Occupy Oakland Movement – General Strike History Relived – Editorial


November 2, 2011 Category :General Comments:0

 

The Occupy movements are making statements that join the past with the future.  A general strike is one of the greatest tools available to individuals. 

The United States of America is founded on the idea that every individual has the same rights as another.  Corporations are not individuals, they do not have the same rights as an individual.  The United States Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has had a major impact on how campaigns are funded.  Corporations now have more rights than an individuals.  Corporations, through the the use of money, policy and political influence and their sheer size, have the power and ability to undermine, eroded individual freedoms.

Corporations now have more rights than individuals, but they don’t have the ultimate power that an individual has at their disposal.

Individuals joining together have the ability to hold corporations accountable, to shut them down, to bring about change and persuade them do what is ethical and right.

It may seem that corporations have greater power than the individual and at time that may be true.  When individuals join together they have more power, we become stronger and more powerful.  

A general strike is just one way individuals can exercise power, the power individuals joining together can bring to bear against corporations.  General strikes are rare in the United States, yet when used they can have massive power.

Corporations must acknowledge or be forced to acknowledge the power of individuals.

We the people have the power and we must continue working together to bring about change.

- Jeffrey

 

Bay Area’s history of general strikes

Today, workers, students and others in Oakland will join in the first general strike our nation has seen this century – and one with echoes in San Francisco history.

Why do we send our children to school? Education or Sports? 13 yr old dies playing Middle School football on his birthday.


October 30, 2011 Category :Family Comments:0

I didn’t play sports in school. Why? Simple I didn’t want to, I didn’t have that something that they wanted. I wasn’t tall, big, bulky, fast or strong.  So I can’t really see why people let their children play sports in school.

I know that it is claimed it can be a character builder, helps foster team work and can round out the participants school experience.


I also know people are at risk of dying  when they play sports. Yes, everyone is at risk when they do anything. Some risk is acceptable and some is just foolish.  School sports, IMHO, are not foolish.  The parents and school administrators are at fault.  They aren’t the only ones at fault.  The sports loving public is… we place so much on being bigger, stronger and better than everyone else.  Colleges give money to those who are good in sports – not necessary those who’ll do well in their educational pursuits.

So when I see a story like the one below, I’m shocked, mad and wondering what were these people thinking?  I know the town in question well.  It is a small town, with no industry, no reason for children to stay in the area and it isn’t growing.  This happens in lots of little town and some see college as a good way out.  College cost money – so families save, save and scrimp.  Not everyone can just layout the money for college.  Scholarships, Grants, and Loans make up the difference.  Having a child who is in to sports and does well might find a sports scholarship coming her/his way.  Academic scholarships are available but can be out of reach. Small town schools might not have the most up to date equipment, fancy science labs or the money for a wide range of electives.

Sports – almost every school district in my state has some sort of sports program.  For many sports is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.  A tunnel to a better life, college, more money, opportunity to shake off the dirty of a little town and see the world. Okay, I’m over doing it a bit, but you can see where I am coming from.

… [Read the rest]

Volunteers need for Oct. 28th at BofA 6th & KS ave. 11-2pm/4-6pm


October 28, 2011 Category :General Comments:0

We are in need of volunteers who support the #ows movement to take part here in Topeka.

If anyone can go up to BofA today (Oct. 28th) from 11-2 and/or 4-6 please contact Jeffrey H. (jph@wryt.me)

We have signs you can use. Thanks.

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