OCCUPY MOVEMENT AND VALLEY FORGE

The winter is coming and people are still camping in their cities to call attention to the economic decisions which further enrich the 1% as the 99% become poorer. You all know what I believe. I believe that letting the rich bully more than their fair share out of the economic pie is bad for both the rich and the poor.

My nightmare now is that a fire will rage through the OCCUPY tents, killing protesters. This is because the winter in the US is much colder than the winter in Tahrir Square. Occupy people are using space heaters to heat their tents. They are using open flame to cook their food. And their tents are so close to each other and the fires that it is frightening to think about.

Yes, the camping through the winter does bring up images of Washington's troops at Valley Forge. I guarantee you that Washington had strict standards regarding tent placement and fires. This is why the paintings always show the tents at least one tent space apart from each other, and the fires in front of the tent, at least one tent space away from the tent.

You have made your point. Now, go register people to vote, work for charities, or join a political party. May I recommend the Democrats? By now you have all learned that any group of people will not agree on all things. But you, I and the Democrats all agree that the Republicans want to make the rich even richer.

I again remind you, protests do NOT elect your representatives. VOTING elects your representatives. And it is the elected representatives who make the decisions. There is almost never enough lobby money to get an elected representative to vote for something that will cause her/him to for certain lose the next election. YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT. But only if you cast your vote.