Forum Post: Why doesn't OccupyWallStreet just get out of the parks?
Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 10, 2011, 9:37 p.m. EST by thomasthetank
(41)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
It's going to get cold and the numbers are going to go down. And what is hanging out in some dirty city park going to do? Are you going to get the police to become sympathetic? Will politicians change their minds because you won't leave? Are more people joining some bunch of kids who can't decide what they even want? Will conservatives get nicer? How is the world going to change?
Can't you just figure out something that most americans like and then go for it? Can't we finally have some people in this country who have some good ideas get together and get something done.
Here are some alternatives:
Sanders Proposed Constitutional Amendment:
Sanders Petition here:
Rep. Deutch's amendment discussed here:
and you can read repelican reaction here.
Can't you just figure out something that most Americans like and then go for it?
Does 83% count as most? Will you join me?
Overturn Citizens United !!!
83% of Americans already agree on it
that will bring together the people in OWS
with the people outside of OWS.
In the the PFAW Poll -
85% of voters say that corporations have too much influence over the political system today.
77% think Congress should support an amendment to limit the amount corporations can spend on elections.
74% say that they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for Congress who pledged to support a Constitutional Amendment limiting corporate spending in elections.
YOUR ACTION ----> JOIN US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Our only immediate goal should be to pass a constitutional amendment to counter Supreme Court decision Citizens United (2010) , that enables unlimited amounts of anonymous money to flood into our political system.
“Corporations and organizations are not a persons &
have no personhood rights”
We don’t have to explain or persuade people to accept our position – we only have to persuade them to ACT based on their own position. Pursuing this goal will prove to the world that we, at OWS, are a serious realistic Movement, with serious realistic goals. Achieving this goal will make virtually every other goal – jobs, taxes, infrastructure, Medicare – much easier to achieve –
by disarming our greatest enemy – GREED.
YOUR ACTION ----> JOIN US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
THE SUCCESS STORY OF THE AMENDING PROCESS The Prohibition movement started as a disjointed effort by conservative teetotalers who thought the consumption of alcohol was immoral. They ransacked saloons and garnered press coverage here and there for a few years. Then they began to gain support from the liberals because many considered alcohol partially responsible for spousal and child abuse, among other social ills. This odd alliance, after many years of failing to influence change consistently across jurisdictions, decided to concentrate on one issue nationally—a constitutional amendment. They pressured all politicians on every level to sign a pledge to support the amendment. Any who did not, they defeated easily at the ballot box since they controlled a huge number of liberal, and conservative and independent swing votes in every election. By being a single-issue constituency attacking from all sides of the political spectrum, they very quickly amassed enough votes (2/3) to pass the amendment in Congress. And, within just 17 months, they were successful in getting ¾ of the state legislatures to ratify the constitutional amendment into law. (Others were ratified even faster: Eight —took less than a year. The 26th, granting 18-year-olds the right to vote, took just three months and eight days.)
If they could tie the left and right into a success -
WHY CAN'T WE ??????????
YOUR ACTION ----> JOIN US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
I feel that we should stay with this simple text to overturn CU:
”corporations are not people”
for four simple reasons and one – not so simple:
1
83% of Americans have already opposed CU in the ABC/Washington post poll and the above
IS THEIR POSITION ALREADY.
2
We don’t have to work to convince people on the validity of our position.
3
Simple is almost always better.
4
This simple Amendment is REQUIRED to overturn CU.
And all other electoral reform can be passed through the normal legislative process.
5
OWS and these pages are chock full of ( mostly ) excellent ideas to improve our country.
All of them have strong advocates – and some have strong opposition.
None of them has been “pre-approved” by 83% of Americans !
Pursuing this goal – without additional specifics is exactly what Americans want.
What do we want? Look at that almost endless list of demands – goals - aims.
Tax the rich. End the Fed. Jobs for all, Medicare for all. So easy to state! Can you imagine how hard it would be to formulate a “sales pitch” for any of these to convince your Republican friends to vote for any of them?
83% of Americans have ALREADY “voted” against CU. And 76% of the Rs did too.
All we have to do ask Americans is to pressure their representatives – by letters - emails – petitions.
Wanna take your family on vacation?
Convince the 7 year old and the 10 year old to go to Mt Rushmore.
Then try to convince them to go to Disneyland.
Prioritizing this goal will introduce us to the world – not as a bunch of hippie radical anarchist socialist commie rabblerousers – but as a responsible, mature movement that is fighting for what America wants.
YOUR ACTION ----> JOIN US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
I feel that using the tactics of the NRA, the AARP an the TP – who all represent a minority – who have successfully used their voting power to achieve their minority goals - plus the Prohibition Amendment tactics – bringing all sides together - is a straight path for us to success that cannot fail to enable us to create and complete one task the MAJORITY.
Join the OWS Restore Democracy Working Group at
............. <http://www.nycga.net/groups/restore-democracy>
Plan details with supporting documentation at: http://bit.ly/vK2pGI
regular meetings 6-8PM @ 60 Wall St – The Attrium @ Wednesdays
YOUR ACTION ----> JOIN US TO PASS THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
TO END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD
Whereas --
The OWS Declaration of the Occupation of New York City states that
"a democratic government derives its just power from the people,
not from corporations."
and --
the ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 83% of the entire US population
opposes the Supreme Court Citizens United decision,
which affirmed that corporations are people.
and --
by supporting the overturning of corporate personhood,
OWS clearly aligns itself with the vast majority of the American people
who support ending the fundamentally flawed and anti-democratic concept
that corporations are people.
therefore --
We support a constitutional amendment to end corporate personhood.
"Can't we finally have some people in this country who have some good ideas get together and get something done."
This is actually happening with increasing frequency in response to the Occupy movement. At least one person has posted a proposed amendment on this forum and countless more have offered their ideas. More importantly, hoping for others to take the initiative and conjure a solution isn't the best way to go about things. You can participate in the process (whether or not you choose to identify with OWS) and contribute to making the wishes of the American people a reality. Even if you, like myself, don't exactly have the knack for legalese, making others aware of the issues and discussing it at a local level can be a good first step. Also talk to others on this forum (much like you are now) and on other forums about what's really going on and what you would like to see change. Seek out people who are currently looking to make those changes.
This is as grassroots as it gets. OWS got things rolling but it takes many more still to get things done.
which people are good to read?
OWES needs leaders,a direction,a platform,focus...instead it stumbles around....pissing away support and a fantastic ground swell they deserve credit for.
Russ Feingold.
Some build housing on the park and get arrested. Others go home like normal people. Some get arrested, learn their lesson and go home. Now some are breaking and entering into foreclosed homes. The police and politicians have been more than nice about this whole thing. Now they are kicking their asses out
"Can't we finally have some people in this country who have some good ideas get together and get something done."
It's called the TEA Party.
It should be called the TEAR Party.
Because we consistently tear OWS members a new one on this forum?
That was a joke, by the way. I waited 20 hours for you to figure that out, but you're probably not used to sarcasm in your single-wide.
Sar-cas-em.
Yes. You are an asset to your party.