I was running along Tulpehocken street with my backpack, my purse, and my guitar. I didn't want to miss the train after work. A lady pulled up, and asked if I needed a ride to the station. After hesitation, I climbed in. She ended up taking me all the way to City Hall, since she was headed that way. I think her name was Margaret?
As we pulled into the roundabout around City Hall and she moved closer to the center, we saw lots of people with signs, and I jumped out before we held up too much traffic.
Apparently, we are the 99%.
We are the 99 percent. We are getting kicked out of our homes. We are forced to choose between groceries and rent. We are denied quality medical care. We are suffering from environmental pollution. We are working long hours for little pay and no rights, if we're working at all. We are getting nothing while the other 1 percent is getting everything. We are the 99 percent.
The Occupy Philly's 99% Declaration lists two demands: 1) a national general assembly by next July 4th; and 2) an addressing of its list of grievances. The general tone lays the responsibility to find solutions on the vaguley-defined 1% who is blamed on making this mess (two girls at the info table said, "well, you know, it's their fault"). If you go to their tumblr account featuring direct stories, where the recurring issue is a legitimate need for jobs with a living wage, or a means to get an education to get such a job, without exorbitant debt. Many make a point to say they know they are the lucky ones, which I appreciate. While not reflected in the tumblr, at the demonstration military activities were often pointed to as a poor use of government funds, in light of this need.
Jobs are good. People need jobs. But I don't like blaming the 1% cartoon villain for all the problems. Particularly when, at a global level, most of America's 99% -and certainly its most vocal - is actually the 1%.
We - including myself - need to spend more time occupying ourselves: finding ways to create solutions, changing our spending and giving habits, becoming local entrepeneurs, like people who started Grameen Bank micro-finance loans. That's what I've been troubled about lately, in the midst of dream jobs and real jobs and the PBS Series Women, War and Peace, where Muslim and Christian women "prayed the devil back to hell" through protest, song, and political pressure.
That and homesickness, OC Music Awards music, and wonderful BuildaBridge classes, where kids learn how to be Doug E. Fresh and dougie, and sing along "everybody loves me." Awesome, powerful talks about being fresh and loved from that. Plus incredible energy with the kids, and even the women passing by. Particularly in a context of homelessness, where "freshness" isn't so easily come by, this was...good.
And because I like glee's dougie vid...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uYi729Rf0U
