( Originally Posted For Thanksgiving Nov24th) So this Thanksgiving I am going down to visit Occupy, take them some hot Turkey Sandwiches, and some winter goodies.( Many thanks to Bonni in Mass. who made incredible warm scarves for them...) and some mittens and gloves, cold medicine and I will be checking the medical bag. But it occurs to me that Thanksgiving is about families gathering and many won't get it, don't understand how many are damaged by this Economy and how it got this way.There is true economic pain that can be measured in Numbers. So here are some to share as you pass the gravy. ( If you follow me on Twitter you know I do this #WhyWeOccupy hashtag every couple of days to educate folks.) So here are some of the Facts.
The STATS ::: #WhyWeOccupy....in America ::: (1) 50 Million are still without Healthcare ( due to loss of jobs,States HighRisk Pools pricing folks out) (2) 46 Million Living in Poverty ( this Number includes Working Poor) (3) 49 Million On Food Stamps (4) 22 Million Children living in Poverty (5) One in four Children going to bed hungry every night (6) 29 Million UnEmployed and UnderEmployed (7) 14 Million of our Elderly Living in Poverty (8) 47,000 Dying Without Healthcare per year (9) 235,000 Vets returning from Warzones to NO Job (10) Vet Unemployment rate consistantly at 29% (11) 600,000 Vets Sleeping on the Streets each night (12) 26,000 Vets Lost Homes 2010 ( some while serving overseas) (13) 18 Vets commit suicide per day (14) 8 Million Homes Lost In Foreclosure in past 3 years (15) 62% of All Home Loss in Foreclosure due to Medical Debt
OWS Library and how to give back ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zucotti Park Occupy Site had an amazing Library of more than 5000 books on so many subjects, from Peace Leaders and Non Violence Training and Economics and even health eating and childrens books and Pet Care. When the Camp was raided at 3:30 AM Very Late Monday Night ( early Tuesday Morning) Much of the camp was destroyed or scooped up and put into the trash dumpsters that came. Tents were slashes and pulled apart and belongings thrown away. It had been set up in a Tent donated by rocker Patti Smith.
There are some items that are still being searched for including the Bike Powered power generators and the Professional Drums and yes The Library.At first it was said it was destroyed in all the confusion this seemed likely, and the protesters were given less than 10minutes warning and were asleep, so there was not time to gather that many books. And then later yesterday the Mayors Office said that the books were moved to a storage area, but the photo showed only a few hundred books. So on Twitter the cry went up to Rebuild the Library and yes, you can ship them to NYC. Here is more about how to Ship them, So let's all give to the People's Library, here's the link, let's get busy sending them Zinn, Mandela, MLK etc etc... You can also go help retrieve the ones that Sanitation Dept stored.
The UPS Store Re: Occupy Wall Street Attn: The People’s Library 118A Fulton St. #205 New York, NY 10038 (via Occupy Wall Street Library Blog)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY UPDATE ON THE DESTROYED LIBARY SITUATON::: So the day after the Raid of Zucotti Park, teams of people with vehicles went to the Sanitation Garage to retrieve the Library that the Mayor had claimed via a Tweet had been saved and taken to the Garage. These photos are what is left of the OWS Library. Gone are all the Shelves of books and materials, even the Reference Library and the Kids Library. 5500 Books, the Laptops that kept track of everything. These photos show only a few hundred books and a damaged chair. When Books are treated like Garbage we are indeed in Dark Times. I do ask that you read the attached websites and do find a way to give or send books. ( I personally think we should all mail copies of "1984" to the Mayor's Office). Books had been donated from all over and even autographed and sent, so we need to Rebuild what was truly a wonderful thing. Libraries have been closing all over, but that Librarians worked so hard to make this a REAL Library is beyond heroic. ( And the Librarians were even Jailed that night as well.) Please do what you can to Help this Noble Cause.
*** AS OF THURSDAY NIGHT NOW THE THUGS GUARDING ZUCOTTI WILL NOT ALLOW BOOKS IN OR MUSIC OR FOOD. IT IS TRULY BECOMING A WARSAW GHETTO.****
