Forum Post: one-two punch

The effort and work you're doing is appreciated by millions of Americans, so please keep up the effort and keep warm. The grassroots element of Occupy Wall Street has been a loud voice heard across the country - the only thing that could make it more powerful and affect some of the change we seek would be to tie to some clear and actionable demands to policy makers. Maybe just one or two demands that you and those who support you around the country can rally around. One or two things that are so fundamental that they are at the source of many of the symptoms and issues about which you're protesting. In this way, the protests can be the driving force to focus the national discussion and lead to changes.

May I suggest two such demands - two that are core to the country's long term survival and the quality of life of its citizens today:

1. Demand to dramatically restrict corporate and special interest lobbying. Without getting into all the disturbing facts, lobbying, like a cancer, re-directs the resources of the government to serve its own purposes. We as citizens aren't being served by our government - corporations and special interest groups are. And of those two, corporate lobbying is the main problem. We need to take back our government so it can focus on its citizens - and restore a sense that we are in fact being served. This is an actionable demand. It CAN be done.

2. Demand that Americans become aware of the adverse affect of the Citizens United ruling, which allows corporations to make unlimited campaign contributions. This ruling flies beneath the average American's radar. It shouldn't. There are ways to reverse this ruling, including constitutional amendment recently proposed.

These two issues have taken the representation out of representative government. We no longer have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. People have been substantially replaced by corporations. You know it, I know it, we all know it.

These are two critical areas where we have lost control over our own government. The Citizens United ruling enables corporate influence on who is elected, and lobbying enables influence once elected officials are in office. Like a one-two punch that quite frankly could a TKO for this country.

You have the platform and the voice. Use it to educate and motivate American's on this. And then be amazed at what can happen.