OCCUPY WALL STREET

[Kätzchen]

Tonight, after work, I went down to our OWS campaign site (downtown by the Elk Fountain) and spent time there visiting with many supporters.

I got permission from supporters to share their stories here and for the photos I took: my night's visit started off a with locking myself out of my son's car....



"Solomon" (his street name) helped me unlock my car! He allowed me to take a photo of the sign he made for his tent (seen below). Solomon is Black and he has a rap sheet a mile long for 'breaking and entering.' He's been homeless for over 2 years. I told him tonight that I liked his street name a lot because of Solomon (in the bible) and to not assimilate because he's been labeled a felon due to his circumstances! He has a heart of gold! He has been part of the protest since it began here in Portland and I learned tonight that he was going to Eugene tomorrow to take up a post down there. I gifted him enough money to catch a bus to Eugene and donated the left over proceeds of my small winnings from a lottery ticket I bought last week to OWS tonight.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68856794@N08/6255753477/


The photo below is of Maggie and David - they just got married tonight at OWS... They have been out of work for some time now and have been at the OWS site since it began. I spoke with them for quite awhile tonight and they plan to stay for as long as they can here in Portland, but they may migrate to Eugene to participate there this weekend.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68856794@N08/6255753551/

In the photo below is Zach who manned the Information booth tonight! He was instrumental in helping me connect with "Solomon" to unlock my car!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68856794@N08/6256283962/

Here are posters that various supporters have made for OWS
(by the information booth)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68856794@N08/6256283426/

(I don't how to embed the photos here in this thread, but if someone knows a better way than just leaving a link to the photos, let me know asap tonight and I can resubmit this post)

[Kätzchen]

Well, for heaven's sake, I just got accidentally logged out from the system and can't amend my post above! *blush*


Many people have submitted written opinion to our local newspaper (The Oregonian) and here's a brief statement of support from a reader who lives in Vancouver (across the river from Portland):


There is a huge movement sweeping across the country as people take up occupation of public squares to express outrage over citizen suffering as a result of greedy, unethical and likely illegal actions on Wall Street.

Disparagers scoff that participants come from a variety of backgrounds and lack focus. Do not let anyone portray cohesive diversity as inarticulate disunity. The diversity of participants is one of the strongest statements of all.

JUDITH DAHLEN
Vancouver
(link to The Oregonian Blog)

Last second edition to this post:

I also met Heidie and Len - an elderly retired couple who spent years as public servants in the State of Oregon: They watched over me and 'Solomon' as he helped me to unlock my car. Just speaking with them and knowing that they support this movement brought me to tears tonight. Many people from all types of sectors in Portland are representing the OWS movement and I couldn't be more proud of the support people have given and continue to give in light of all the other events happening US-wide. ~D

[SoNotHer]

Disparagers scoff that participants come from a variety of backgrounds and lack focus. Do not let anyone portray cohesive diversity as inarticulate disunity. The diversity of participants is one of the strongest statements of all.

At the gym tonight, I watched two local Chicago stations give this air time. The FOX station, not surprisingly, portrayed this a protest of mostly "25 to 35 year olds." Well, I saw what I saw yesterday, and I wasn't the only person approaching a half century.

The newscast went on to offer that "many were unemployed, but some were employed." And the more FOX hopes to manipulate folks into seeing this movement as something specific to young, restless, unemployed folks, the more they continue to lose its own credibility (if that's possible).

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by SoNotHer

Disparagers scoff that participants come from a variety of backgrounds and lack focus. Do not let anyone portray cohesive diversity as inarticulate disunity. The diversity of participants is one of the strongest statements of all.

At the gym tonight, I watched two local Chicago stations give this air time. The FOX station, not surprisingly, portrayed this a protest of mostly "25 to 35 year olds." Well, I saw what I saw yesterday, and I wasn't the only person approaching a half century.

The newscast went on to offer that "many were unemployed, but some were employed." And the more FOX hopes to manipulate folks into seeing this movement as something specific to young, restless, unemployed folks, the more they continue to lose its own credibility (if that's possible).

You know what? I haven't owned a TV in years - for the very reasons you state above -- that media seems to manipulate (or shall I say, construe messages) according to the perspective media feels will garner the most attention or closely align with the viewing audience of said station????

I think social media -whether it occurs here on the Planet, FB, MS or other social networking sites- is probably the largest way people gather information and form opinion according to what source they deem is most rational to them.

Simultaneously, for me and maybe others, I don't always buy what media produces as an 'credible' accounting of news. I think people like me are not representative of the majority. That's not to say that my way of digesting communication is the best way ... but I guess what I am trying to say is that I think what we have going on within the medium of OWS is clearly, most likely, the closest thing we have to people actually participating in active democracy; ensuring that voice from the center, off-center, or even on the perimeter - the outskirts of the Bell Curve (those lovely little statistical 'trouble makers' ) whose voice is not all that often heard due to the cacaphony of the majority; thus, an indication that we as a people, diverse as we are, are capable of making sure that our voices are heard - one way or the other.

I hope my idea makes sense (above).

I appreciate your comments and share the same sentiment, the urgency, to advocate this social cause (OWS).

~D

[Dominique]