To the Editor:
The Occupy Movement was initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters this past summer to unite the 99 per cent of us in solidarity to stop greed and corruption of the wealthiest one per cent. The Occupy Wall Street protest occurred in New York City on September 17 of this year. Since then the Occupy Movement quickly spread across the world including many cities in United States, Canada and Europe.
The ultimate goals of the Occupy Movement is restoring democracy, reclaiming Peoples' rights and freedoms and creating social and economic justice for all. The entity that has perpetuated disparity in society is corporations. Corporations are soulless establishments with one goal only, to make money. To address economic, environmental and social crises in today's world, corporate dominance of money and the economy and its influence on mass media and on political and military institutions must end.
The Occupy Movement is showing no signs of slowing. On the contrary, this movement is gaining momentum around the world. Within a couple months Occupy Canada's (a Facebook page) support base quickly grew from 10,000 to 20,000 and just recently reached over 30,000 supporters. On December 25, approximately 100,000 protestors in Moscow rallied for democratic reform. There were also fraudulent claims against Prime Minister Putin.
Supporters of the Occupy Movement have been misunderstood, belittled and prejudged. They have been called lazy, greedy and just wanting free handouts. Many supporters are of the younger generations. They didn't build our present world but they are beginning to feel empowered to be part of the solution. Why would we want to stifle their passion for wanting to create a better world? This movement may be pivotal in saving us.
A next step is for Canadians to take stock of the present state of our own country by examining the actions of our federal government. One role of the federal government is to provide sound and stable leadership to Canadians and to the rest of the world. Questions to ponder may include: Is it a responsible government? Is it preserving our rights and freedoms? Is it maintaining democracy within our nation? Is it for the People and not corporations? Are the desires, values and needs of Canadians being represented in Parliament? Do bills that are passed represent the best interest of the Public? Do Canadians feel empowered under its governance?
The answer to all these questions is no. Many individuals, groups and sectors have been affected by Harper's wrath including farmers, unions, Aboriginals, the public sector, media, the environment to name a few. Now our universal healthcare is slowly being chipped away until there will be nothing left except private Medicare. As a result I am voicing my non confidence in Harper and his government. There is increasing discontent with Harperland among supporters of the Occupy Movement. So I request of you from a slogan of the Occupy Movement, "Wake up Canada!" Let's unite, speak up and preserve the Canada we know and love.
My hope for 2012 is that truth and justice will prevail.
Vanessa Hamilton, Brandon, MB.
