Written by Beth Carter   

I declare myself an Occupier in Seattle. I declare myself a Universalist. I declare the time is now for humanity across the globe to embrace each other as equal and valuable. The differences of race, religion, culture, economics, education, nation, generation, and gender are tools used to fracture the family. It is the time to unite in our common experience of life. What is common to us all is what we here in America take for granted--potable, easy-access water, easy-access food, shoes, a change of clothes, education, celebration, entertainment, and on it goes. Business and industry take credit for our fortunate circumstance, but they stand upon something. It is what they obscure for which we reach. We reach for the altruism and the far-sighted vision which allows us the broad-based benefit of public education (the jewel of the Reformation), street lighting, plumbing, garbage services, public transit services, food banks, soup kitchens, homeless camps, public health services, newspapers, parks, and libraries. Middle class America is some of the biggest hearts of fortunate circumstance worldwide funding most of the charitable contributions nationally, yet in contrast it is often their children who swell the ranks of the military body. They, too, have altruistic intention, to protect the innocent and the harmless. This altruistic heart has been used against us, used to mislead us both domestically and globally. We have been goaded to actions which serve only a few who stand behind armed guards and aggressive lawyers. They say, "Capitalism is what makes America great!" I say altruism is what makes America great! The monied interests cry, "Prove it!" I say the results are the proof. We must reject the temptation toward gullibility if the reply is, "Oops! Well, we didn't mean to do that." Repeat results show the pattern of premeditation.

Occupiers care about each other, even those we rail against. We are all living, breathing, sensitive beings. Capitalism has become an addiction to money, which is merely a concept of material exchange. It is without breath of itself. It feels nothing. It thinks nothing. It has no moral or ethic. It is only our collective agreement of its use that gives it any power, but it is that agreement with which the poor are bludgeoned everyday worldwide. High finance and big business demand the accolades and laurel garlands for making the United States a super power. That is false. What has made the United States powerful is altruism and appreciation for life and the human condition, the suffering and the innate dignity.

Have we been precise in our expression of that appreciation, that guiding principle? No. We still have our petty arguments, our unrefined behaviors. Have we been careful and conscious of our group effort? No. That's how the few garnered so much power. Have we been lead astray by our desires and our distractions? Yes. Yes, we have. Deep down, many of us know we've been mislead, but still we are asked to prove it, prove how it happened. Before we can discuss "how", we must be able to admit "that". We have been on the path to the mountain top, but we must admit that we have found ourselves in a tropical swamp. The misleading element sounds the charge, but we must backtrack to find where we lost our way. Then, once we find the wrong turn, we can realize and discuss how it happened.

The Occupiers have admitted to themselves that we are collectively mired in a parasite-infested, disease-ridden swamp of concept addiction called Quicksand Casino. We are called a "mob" because others have lost touch with the greatness of the Constitution, the heart of altruistic intention toward humanity as a whole. We have ineptly and inconsistently applied these principles; fast change is often only a flash-in-a-pan. We as American citizens who still feel the pulse of the altruism that lead pen to paper a couple of centuries ago are duty bound to turn this thing around. We must continue to work toward a more perfect union for the pinnacle still awaits us. That pinnacle is for all that lives--not just the monied, not just the white folks, not just the humans. It is for the universal life that gives us breath and the mind that rides it--call it spirit if that makes it easier to understand. We must care more about each other than some would feel comfortable; our inattention lead us here. It is beyond patriotism. It is beyond smart investment. It is sanity.