#Occupy Digest - Op-Ed: There Will Be Blood

By D.J. Raspe - DJRaspy.com

A veteran at Occupy Oakland protest, wounded in the head by riot rounds from Oakland Police during brutal Oakland PD crackdown against protesters on Oct. 25, 2011.I said previously that there would be blood in this uprising. I was hoping I would be wrong. I was not. Sometimes I freaking HATE being able to foresee the future!

This is a picture of one of the protesters from the #OccupyOakland protests. His head is wounded from an attack by Oakland Police last night which involved the use of rubber bullets and/or beanbags fired at protesters, as well as tear gas and flash grenades. 

I have spent all night spamming the Oakland Police Officers' Association Facebook page and the Facebook and Twitter Accounts of Oakland Mayor Jean Quan (@jeanquan on Twitter) with outraged posts and commentary, and as of about an hour ago, the Oakland Police Officers' Association Facebook Page was taken down and/or deleted. 

Shit's getting real now. At least one Police Force has declared war on Occupation forces, and

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#OccupyDigest - Saturday, October 1, 2011

Breaking News: Big Media

Caught Red-Handed?  

The New York Times: Time-honored Bastion of real Journalism? Or Bought-and-Paid-For Liars? You be the judge.

By D.J. Raspe - DJRaspy.com

Brooklyn, NY -- I bet you're wondering why I'm formatting this particular entry of the #OccupyDigest differently than all the previous ones.  Well, you're probably not wondering, actually, but I'm going to tell you anyway.  I'm formatting it like a newspaper, because, quite frankly, it has become clear to me that the traditional sources of publication, the Big Media Outlets like the New York Times, are no longer worthy of the damned format that they have used for centuries. 

The Revolution is still going strong - American Autumn, 2011"What's that, Raspy?  Explain yourself!", you might be saying.  All right, I will.  As if the damning picture at the top of this Digest entry has not adequately said it for me. You see, I want to explain it, and I will do so with a story, a personal anecdote of how my day went yesterday (October 1st...I'm writing this on the morning of October 2nd). Bear with me.  I'm kinda long-winded.  But even though I've not slept since yesterday morning, and I'm really, really tired, this story...this unmitigated OUTRAGE of a story must be told, so I'm going to tell it. 

You see, I've been following the events of the #OccupyWallStreet Movement and other similar #Occupy Movements across the country for a little over 2 weeks now.  16 days, to be precise, and I've noticed something.  The news changes.  Sometimes, articles that I set aside to revisit later when I am ready to type up my #OccupyDigest come up mysteriously missing from search results.  I always wondered about that.  Now, I do not any longer have to wonder.  The New York Times has given me a glimpse, probably quite inadvertantly, of the reason for this.

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#OccupyDigest - Thursday, September 29, 2011

By D.J. Raspe - DJRaspy.com

As I sit here writing this particular entry in the #OccupyDigest, a song is playing through my computer speakers.  It is this song.  Here.  Download it .  Listen to it while you read this entry.  It will help to put this all into perspective, while I relate to you a peculiar analogy which has come to me...

Flag of the 2nd American Revolution - 2011The song you are hearing right now, written between 1916 and 1918 by master Composer Gustav Holst during a time of great upheaval known in that day as "The Great War", is called "Saturn: The Bringer of Old Age".  But it has another name, a nickname.  It nickname is "Saturn: Guardian of Time", so called because of the central theme of this piece follows the rhythm of a swinging pendulum, as upon a clock. 

It is an appropriate song to play, while writing this post in the #OccupyDigest.  Why, you might ask?  Because Time is ever a key factor in any Revolution, including the one which I am attempting to curate in these #OccupyDigest posts. And, even without the subtle yet apprehensive beauty of Holst's symphonic pendulum swinging back and forth in the background, Time is ever on my mind, as it is no doubt on the minds of many within the #Occupy Movement.

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#OccupyDigest - Wednesday, September 28, 2011

By D.J. Raspe - DJRaspy.com

I would like to begin this particular entry in the #OccupyDigest with a quote from one Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, otherwise known as Mahatma Gandhi, which I find to be particularly of relevance:

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

Flag of the 2nd American Revolution - 2011Keeping that quote in mind, the #Occupy Movement reached its 12th Day today, and what a difference 12 days has made.  The Occupy Movement started with the original protest at #OccupyWallStreet in New York City, on September 17, 2011.  By today, that is, September 28, 2011, the Movement has spread all over the continental United States, bolstered its image with massive star power, the likes of Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Immortal Technique, Chris Hedges, Dr. Cornell West, and yes, even such big name newsmedia pundits as Keith Olbermann, Lawrence O'Donnel, Matt Taibbi and Cenk Uygur. Additionally, the Industrial Workers of the World and several hundred Airline Pilots joined the protests on Wall Street in solidarity.

This week has seen the movement grow from one protest movement in Zucotti Park, NYC, to a collection, even confederation, of movements across America, from Boston to Los Angeles, from Atlanta to San Francisco, from Texas to Nebraska to Colorado to Illinois to Wisconsin...and yes, even South Dakota is organizing to join the ranks of the Occupy Movement.  But more on that later.

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#OccupyDigest - Tuesday, September 27, 2011

#OccupyDigest Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011: 

Community members at #OccupyWallStreet meet at General Assembly this evening--Debate the urgency of development of consensus vs. inclusion of everyone's principles in the overall dialogue regarding the Demands of the Occupy Movement. Concensus is yet forthcoming...

Flag of the Revolution - 2011Detailed (if unofficial) minutes of the #OccupyWallStreet General Assembly's meeting today can be found athttp://nycga.cc/2011/09/28/media-group-minutes-92511-730p/#more-706

Susan Sarandon appeared at #OccupyWallStreet, urging Protesters to make their demands clear. Also in attendance today, Dr. Cornell West, noted social-justice advocate. The Occupy Movement is definitely gathering star power to its banner. Whether or not it is right that a movement should need stars to endorse it, rather than stand on its own merits, the fact is, the Occupy Movement is benefiting from the high profile names who are showing support to it. 

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