MIC CHECK as a tactic? It troubles my heart

Brothers and sisters, let me say this as a concerned colleague. I get the idea of "SPEAKING UP" and being part of the dialogue. But in my heart of hearts, I am concerned that when we speak up to disrupt a speech. We invite the same karma. We damage, dialogue, we "SPIKE" the give and take and prevent speech.



I do not condemn, I was not there. I only raise the question. IF WE DISRUPT do we not give others license to disrupt our speech?

I speak not in condemnation, but only from my honest heart. I want the right to give my speech, free and continuous, I will give my opponent, the respect of hearing their "pitch" as I demand the respect to give mine. By withdrawing that respect, do we not invite the same?


I know full well, they do not respect us, our values or our ideas.


I just think we should set the example of giving the respect that they do not give us, then giving our ideas. Speaking our minds.



I share these thoughts, not in condemnation, and not seeking the validation, of agreement, only to raise a question of tactics.


solidarity & peace


Rick@AveryVoice.com

www.NewMercuryMedia.com

WHY OCCUPY?

If you are among the people, not quite sure, why the OCCUPY MOVEMENT has taken to the public square? 


Here are a couple hints. They are trying to get the attention of their servants in government.
They refuse to die silently. They refuse to have their jobs, their lives, their homes, and the chance of an education stolen away.


They are not being heard. There were more people opposed to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars than even opposed the Viet Nam war debacle.  The response of our representatives in government the public servants? They were rolled, by the deceitful Bu$h Administration. And despite evidence to the contrary sent our military and thousands of mercenaries and billion$ of dollar$ to WAR.  


They presented a deaf ear when the public demanded PEACE. When the Bush Administration hijacked the US Treasury to bail out their pals on Wall Street and over a weekend demanded a blank check to PROTECT THE AMERICAN ECONOMY? Did our public servants act to protect the public, or did they think only of the people who pay the lobbyists decorating the halls of Congress with sheets of thousand dollar bills. They protected only the revolving door boys, they protected Wall Street. 


Did our public servants in Congress demand that there be no PROFIT$ TAKEN from our generous gift of TAX DOLLAR$ to Wall $treet? No, the cash flowed and flowed and flowed and the BONUSES GREW and GREW and GREW! 


When Professor Elizabeth Warren said, we must protect the public, we must have transparency. When she dared to suggest these bankers must pay. Congress and the president served the bankers first, and locked her out! - They locked us out too.


BIG MEDIA ignores the real issues, Our public servants in Congress ignore the real issues. The people guaranteed by our Constitution the right PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE, to DEMAND redress of Grievances are doing just that. They have gathered across the country, and across the world to say,"IT ENDS HERE!


These patriots gather because they refuse to be ignored. Unionists, Environmental Activists, Human Rights Activists, Economic Justice Activists, Small Business men and women, students and just plan folks, have gathered in the public square to DEMAND the government protect them. Not just protect the BANKS, the BIG CORPORATIONS, the BIG Insurance Companies. 


The American people's government exists to protect the interests of the people, not just the CORPORATE POWERS and the 1%ers.


Is it fair, that small businesses and families are paying their fair share of taxes, but GE pays nothing and gets a rebate? Is it fair, that companies enjoy tax incentives to steal American jobs and send them overseas. And unlike the "weak-tea" party, they left their guns at home. OCCUPY is about economic justice and FAIR PLAY for the American People.

Oppose workers rights at your peril

Letter to the editor response to an article entitled

(Its the unions destroying the country not the corporations)

(Original Letter)

You have to wonder is the kind of myopia a product of poor education or willful ignorance.

Unions exist because of corporate leadership's inability to understand, that workers must be paid a living wage. Unions and the guild before them gave some bargaining power to workers and craftsman who were at the mercy of the rich and powerful.

Those who would abolish unions and other organizations which protect workers and craftsman's rights would march us into the SLAVE LABOR FACTORIES so "popular" among the oligarchs who rule big business, today.

Factories that demand 18 hour, seven day weeks dorm living (for which they are billed) [remember "I owe my soul to the company store" - Seniors may remember Ernie Ford's rendition]

Union activists achieved the 5 day work week. (You can thank the Unions for the WEEKEND) Unless you consider that an industry destroying Un-American achievement. Companies earned more and more profits. The unions said to management, those workers who make such profits and the high wages of the corporate leadership possible should share in those profits.

Retirement investment and healthcare benefits both spring from the union bargaining for fair wages and fair participation in the profits. Take home checks 270 times greater than the workers salaries is a modern development springing from Reagan's decision to betray unionized federal workers. REMEMBER Reagan the guy that traded missiles with the Iranians just after they held American Embassy workers hostage for a year. That's the guy that opened WARFARE on the American Workers Rights. And while you're thanking Ronnie and Nancy's astrologer for that particular victory for the Corporate Oligarch, don't forget to thank Ollie North, the guy that stuffed secret papers, in his secretaries drawers so they could be smuggled out of the White House. What a hero. 

Think twice before you betray workers families because they want to participate in the benefits that stem from their labors. When you defend a corporations rights to profit from slave labor while polluting the planet, you will definitely reap what you sow.

You don't spin video - ASK google - you just let uncle Sam censor it!

You don't spin video. You don't spin heavily armed riot police, firing tear gas, using sound cannons and billy clubs. Ask the marine in the hospital about NON-LETHAL FORCE.

They didn't attack the angry armed T-partiers. They attacked the peaceful protestors who opposed the banksters. They opposed the deregulation that wiped out their savings. The peaceful protestors were opposed, were attacked by policemen and women, whose pensions are under attack, by the same forces of greed that the OCCUPY Activists denounce.

I don't blame the police, I don't even blame the fearful captains and sergeants. I blame those ignorant of CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES. I quote the First Amendment:

AMENDMENT I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

                                                   ...

May the officers, who fired at the heads of those peaceful citizens, live to rethink their cavalier abuse of the first amendment. And orders to break the law, are unlawful orders. Even Donald Rumsfeld knows that thats why those criminals, sought to soothe their consciences with bendable lawyers.

solidarity & peace

Rick Spisak - We are the 99%

www.NewMercuryMedia.com

TAXED TOO MUCH - don't make me laugh!

If you're part of the 99% yes, you are taxed too much. If you work or worked for a salary yes, you have paid too much. But if your a banker, or an insurance exec, or a trader making money with no tax liability, and you paid less in taxes than the janitor who took out your trash, you my friend have been getting a free ride. Time to pay the fare.

I am a small business man, I pay taxes each month. When I hear of companies who are receiving tax benefits from sending jobs over seas, or companies like GE or BP or GOLDMAN SACHS who take advantage of the benefits of doing business in a country, whose roads are paved, who is serviced by police and fireman, and whose staff is educated by tax payers. And yet paid no tax, or worse got a REFUND?

Don't talk to me about "T.E.A." partiers? Those "economically concerned" who never appeared while the Shrub and Turd-blossom put two wars on the credit card - You've got to be kidding me!

If your among the 1% who pays no taxes and yet benefits from a country built by tax payers you'll get no sympathy from me. Your trickle down doesn't trickle down on me!

The people in the streets right now, the (Occupy Wall Street, OCCUPY TAMPA, OCCUPY BOSTON, OCCUPY LA, OCCUPY MIAMI, OCCUPY PALM BEACH) who are demanding that mortgage payers get the same kind of loving care that BANKERS GOT.

I'm with them I'm a 99% oh, did I mention I'm an Educator.  And thus, viewed by my "governor" as expendable.

O... is for OCCUPATION!

 The day, Obama joined; OCCUPY WALL STREET

He told the Secret Service to get the chopper ready, he was headed to a meeting at Goldman Sachs. So they warmed up Marine One and a few minutes later with his usual retinue of handlers advisors and a few staffers, he crossed the lawn and climbed into the copter seconds later and headed off east nor east.

They landed about an hour later on the roof top helo pad atop the GLASSINE TOWER that obscures the corruption at Goldman Sachs. The president was all grins, as he tucked his briefcase under his arm and walked briskly across the roof to the elevator that would take him to his place beside the seat of power.

Far below in the streets thousands had joined the Occupiers that had now, begun the 30th day of the encirclement of the Goldman Sachs building. The occupiers had taken up positions circling the buildings non-stop while the police who have not allowed any sitting or standing on or around the building permitted them to parade around the building provided they didn't blockade the entrances. The police union had promised the occupiers, they would defend their constitutional rights to assemble and protest. Provided they agreed not to blockade any entrances. This truce had stood for two weeks. The circling crowd, never counted less than several thousand.

Not long after Marine One had disgorged its passengers, the crowd surged around the entrance. A galvanic impulse seemed to energize the crowd. A clot of secret service had appeared at the main entrance to the building. The crowd surged forward and then lurched back as the corporate security  team pressed outward against the shifting and slowly circling occupiers.

"Stand Down", the secret service, waved the security guards off,  they were rumored to be a wet team from Xe, each one an example of beefy steroid excess reeking of mercenary bloodlust. The had stood silent guard at every entrance heavily armed bristling with automatic weapons and more.

Seconds later the lanky figure of a black man exited the building surrounded by the secret service contingent that quickly formed the flying wedge that would provide the normal phalanx of protection for a head of state in a public arena. Those closest to the entrance turned to see what would happen next. Instant consensus was that the president would shake a few hands, maybe exchange a few comments and move on, the press hadn't even arrive yet. After all, hadn't Nixon chatted with Anti-War protestors?

The president walked right into the crowd which parted, both in deference to the wedge of secret services  and partially out of civic respect. It was only a few of the curious with cameras perched high overhead and a few souls in close proximity who actually gathered what in fact, was happening. The president strode right into the crowd, with secret service in tow and headed right down the street toward the park that had become the epicenter of the occupation. 

The president stopped briefly at the park edge and spoke to a pair of colorfully coiffed teenage girls. He then turned to some of the media activists and after a few brief exchanges was seen nodding and smiling. He continued wading further into the park. He walked among the seated people pausing here and there, the secret service team twitchingly alert. But eventually one of the occupiers, offered the president some salad and a cushion to rest on, and the crowd shifted to accommodate the newcomers. Some moved closer to catch the exchanges between those near enough to toss a question and retrieve an answer from this adventurous politician.

Some of the secret service hunkered down, after a bit and settled in for what seemed to be an extended stay. A camera crew and producer from Democracy Now, made their way through the crowd, and with battery powered lights opposed the dimming sunset, and the president conducted a brief press conference, from the heart of occupied Liberty Square.

One by one, the commercial media crews found their way most for the first time to Liberty Square. They set up their cameras, and equipment and took up positions ringing the president. He sat, holding court while a couple toddlers, alternative dove in his lap, or raced their toy fire engines over his head.  Ringed by cameras he held forth on the importance of the Liberty Park occupation sitting on a cushion next to a young family who had offered him a bowl of their family salad dinner. Their child had grown comfortable with the president and had begun, occasionally to climb on him, as children will on a person who is the center of attention. While the young mother had twice, tried to pull back when he ran his firetruck over the presidents head, Barack had smiled and gave the toddler a thorough tickling while an uncomfortable Dan Rather balanced uncertainly against a tree.

The press eventually tired of the president's "TIME FOR JOBS" theme and as the lights were shut off Barack  began talking with the occupiers.  Every few minutes for the first couple of hours, the secret service would lean in and ask, was he about ready to go? Clearly the president had no, interest in leaving anytime soon.

It began to drizzle and across the crowded square tarps and plastic sheeting appeared to envelope the activist village. Somebody passed the president a poncho and the secret service team scrambled to locate umbrellas, but the president waved them off.  Down the street, bright lights appeared and began slowly to work their way toward the park. The secret service lead man, leaned down several times and exchanged information with the president. A large smile played across the president's face. 

Eventually the bobbing lights approached the edge of the park nearest the president. The crowd parted and the lights approached more rapidly. Soon, it was clear who was joining the occupiers at Liberty Square. The president's daughters appeared in a gap in the crowd, trailed by the stately Michelle. Daddy, DADDY - we've come to spend the night.  Michelle was carrying sleeping bags, and an aide held a child's colorful tent rolled up. 

Daddy Daddy, we've come to be with you and THE PEOPLE!

Pssst NPR over here Occupy Wall Street is news - even if Ashston Kuche' isn't involved

In the long lurch rightward that has reduced NPR to republican framing and talking points has long saddened this reporter. I watched our old NPR, once a stalwart of old time journalism trimming and trimming it's sails until we get 5 interviews from the Heritage and Hoover economic school, and no alternative analysis.

So you can imagine how bad local and regional news is, that I and many other still depend on the gelded NPR for our national and international news. [as well as BBC, France 24, RTV, New India Times,Al Ghezira and others]
Why did it take more than a week to even notice the Wall Street occupation? There is no excuse despite this "explanation" from Dick Meyer of NPR:

RSN reports We asked the (NPR) newsroom to explain their editorial decision. Executive editor for news Dick Meyer came back: "The recent protests on Wall Street did not involve large numbers of people, prominent people, a great disruption or an especially clear objective."

Hundred protesting peacefully for over a week, protesting WALL STREET ABUSES, MORTGAGE GOUGING, FAILURE OF THE REGULATORS TO PROSECUTE WALL STREET CRIMINALS?
Nobody on the cute list? No Billionaires? NO NEWS HERE? Really NPR? PEPPER SPRAYING PEACEFUL PROTESTORS? No Clear Objective?