Why do I occupy?

By Max Anderson, Documentarian and member of Occupy Texas State

When I was a young boy I was told that I could be anything I wanted to be as long as I set my mind to it.  The possibilities were endless: a doctor, a lawyer, an astronaut, a paleontologist (I really wanted to be a paleontologist), even the president.  Being the optimistic kid that I was I believed them; I set my expectations high.  I longed for the great pie in the sky.

As I grew older reality set in and I realized that this was not the great country I had once imagined.  Before I was even old enough to work millions of jobs had been shipped overseas with the passage of NAFTA.  America no longer produced goods, we just consumed them.  At the age of 12, terrorists wreaked havoc on America and sent us into a decade long war that costs taxpayers trillions of dollars.  With the start of theWar On Terror, so too did the encroachment on our civil liberties.  In 2008, the financial crisis seemingly shut down Wall Street and left millions wondering what the future would bring.  All of these factors have left me with a lack of faith in America.

And what of my fellow countrymen?  When I look around all I see is an apathetic populace and a culture that is obsessed with entertainment, celebrities, sex, violence, video games, sports, and reality television.  What should I expect from my fellow countrymen when they only care about the big issues as long as they can press a Like button?  How could I expect them to be the watchdogs of freedom when all of the media is controlled by the 1%, the corporations.  (Fox News is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation; CNN is owned by Time Warner; MSNBC is currently part of NBCUniversal, a joint venture of Comcast and General Electric; ABC is owned by the Walt Disney Company.)  These companies do not have a vested interest in informing the mass of the public, why that would be unprofitable.  Instead the mainstream media divide people on hyper-partisan issues. I cannot expect the average joe to sift through all the misinformation, chatter, and noise and come to a reasonable, logical conclusion.

I do not have much faith in the future of America.  This once shinning beacon of freedom and liberty has mortgaged away its future.  I am of the generation that will not see prosperity and peace, instead we will face a mountain of debt and endless war.  A generation with millions in prison and even more in poverty.  A generation of uninsured and uninspired.  A lost generation.

The Occupy Movement gives me hope, because I know that I am not the only person that is pissed off with the current state of affairs.  It gives me hope, because the people are finally standing up to the status quo and making their voices heard.  “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out.” “End corporate welfare.” “Money for schools and education, not for greed and corporations.” We are the 99%, and together We can make a difference.

 

Candlelight Vigil for Veteran Scott Olsen

There will be a peaceful vigil held tonight, November 1st, for Scott Olsen, Marine veteran with two tours in Iraq and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). Scott was critically injured by a police projectile at Occupy Oakland on October 25. We will assemble at the Stallions in the Quad with candles and hold a silent march to the court house where we will hold a moment of silence. The march back to the quad will allow for chanting.  Please bring plain white taper candles. We will have a few extra to provide. To show you will attend please follow this link here.  A map of the location of the rally point is linked here.

Donations for Scott’s medical costs & his family’s travel expenses can be made at IVAW.org with ‘Scott Olsen’ under Special Projects linked here.

Scott Olsen being carried to the hospital after being knocked unconscious by both a tear gas canister and flashbang grenade.

Occupy Texas State And Occupy Austin United In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland And Scott Olsen

Police raid Occupy Oakland encampment

By Joshua Christopher Harvey

On Tuesday, October 25th Occupy Oakland protestors united in a show of solidarity against the razing of their camp the night before by The Oakland Police Department. The protestors crime was establishing a public forum on public land to highlight critical public issues about the nation’s financial crisis, the consolidation of wealth and power, and the ability of citizens to meaningfully participate in the democratic process. Among those involved was Scott Olsen, a 24-year old  former Marine, two-time Iraq war veteran, and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Scott had returned from his military service in 2010 to a nation in which, as of January of this year, the unemployment rate  among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans stood at 15% nationwide. For California veterans  aged 18 to 24 the percentage is even more staggering – 25% unemployed. Factor in disability and that percentage almost doubles to 47%.  Despite all the numbers against him Scott secured a job as a systems network administrator in Daly, California. According to Keith Shannon, who deployed with Scott to Iraq, “Scott was marching with the 99% because he felt corporations and banks had too much control over our government, and that they weren’t being held accountable for their role in the economic downturn, which caused so many people to lose their jobs and their homes.” Indeed, unemployment aside, California, like the rest of the country, has been in a financial meltdown since 2008. In 2009, the state of California issued IOUs to state agents. It was the second time since the Great Depression that California has issued IOUs, known as warrants, to its state employees. About one in every 239 homes is foreclosed on in California as of July of this year. So it was not question for Scott and many of his fellow veterans to join their fellow citizens in drawing attentions to the issues they faced and utilizing their First Amendment rights to assemble peacefully and work towards solutions.

Scott Olsen

It was no question for Scott Olsen and his fellow protesters to reoccupy the space at the Oakland Library only to be met with heavily armed riot police and their tear gas, rubber bullets and flashbang grenades. No sympathy was shown by a police department that in 2009 was facing 100 lay-offs due to a city budget deficit of $83 million. Not to mention cuts and reductions in retirement pay. But their unrestrained brutality resulted in a two-time veteran of Iraq being hit in the head with a tear gas canister which was followed by a flashbang grenade when a group of fellow citizens tried to lift his unconscious body. He now has a fractured skull and a swelling brain and remains unconscious in critical condition at Oakland’s Highland Hospital.

Scott Olsen being carried to the hospital after being knocked unconscious by both a tear gas canister and flashbang grenade.

Last night, Occupy Austin along with representatives Matthew Molnar, Lindsey Huckaby, Joshua Christopher Harvey, Rex Pape and Clifton MacAlbrecht  of Occupy Texas State united with other occupy movements across the country in a coordinated demonstration with the city of Oakland. In Austin, about two hundred Occupy Austin protestors gathered with candles and marched silently from Austin City Hall to the Texas capitol building in downtown Austin. Despite the capitol building being closed, protestors went through gaps in the fencing to climb the steps of the capitol where they were met by capitol police. Despite being asked by the capitol police to leave the protestors held a rally for about half an hour to show solidarity with Occupy Oakland and Occupy Atlanta as well as to protest police brutality. A moment of silence was held before the group chanted “We are Oakland, we are Atlanta!” and “We are Scott Olsen!”  and marched back to Austin City Hall through the middle of Congress Avenue and Cesar Chavez.

Riot police storm through Occupy Oakland.

The demonstration aimed to draw attention to fellow Americans who have been subjected to violence at the hands of their own government for exercising the constitutional freedoms their government is sworn to protect. The violent raid on the 25th of Occupy Oakland resulted in the arrest of 85 people and the  brutalizing many peaceful participants, using excessive physical force, tear gas, and dangerous projectile rounds. Our elected public officials must listen to the grievances of this popular movement. It is absolutely unacceptable to attempt to dissuade civic engagement through the use of brutality, repression and retaliation against movement participants. This is America. All Americans have the freedom to peacefully protest our government. That right defines who we are as a country and a people, and when it is denied, all of America is the poorer for it. The Mayor of Oakland — and mayors and city governments across the country — should get on the right side of history and honor all Americans’ freedom to peacefully assemble and to civically engage.

We conclude with the video footage of a raid that aimed to suppress a movement and the collective voice of the people but inspired a show of national solidarity for WE ARE ALL SCOTT OLSEN!

Call Mayor Quan’s office and demand that she investigate this incident and allow peaceful protests to continue: (510) 238-3141