Update

It is now late November and I know Troy as well as I have ever known anyone. I have learned so much from him and his ever expanding knowledge of all things having to do with deception perpetrated by our government. I felt that I was an educated and aware individual, but my eyes have been opened to things that have to be unearthed. You won’t find any of this information on the evening news. The Occupy movement grew from its original location at Wall Street and underwent many changes. Our viewpoint of participating has undergone some changes as well. We find ourselves sitting here reading facebook posts and watching Alex Jones and Mox TV. I am eating leftover turkey while watching RT, Russia Today, a surprisingly objective look at what is going on in America, through the eyes of people from a country I had been convinced as a child were going to bomb us into oblivion. There is way more to this than what is on the surface. Occupy sites around the country are being threatened with arrests, shut downs and evictions. All I can think of is pictures from history books of people with signs and what a long history this country has of people collectively realizing that an elite few have orchestrated deceptive practices, sociopaths with a feeling that they are capable of making the rules that we all must live by. This movement isn’t about rights to housing and a college education. It isn’t about getting arrested for sitting in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s about the massive distraction we have all fallen victim to. In 1913 a law was passed [The Federal Reserve Act of 1913] in secret, making it legal for a few people to steal money from every American citizen through a myriad of deceptive practices and no matter who we have in office, Democrat or Republican, these bastards have free reign on our pocketbooks. Rest assured they love the fact that we are all distracted by arguing about why people have become unemployed or lost their house, or are occupy protesters just being lazy bums. The most prevalent distraction right now, the most important activity in American culture is shopping for our pathetically commercialized holidays.

On my knees for the cause

In late August I was staying with my childhood friend, Carol in Scarborough Maine. Bored with trying to fill my time and feeling pretty lonely, I decided to head over to the first day of Occupy Maine in Portland. Listening to the radio, I heard the song Revolution by the Jefferson Airplane. I was ready for something to happen; little did I know how profoundly my life would change that day. Surrounded by people who had gathered in Monument Square, I was quickly put to work using my artistic talent to make signs, in spite of not really knowing what, exactly, I should be writing. I have to say it was exhilarating just to be a part of something other than the usual cocktails and laughing sessions I was used to in my social life. I intently listened to people and looked at what others had included in their signs. Some were elaborate and required lots of thought, some were very simple..End the Fed. I learned a lot about what is going on in our government, the lies, the deception, the fact that so many people were totally unaware of what was going on or even cared that there was a protest happening that concerned their daily lives. The crowd swelled to around 300 that day. Taking breaks from light rain that fell throughout the day, I found a coffee shop without reliable internet access and moved to the library across the street. I posted to as many friends as I thought would be interested, or even just supportive of something I was interested in. There were food donations, inexpensive rain ponchos and camaraderie to spare. We held our signs, shouted at people in cars to join us and made friends. I lasted well into the night but when 2:30 am rolled around and people began pitching tents, I held the blanket that had been handed to me tightly around my now shivering body and yawned. We were now a few dozen people gathered under small awnings and huddled in a coffee shop that had stayed open past closing especially for us. If I had been in my 20s, 30s, even 40s, I would have braved the elements and stayed, but I looked around and mentioned that I would appreciate an escort to my car, parked a few blocks away. A gentleman that had just finished a side splitting comedy routine about side effects of prescription drugs including compulsive gambling, offered to walk me, and we headed off into the night.