From Pine View Farm

Wall Street Walkers 0

Bill Shein considers the “Occupy Wall Street” activists and sees hope. A nugget:

The young people in New York’s Liberty Square are informed with the knowledge that unemployment among their peers is at least double the national rate, with no relief in sight. They’re informed by the painful reality of mountains of student-loan debt. They know that prior generations have warmed the planet, but their generation will suffer the consequences if nothing is done. They know that millions have lost homes and jobs and retirement savings while an elite few were bailed out to return to business-as-usual. What more do they need to know?

Under the banner of “The Other 99 Percent,” these nonviolent activists, increasingly accompanied by Americans of all colors and ages and incomes, are showing us what love of country – and love of our fellow citizens – should look like.

Not coincidentally, these young people are among those most affected by new photo-ID requirements for voting that were fast-tracked through many state legislatures this year. Thus, those most likely to vote against the unacceptable status quo are being systematically excluded from democratic participation. Without money, and without a meaningful voice in elections, they’ve instead taken to the streets, their bodies and voices standing in for empty wallets and blocked ballots.

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