Dear Political Leader,
I am writing to you as a member of the 99%, and as someone who is participating in the organization of #OCCUPYVANCOUVER (www.occupyvancouver.com). We are in the early stages of organizing, and not all voices have been heard- so, until we have ratified our ideas, please understand I am not writing for the group as a whole.
Our movement consists of a wide range of people with diverse political opinions. Our commonality is that we do not believe that our government is proportionately representing 99% of the population. As a politician, I am sure you are painfully aware how many people have lost trust in the system. Most people believe our government is, to some extent, captive to corporate interests.
I, personally, take a moderate view on how we got here. There are both good and bad corporations, just as there are people. And while it angers me when I see anti-social corporate behaviour, I do not see conspiracy and evil. I haven’t since that since the day I learned that a CEO could be held criminally and financial responsible if they choose morality over profit. If it can be said that the lack of Arrests has any relation to Corporate lobbying, it is easy to understand why. The system is broken.
Many people see an opportunity – one that could quickly resolve this issue without radically interruption to our society. The idea is simple- Get Money Out of Politics. There is a similar movement in the US who have been the inspiration for this letter: www.getmoneyout.com
This ‘big idea’ has the potential to change the fabric of our society. After time, more people will trust their government- there is the potential to cure the cancer of apathy. Once complete, we can safely leave the people’s demands in the hands of a participative democracy.
We are cognisant that there are many sides to every issue, and are open to your opinion and alternative viewpoints. If you agree with our proposal, we welcome you to join and/or speak to us at the VAG anytime from October 15th.
We understand how it will take great courage for a politician to support this movement- and that you may have to swim upstream against your party. That said; please visualize a world where the majority of your constituents trust you. Just think of the things you could accomplish. The first political leaders to join have the opportunity to join the pantheon of great Canadians.
(Posted on Occupy Vancouver Facebook page on October 8th)
