Tweet
May Day 2011:Re-enactment of Haymarket on the 125th Anniversary (photo: chicagogeek/flickr)
On September 17th, 2011, in the financial district of New York City, a movement was born to restore democracy, the the rule of law, and the possibility for a future in the United States of America. This protest would become known as Occupy Wall Street, lead by the slogan We are the 99% referring to the massive and growing income and wealth inequality in America between the richest 1% and the rest of the population.
Why did this happen? Because America is in decline: few deny this. Even the cocooned elite recognize the sentiment if not the realities. The American people have lost faith that their institutions can fix their problems or that politicians can lead them to a better future. Therefore some American citizens believed the best course of action, rather than waiting for public officials with dubious affiliations and motives to lead them, was to lead themselves.
The small group in Zuccotti Park was first ignored then mocked then begrudgingly covered by the American corporate media as the protests spread all over the country. Struggling first with police brutality then a nationwide campaign of eradication coordinated by public officials, the various Occupy encampments were under constant assault and many were removed. The original camp in Zuccotti Park would face a legally questionable eviction at one in the morning where the press was barred from seeing the event and protesters were barred from reentry despite a court order and now are ordered to no longer Occupy the park. Similar scenes have played out throughout that country but although many of the Occupy camps have been destroyed for the moment, the spirit of the movement goes on.
In the United States of America May 1st is, by official proclamation, Loyalty Day. A day officially proclaimed to recognize the heritage of American freedom. The freedom to speak and assemble well deserves its own holiday.
Therefore, holding these truths to be self-evident, I call on all who are loyal to America and its heritage of freedom to Occupy the financial district of New York City on May 1st, 2012. To demonstrate your commitment to liberty and justice for all. To stand up to the criminality on Wall Street and corruption in Washington, so freedom may once again reign in America.
See you there.
3 Comments
May 1 is “Loyalty Day”? News to me. Sounded faintly fascistic. But it’s been around longer than I have. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty_Day
Founded in 1921 as Americanization Day to try to get Americans’ minds off May 1 as Labor Day, which commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Massacre. This obviously hasn’t worked.
But your idea of a mass call, on Wed. 1 May at Wall Street, to apply the Rule of Law to Wall Street, might be worth developing.
Also of course there’s MayDay as a distress signal. That fits, too.
How about Martin Luther King Day? His spirit would be with you.
Seriously, though, as today’s post parade parade demonstrates, there will be ongoing creative efforts with respect to any day you want to pick – we are all sick of the militarization/corporatization of our holidays. As we push for alternative environmentally friendly ways to keep our planet healthy and restore its capacity to grow and nourish human life, so too we shall be pushing to keep our public discourse healthy and restore its capacity to grow and nourish we the people.
Occupy doesn’t need to put out a mayday call; its survival is guaranteed! Occupy already occupies our hearts and minds. And we pledge to do everything we can to support and encourage its energies in the days ahead. Let’s make this country a place for others to look to as an example, and shame on those who continue to attempt to repress what is now unstoppable.
Occupy every day, every moment of every day! We can have a distinctly American overthrow of oppression vindicating the core beliefs on which this country was founded. It is heartening that no one other than a few greedy despots disputes the fact that the old isn’t working and the new is inevitable. The old will be putting out the mayday call but we don’t have to turn on the tv’s to listen to that; we can put our minds and hearts to the positive urges the planet requires, because there it is beneath our feet, every one of us. We can each of us do so much, and we will.
Shall it be May Day when the final surge over the top of the dam occurs? Maybe so, maybe not. But it is coming. Happy new New Year!