Forum Post: I'm no where near Wall Street. What can I do?
Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 5, 2011, 5:06 p.m. EST by micsaint
(6)
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I'm in East Cobb. Everything is corporate around here. How do I make a difference?
Throw your name in the hat for delegate to the National General Assembly.
https://sites.google.com/site/the99percentdeclaration/
Great question micsaint.
Participating in these forums is a great start. And this is a great question as so many people live so far from wall street.....or do they?
You may be much closer to wall street than you realize.
If you want to see quick action, you can begin right near you.
Step 1: Move your Money......Every town has a local bank or credit union. The first action you can take to make real change is to remove your money from your giant bank and put your money in a small family owned bank or credit union. Wall street hedge fund managers use the money you have in your bank account for risky trading or for lending to large corporations with low interest. That money does not help your community or stay local. Small banks and credit unions are responsible for financing 90% of small businesses in your neighborhood the big banks don't give small business loans anymore. You may not have a ton of money and you may not think your money will make a difference, but it really does. That is actually the only thing that a capitalist society reacts to... where is the money.
Step two: Every dollar you spend is a vote. When you purchase an item at the store, that scanner is tallying votes, if you buy a particular product you are in essence voting for everything that is behind the creation of that product. Buying a product made in china means you are voting to keep that product on the shelf, you are voting to send jobs overseas and also you are voting to support a system that pays there employees 50 cents a day. Think before you buy, even if you shop at a big box store, you can look at labels and buy the product that is made closest to your home. The markets will react most quickly to changes in buying habits if you only by local organic food you can be sure your grocery store will be monitoring trends and then they will start carrying local organic foods. We saw this when Walmart changed their policy and started carrying organic yogurt. while Walmart still has countless faults people were able to change Walmart and get them to support organic farmers not because of ideology but because that was where the demand was. It is not perfect but helps make slow changes which add up overtime.
Step 3: Educate, educate, educate: read up on topics that interest you, and hten share that knowledge. A lot of research has been done on how information travels, and if you pass an idea on to a group of friends that idea will be passed on and on. And from a few studies you could impact 400 people and not even know it, simply by choosing to share your piece of knowlege about a particular subject with your friends, if you have access to the internet you can share that knowledge with more people.
Step 4: Vote in local elections...everyone is hung up on the big elections. People don't realize one vote counts for 10 votes in a local election rather than in a national. This is because only ten percent of people vote in small local elections. All the big politicians started in local office, we ignore these small elections and then before you know it your city alderman is running for mayor and then onto governor and then on to senate, congress, president. If you can actually drive a few friends to the polls you know increase your voting power even more if you think about the 10x factor per person.
Step 5: Don't spend your money. we are told that the only way to get this economy going is if we start spending again. Don't believe the hype! that is how we got into this mess in the first place. Any money you earn should be saved. learn to get really good at saving. Cut up credit cards, say no to debt. that flat screen at best buy is so tempting on that credit card, don't do it. save for items that you want to purchase before you buy them.
There are countless other ways you are much closer to wall street than you think. if there is a publicly traded store near you, you can effect wall street by changing your habits, and tell your friends to do the same, you will have impact further than you know as your friends tell there friends.
Well written letters to the editor.
learn to be selfsufficient with the food you eat things you wear and buy learn another language become friends with your neighbors celebrate the solstice(s) take every step you can to reduce the hypocracy of the way America lives... Bretts first two points are ok
You can contact you elected representatives and let them know that they have become irrelavant. Then you can remind them of the young lady who was holding up that sign that has shown up all over the internet. The message on her sign read, "The beginning is near."
Then you can write thoughtful letters to the editor. Do not get down in the gutter with some of our detractors who use vitriolic language. Remember the words of Paul Bryant when you answer vitriolic letters, " Have class, show pride, show character. If you do success will take care of itself." Your/our determination and resolve should come out loud and clear in your letters. If you do not articulate yourself well, call your kids up for help. That's what I do. Educate yourself as much as possible on the big picture, then see how that relates to either your situation or that of a loved one and start to engage them in conversations about OWS. This movement is about empowering people who previously were in despair and ashamed to talk to others about it. This movement is about HOPE for a better future for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. Good Luck.
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Get a job,pay your bills and vote Conservative.
" Voting Conservative" is 50% of how we ended up in this hole.
Actually no,since we haven't had a really true Conservative Candidate. Bush was NOT a Conservative. McCain is a RINO.