I am a local writer and photographer who has been covering Occupy Iowa/Occupy Cedar Valley and attended the Cedar Falls protest. I plan on keeping everyone up to date on my blog with photos and interviews of those camping out across from City Hall! Check out my articles and photos so far...
http://blastedgoat.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/occupy-your-town/
http://photographicnovel.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/occupy-cedar-valley-photos-day-1/
http://blastedgoat.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/occupy-cedar-falls-overman/
http://blastedgoat.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/occupy-iowa-photos-cedar-falls-day-2-camping-out/
I can tell you most of these people are working or they are looking for jobs like myself after being layed off or graduating college. The people of Iowa marched because they don’t have a voice, even as the first state to have a primary. The media twists the issues and people don’t talk together as communities. Those of you who oppose the 99% have you even tried to listen? Not every protester is going to make complete sense but the collective effort of getting the government’s attention is what we seek. Our demonstration was completely peaceful and in cooperation with local authorities which was frowned upon by some… you can’t win with some people! We tried to address that specific issue. Everyone is trying to divide us, label us and dismiss us before even listening to us! We tried to come up with a few major points we could all agree on. Here is that initial list:
*Ending the military industrial complex (end wars, bring troops home)
*Ending corporatism (get money out of politics and government)
*Overhaul of social issues (education, health care, housing)
*Jobs (infrastructure)
*Environmental responsibility (sustainability)
I took photos and participated in the solidarity committee. Yes, that’s right our protest was run like a committee meeting, point of orders and all. We need to have civilized discourse and our compartmentalized worlds don’t allow that naturally so we are occupying PUBLIC space to share our thoughts. At least we are doing something and not just complaining. We are trying to come to a consensus, however long it takes, so we can tell our politicians what we want.
In order for that to work those politicians can’t be swayed by corporate powers. The invisible hand of big business has its fingers in all our affairs from war to health care to education, EVERYTHING!
Please join a movement if you have an idea and try to make the best out of this life. It does no good to blame others or label people into categories and political parties!
Occupy Overman! Cedar Falls Joins National Movement: http://blastedgoat.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/occupy-cedar-falls-overman/
*Solidarity is the integration, and degree and type of integration, shown by a society or group with people and their neighbors. It refers to the ties in a society – social relations – that bind people to one another. The term is generally employed in sociology and the other social sciences. –Wikipedia