Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Occupied

OccupyYesterday was yet another gorgeous day here in northern Indiana, and it was a perfect day to head to downtown South Bend for a little political rally.

I went over to Shane and Matt’s, and we went to the meeting place, where we met up with our friend Doug. We went to a rally sponsored by MoveOn, and it was mainly about job growth and creation here in the U.S. There was a strong union presence there, including the head of the postal workers’ union. Everyone was in good spirits, we talked to a few nice people who were very concerned about what is happening in our country, held our signs, and waved at the cars going by. Most were fairly supportive, people waving and honking their horns, but we got a real kick out of the guy that drove by and flipped us off. Really? A group of people gathers to push for job creation in the country, and your response is “Fuck you?” I just don’t get that.

There was a simultaneous Occupy South Bend rally going on a block away, so we joined forces with them. Slightly different focus, but still on the same side of things. There is a growing inequity in how much the Haves have and how much the Have Nots don’t have. The rampant greed of Wall Street and the deregulations of their activities resulted in the average American getting screwed over royally. We--those same screwed-over taxpayers--bailed out the banks and investment companies, because to not do so would mean a complete collapse of the economy. I understand that, and I still support the bailouts. However, although some of that money has been paid back, not all of it has, and the profits of the companies and their CEOs are still through the roof...and they are still not investing in the American recovery. No one has been held accountable, and the greedy bastards are still doing what they were doing when they got us into that mess.

Ken and I are fortunate to have weathered this fairly well (knock on wood). He has a good job, and if need be, I could go back to work in the health care sector. But I was proud to stand in support of all those who have been so severely affected by this, whether it’s people who can’t retire because they lost most of their retirement funds, or people who have been out of work for months or years because the jobs simply aren’t there.

Herman Cain (or as Palin likes to call him, “Herb”) commented on the growing Occupy rallies last week and said that if you don’t have a job, don’t blame the banks, don’t blame Wall Street...blame yourself. I wonder what planet Mr. Cain is living on? There are 14 million unemployed in the United States, and I can tell you that I know plenty of people who are hard-working individuals and want to find a job, but simply can’t because there are so few jobs available. Matt has sent out over 2,000 resumes and has been unable to get anything. These are not lazy people, these are not people trying to take advantage of government programs. They are people like you and me who have been downsized and outsourced and screwed by corporate greed.

I supposed it’s easy for ol’ Herb to tell people to blame themselves. He isn’t struggling to pay the rent or put food on the table for his family or trying to pay medical bills. When he had to deal with cancer, he had the best care that money could buy; he didn’t have to worry about how his medical bills might bankrupt his family or make them lose their home. There are millions of Americans who aren’t millionaires who worry about those things every single day.

I stand with them.

9 comments:

  1. This is such a good thing happening now. I only hope it will continue to build support.
    You go guys!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I interned at Central Indiana Jobs with Justice while I was in college. Seeing those signs made me smile. Thanks for taking a stand!

    ReplyDelete
  3. i bet the 'fuck you guy' texted all about what he did on his i-phone as he was going to a meeting to organize a protest at steve jobs' funeral....

    *sigh*

    thanks for standing up for families like mine!

    xxalainaxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Occupy Nutwood!!! I'm there in spirit, at least! There is a group here that is hanging out in a park across the street from the Federal Reserve Bank- I drive by them on the way home from work every night.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beth, I was glad to participate too. While 14 million Americans are unemployed, I suspect the number is closer to 25 million people. 14 million unemployed Americans are still receiving unemployment insurance. At least another 4.5 million Americans have exhausted their benefits and are no longer counted included in the official count.

    I am upset that more than 200,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghan War are unemployed. No one seems to talk about this.

    Standing up for the "little guy," as we did, is the the only way an apathetic Congress is going to get the message... but I think the GOP is milking this crisis for all its worth to prevent President Obama from securing a second term in office.

    Does it not infuriate you when politicians such as Herman Cain and Mitch O'Connell say that the unemployed are lazy?

    Thanks for spreading the word too (as I did on m blog too).

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think that the elites are fearful that if this grows, a financial 'nuclear winter' may strike here in the US...

    People like Cain and Eric Cantor simply disgust me and so do their supporters. Not only because I disagree with them, or they are mean, but because they are stupid. And as Forest Mom was wont to say, "Stupid is as stupid does!"

    ReplyDelete
  7. I can't wait to join in when the movement comes to KC. How about n Occupy Blogspot for now?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for these words Beth. It is the very same over here in the UK.latest unemployment figures are worst in 30 years...of course the present gov. blame the previous gov. although they have been in power now for long enough to turn things around if they had the will..but Oh no it's the unemployed to blame ..get of their butt and find work...(my great nephew now almost 22 has applied for well over 400 jobs and except for a few weeks here and there has never had a full time job)..I despair I really do...as I can't see an end in sight it's just getting worse and worse...
    Sybil x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thought I'd already replied to this post...

    Keep it up. Attended Occupy Raleigh on Saturday, and keeping my ears open for the next venue.

    ReplyDelete

I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you?