Blacklisted Occupied State of the Union Address

[Sugar]

As promised at last night's GA, here is the speech that was so scary to some, along with the message sent out to the 42 people involved in this project.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to thank you all again for your support and efforts. The final version is attached for your reading pleasure *wink*.

Unfortunately, I feel like moving forward with this speech is not a good idea at this time. Due to some actions, of a small group not representing the majority, the project has been blacklisted at OWS and nationally through interoccupy. I am very saddened by this, as this action was inappropriate and misguided causing damage to the project, reputations, and large groups of supporters. However, much discussion has been generated based on ideologies and how we handle these differences, along with how we react and actions we take. Please take the time to have these discussions. They are the foundation of our future.

Thanks!
Sugar

PS I have requested a peace circle through our conflict resolution committee to address this unwarranted and bogus blacklisting. My instinct was to make the horrible accusations public, but we need to be better with each other. So I am placing faith in the process set-up here in Chicago to address this issue and request a retraction letter.

Individual Occupied State of the Union Speech:

I am an individual Occupier of America and this is my State of the Union. I am here to speak to those who are disillusioned and concerned about our future as a nation.

Corporate and executive greed for wealth, coupled with the influence of big money special interests on our elected officials has stolen our representative democracy. It is robbing us of our past by devaluing our homes and savings; dimming our futures by making good educations inaccessible; and eliminating resources that provide stability. We are straddled with huge debt and have shrinking options to excel and prosper.

Corporations are thinking in fiscal quarters, elected officials are thinking in election cycles; both are being short sighted and, in doing so, are forcing us to live only from paycheck to paycheck. Our Democracy is being financed by the highest bidder, leaving no power for you and me.

Saving and investing for the future is my responsibility but Wall Street is gambling with my IRA, pension, 401K and even my homes’ equity. Banks are handed over taxpayers’ money at near 0% interest and charging me 30% interest when I need to put a car repair on a credit card so I can get to work and school.

$7.7 Trillion in secret loans from the Federal Reserve and $700 Billion in TARP funds were distributed to the financial industry. No relief was given to the people in crisis while top executives got paid outrageous bonuses. These bonuses were financed by the taxpayers and all the workers that got laid off. NO ONE has been held accountable for the crashed economy.

Our middle class is now feeling what the lower class has been feeling for years. As 1 in 2 Americans have fallen to or below the poverty line, the struggle for survival to keep roofs over our heads, food on our tables, and clothes on our backs has reached critical mass. There is a shredding of our social safety net. I worry that the future generations will not be better off than those that have come before.

Record high unemployment is not just a matter of not having money. It destroys people and families. It increases substance abuse, spousal, elder, and child abuse, divorce and suicide. It increases crime and homelessness. It affects the safety and security of neighborhoods, the whole society, and the future of the entire world.

$1.3 Trillion has been spent on wars since 2001. How many educations, how much medical care, and how much infrastructure could that have pay for? How many families could have been spared losing a loved one? Where is peace?
Once again we have to reach for the best ideals that America representative democracy was founded on, a government “of, by, and for the People.” They are representing the moneyed elite and politicians are cow-towing to their highly paid lobbyists.

When Americans of all ages, ethnicities, economic standings, and backgrounds Occupy together, we stand united against a broken system; a system that has stopped listening to the People and has allowed this country to be run into the ground, having a ripple effect across the world.

Occupying is not an encampment. It is not on a street corner. It is not in a reclaimed a foreclosed home. When we Occupy, it is a state of mind. As of December 20th, there were 2,751 Occupy communities worldwide that know you cannot evict an idea whose time has come.

For some, to Occupy means to participate in a demonstration. For others it means calling an elected official about budgets and legislation. It means bearing witness to police brutality. It means helping a neighbor.

I know how this broken system has affected me. I know how it has affected those I care about. I know how it has affected people thousands of miles away. When I Occupy, I am awake. I know that my voice has power and I know that I have a responsibility; a responsibility to stand up and declare that the system is broken and it is time to fix it!

Gandhi was an occupier; Dr. King was an occupier; Mandela was an occupier. They are exalted as martyrs but were rejected as occupiers, as protestors, as “radicals” – called terrorist by their governments. Many in our history, such as Harvey Milk, The Chicago 10, and Che Guevara have used the methods of occupying within their movements, at detrimental costs. Police and military forces around the world use brutal tactics to squelch the Peoples’ voice, their power. Yet I realize that it is my duty and obligation as an American to question authority and challenge the corruption that has eroded our system.

I join my voice with others to defend the Bill of Rights and fight against indefinite detention for American citizens, the elimination of Habeas Corpus, and oppression through censorship like SOPA.

Wipe out hunger, not the hungry. Wipe out homelessness, not the homeless. Wipe out poverty, not the impoverished. We need jobs for all who are willing and able to work.

I see some ways to gain my voice back. Publicly funded elections, ending the personhood of corporations with reversal of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Citizens United and it’s definition of money as freedom of speech. I think this will re-focus elected officials on accountability only to the voters.

I need elected officials to live in the same world that I live in, experiencing the same levels of income, benefits, and retirement prospects and to be stripped of their incentives to vote for or against a bill according to how it delivers re-election funds or increases the value of their own stock portfolio.

I find the solutions. I volunteer. I raise awareness in my community. I join with other voices screaming that corporations are not people and that freedom of speech comes from your voice and my voice.

I call and email my elected officials. I attend their in district events. I tell them what I see broken; how I would like it fixed; what the priorities are. I apply pressure on a regular basis.

I bank with local community banks and credit unions. They know that helping people and businesses in their communities help them too.

I support companies that do right by local, state, and the national economies; not companies who export jobs while laying off employees and make record profits while giving themselves huge bonuses. Send a message to business with every purchase.

This is the beginning and there is much to be overhauled. We have moral choices to make about America and how we interact with the world.

The creation of any Movement is to say “no” to oppression. Movements are a place where truth is reveled and solutions found. I am part of a Global Upraising against oppression, in all of its forms. I need to know your story; I need to know your ideas; I need to fight with you for a better future!

I am not going anywhere! I will occupy until there is real economic justice; I will occupy until there is real social change; I will occupy until there is real power for the people again. I stand up! I Declare! So I Occupy!

[AndersonJP]

Interesting letter. I don't see much of a problem with is, except the issue of whether Occupying is a state of mind. See the following:

http://forum.occupydebate.org/index.php ... .msg17#new

All of the people you mentioned physically occupied something. To anyone who thinks it is a useless strategy, I disagree.

On the subject of blacklisting... I know nothing about it so I can't engage that issue.

[education01]

As you posted this, Occupy Oakland was marching through the streets declaring "fuck the police", and reclaiming Oscar Grant Plaza. I would love to hear you tell them all that "occupy is a state of mind". That's an absurd statement. Occupy is a political movement, not a 'mood' or a 'belief'. If we're lucky, it will escalate into a mass mobilization that will enter into open confrontation with the ruling order.

And lastly, the "small minority" that opposed this at Occupy Chicago was not small, nor was it a minority. It was everyone I spoke to, which was dozens of people. Just for the record.

[Sugar]

Why do they need to be mutually exclusive?

When you think about these scenarios, think about what your soul feels before you answer?

Is it a state of mind?
Are you Occupying if we are physically protesting in a march or HQ?
Are at a GA?
At a committee meeting at McDonalds?
At a Committee meeting at HQ?
When we are sending an email from our phone at HQ?
Sending an email from home?
Watching GA on livestream?
Talking to a stranger about Occupy on the bus?
Talking to family or friends over the phone?
Closing your bank account?
Meeting with your elected official?
Writing or emailing your elected official?
Do your volunteer hours from your plea bargain?
At home making a sign?
Doing committee work from home, work, or school?
Researching issues, systems, people, and history to educate yourself?
Going to a training or an education invent inside private space?
When you watch live online a city being evicted?
When you are tweeting NLG #s and police phone numbers to call when police violence breaks out?
When you distribute fliers around town?
Doesn’t your spirit Occupy all the time?
You cannot evict an idea whose time has come!

[Rojo]

Education 01 said: " If we're lucky, it will escalate into a mass mobilization that will enter into open confrontation with the ruling order."

Am I missing something here? I thought Occupy was a peaceful movement. When did violent confrontation become a viable option? It's this kind of mentality, along with developing ego-bullshit that is what is driving people away from Occupy in droves.

Sugars speech was a step in the right direction that would have done more to engage the majority of the 99% that Occupy says they represent. Most people are not looking for a violent conflict, nor desire to be tasered, pepper sprayed or shot with rubber bullets. People in the Middle East are dying for the opportunity to participate in their Government. And the vast majority of Americans treat it like its an inconvenience. Occupy's resistance to this idea only enforces the status quo. It makes no sense to me.

And I participated in the Google group where she was hung out to dry. I was the only person who had the balls to defend her even though I don't always agree with Sugar. Isn't Occupy about empowering the 99% to get involved and do what they can? Because what I saw in that thread were a lot of bruised egos pissing and moaning that she went off on her own and did this without their approval. And I'm tired of people saying that we all own the "Occupy" name and then getting up in arms about it being used by someone they don't approve of. If we all own the name then I could decide to start "Occupy McDonald's" and no one has the right to say anything. ANd from what I hear, the non-leaders of this leaderless movement, who also don't want their conversations hosted on here where all the members of Occupy could read it but yet demand transparency from the powers in office, are already Occupying the McDonald's by L&J.

I also think it's hilarious that Occupy goes on and on about freedom of speech, but went out of their way to silence Sugar. You know how Occupy should have handled the situation? Wish her well and say nothing more. Last time I looked, Occupy was all about doing whatever it takes to make some lasting changes. And in order to do that, it will take a wide range of tactics.

[marymcmahon@clear.net]

As you posted this, Occupy Oakland was marching through the streets declaring "fuck the police", and reclaiming Oscar Grant Plaza. I would love to hear you tell them all that "occupy is a state of mind". That's an absurd statement. Occupy is a political movement, not a 'mood' or a 'belief'. If we're lucky, it will escalate into a mass mobilization that will enter into open confrontation with the ruling order.

And lastly, the "small minority" that opposed this at Occupy Chicago was not small, nor was it a minority. It was everyone I spoke to, which was dozens of people. Just for the record.

[BenBurton]

Education 01 said: " If we're lucky, it will escalate into a mass mobilization that will enter into open confrontation with the ruling order."

Am I missing something here? I thought Occupy was a peaceful movement.

Confrontation isn't necessarily physical.

[Rojo]

That's a valid point, Ben. But reading Education 01's entire post just gives me that kind of vibe. Maybe it's just me.

[marymcmahon@clear.net]

It's ambiguous, it arouses suspicions that could be confirmed or denied. This isn't likely to happen, and is an issue of concern to many Chicagoans.

Is Occupy Chicago going to be a people's movement? Or is it as the poster stated, political movement? And if so the politics of what?

So I'll ask from the original poster directly, what are the politics of this political movement we are in?

[mcsheffe]

I think something like this could be edited maybe shortened a little and printed for the consumption of the average middle class american to let them know that things are slipping away from them.Because we are not doing much to jolt them into reality.This is well put together by Sugar for the oc but we need Mr and Mrs Mainstreet to join in.And the only few changes is like drop the Che reference because they don,t understand his real contribution to the cause (Che-Castro)most of them are brainwashed on what really went on.In other posts I have mentioned using the main steam print media to reach the middle class masses to really get this movement going without the masses we go nowhere!!!All we are doing is talking to the same people over and over again.Sugar why don,t you take your address rework it and target it to main street america.Then ask the GA for the funding to publish it in the paper.I think it will be money well spent.