. We are joining the strike to build solidarity for a national movement against the corruption of the worldwide marketplace, which has led to illegal foreclosures, mass unemployment, low wages and government policies that support the plutocracy.
 Passionate Performer
Captivated Audience
Cuddle Companions
Cop
Blessed with smiling cops, 
Occupy Santa Fe has enjoyed leniency from our public servants.
Only one cop checked in on our May Day event.
The day passed without any incident.
No violence.
Non-Violent Training 
for free
was on the agenda the very next day. 
unify
clarify
intensify
simplify
amplify
fortify
magnify
identify
beautify
sanctify
occupy
(Tania's T-Shirt)

ALEC






 

ALEC
The American Legislative Exchange Council
ALEC is a powerful  institution of corporations that manipulates corrupt legislators behind closed doors to promote legislation for corporate profit and against the people. There are 23 active ALEC members in the NM Legislature. The Koch Brothers, Exxon Mobil, Coors, Verizon, Coca Cola are known to fund ALEC.
 The People's Protest
An Alternative Pizza Dinner
was held outside the Eldorado Hotel
while inside ALEC affiliates dined on $250/plates.
www.occupynewmexico.org


6.14.12 Update:
Major corporations have distanced themselves since from ALEC. House Representative Kinkaid, involved in the altercation with Lisa Law, the seventy-some year old photographer, did not win his re-election, but he is still getting sued by Lisa, for the rough shot handling she had to endure by him.

Protest I Can Believe In

 Outrageous, Hilarious, Singing Grannnies
 Oh Susanna
(looking upward toward Governor Susana Martinez's office)
Living in New Mexico
Our resources are thin
Without help from Medicaid
Our pain will never end!
 Oh Susanna
Oh she don't care 'bout me
Cuz she's prosecuting Medicaid
And running for VP.
 
 Oh Susanna
It's time for you to go!
We've seen where you are leading us
And we will not follow.
 And so the Grandmas walk on
away from their impromptu performance
toward the real deal
on stage with microphones
to loud applause, hooting and hollering.
Those ladies made my day,
showed me protest I can believe in.

The 99 Pledge

Fun to see so many familiar faces speak out for change I can believe in.

Occupy Santa Fe approved  (officially, at a General Assembly) a national campaign spearheaded by Alan Hoffman, to bring movements across the nation together in an effort to "get the money out of electoral politics". This video tells the Occupy movements around the country how to use The 99 Pledge package so as to encourage our representatives to place their votes for the people, rather then with the interests of the manipulative, moneyed corporations. End the legal bribing of our elected officials by the top 1%!
Representative Brian Egolf, the first to sign The 99 Pledge.
1.11.2012
While Occupy Santa Fe officially ended the encampment last weekend and clean up efforts have been under way and are almost complete, Occupy Santa Fe activism is far from over. Big actions are being planed for the opening of our 30-day legislative session, please stay tuned, we have progressed in to another phase of an unstoppable movement.

2012?

The merry happiness season has thankfully come to an end, hallelujah! Way too much emphasis on happiness for my taste. Beware what you wish for, it may come true! Happiness is so overrated. Anderson Cooper's giggles are cute, maybe because we know him as such a serious and courageous journalist, but I sure had no desire to join him and the far out, over the top Kathy Griffin on CNN for New Years eve. I used to giggle a lot, as a girl in school, anxious nerves I suppose.


My holidays were spent home alone, that is with my three furry companions. Distractions would not do, no music, not even TV and my Mom's antique church sing-along book stayed stashed away unopened, not much singing came out of my mouth this season. Well, there is usually some humming,  mostly unintentional, these days more of the nature of 'We Will Overcome'.

I do not recommend spending holidays home alone, but neither do I recommend spending such in the folds of dysfunctional families. It's a no-win situation unless one feels loved before and after  the hoopla of holidays, so then the duration of such may be born with some confidence and some dignity.
With the start of a new year it seems time for a new survey. My inquiry in to your feelings about Obama (note my leaving out President on purpose, because I am mad and terribly disappointed in him) yielded a surprising 57% in his favor (out of 7 votes I should ad.) So, with my new poll I wonder how you feel about the year 2012? (Please vote in the poll to your right, multiple times if you wish.)


No fair to ask you without offering an answer myself, so simply stated I am worried. While I found hope in the Occupy movement I no longer wish to be associated with our local Occupy encampment and our local dysfunctional group that makes safety and communication not an absolute priority. Still I identify myself with the 99% and with those that demand change and those that object on moral grounds. The 99% has become a slogan, has become a useful synonym that begs less for exactitude, but more to bring attention to the fact that a small minority has been abusing their super powers for their own gain and on cost of real, live, hurting people. The specifics will become clearer. Locally, our progressives are busy bees preparing for this upcoming legislative session which starts January 17the and goes on for 30 days. I am prepared to occupy committee hearings, are you?

Beyond the legislature, this being an election year, I have a horror, first of all of so much money spent, basically to buy votes, basically invested away from people in need. Money Out Of Politics already, this is obscene! I loath the drivel of the ever same pundits dissecting every  manipulative statement every word, every move and gesture intended more to hide then reveal truth by those most uninspiring presidential candidates, analyzed at absurdum by the media. How anyone can even conceive of Gingrich as president is beyond me. Ron Paul has some redeeming qualities, his uncompromising authenticity rings true, his stand against military proliferation and against meddling in foreign affairs could win my favors, but look at  his position on women's rights, even over their own bodies, abominable. Huntsman holds appeal, but for the right I am told his Mormon roots are unacceptable. A Tea Party person considered the United States a Christian nation, why am I surprised? 
 

Thankfully my furry friends are blissfully unaware of all such goings-on. I might like to join them, but I am afraid that sticking our heads in to the sand, spacing out and pretending nothing really matters, will not be the responsible thing for any of us to practice.

The Cultivation Of A Sense Of Abundance

6 a.m. I am having breakfast inside my cozy warm home, while temperatures dipped down low to two degrees outside. I had one pancake, topped with cranberry sauce of my own making (sweetened with tangerine juice and just a dash of cayenne pepper for heat) garnished with juicy, plump fresh blackberries, and accompanied by one cup of strong, sweet, espresso made to taste richer with a dash of nutmeg, ginger and a sip of vanilla. Food that nourished not only the body, but also the soul.


Meanwhile our occupiers spent the night out in tents, in frigid temperatures.


I am worried, but plan to make a pot of rice and lentils in curry for them. 

Update: The occupiers assured me they were o.k., cold, but not too bad. Worst seems to be crawling out of their warm sleeping bags and in to the cold. I did bring them a steaming hot pot of brown rice, mixed in with curried vegetables, but no lentils, did not realize I was out. Walked over there with pups on lead in one hand and metal basket with steaming pot in other hand. Promptly lost my felt hat and had to retrace my steps all the way back to camp again where my Sumo-boy spotted my beloved hat sitting, despite the gusty winds, right there on the trail, hooray! 

Tom, Traveler and Banjo Player

Only two days in town, Tom may be staying a few more days before moving on. For tonight, Tom will be heading to the Occupy encampment. This kid (at some point anyone under thirty seems to be still a kid) has been on the road for 6 years (since 21 years old.) Tom is a musician who lugs around a banjo (and a fiddle?) His musical roots come from Ska, but while he grew up  in Vegas, NV, surrounded by Rastas, he never became one himself. 

I think Tom looks cute despite, or maybe because of his eccentric style. Tom uses a mineral oil based salve for styling his moustache (or Zwirbelbart, Schnurrbart.) Was this style not fashionable in the eighteen hundreds? I believe Wilhelm Bush, the German poet, writer and painter wore a similar look. Tom was hanging out on the plaza as I was walking by with my pups. One of the advantages of getting older is the freedom to talk to any stranger at most any time and place. Tom was a delight, I wish him well, happy trails!

Update: As of Saturday December 3. Tom is still at the camp which experienced first snow a little bit more then a sprinkle, last night. Thankfully the forecast for an outright serious storm did not manifest, not so far, but currently the snow is falling and I hope they all stay safe and warm enough.

Occupy Santa Fe


 Occupy Santa Fe got a tipi, hooray!
Garrick Beck, Rainbow Elder, donated his sacred tipi.
It was set up in a beautiful ceremony.
Native American drums resounded from within
as I left the site just after the sun had set.


One delightful happy camper.


 One guy, one gal and one dog.
At sunset, outside the kitchen.


She said it made her feel weird to be photographed,
that did not deter her from smiling.
She graciously consented to having her photos taken,
from left and right. I did not get a chance to talk to her yet.