Equal Opportunity

DeKalb City Clerk Steve Kapitan occupies DeKalb

So I spent most of my time Friday on the southeast corner of First and Lincoln Highway in DeKalb. Frank, a war veteran, asked me if I’ve been seen on the other side of the street. Busted. I was over there last Friday covering the jobs rally organized by Dan Kenney and Jenny Tomkins. Frank moved further away from me to lessen his chances of catching any communist cooties.

John, another veteran, defended me.

“He’s a tax fighter and a veteran, too, Frank. I’m glad to see him over here.”

Soon two younger lads in their 20s approached and joined in the conversation.

“What’s going on here. What are those people protesting over there,” asked one.

“Well, this is kind of a DeKalb tradition,” explained Ted McCarron, another veteran. “Usually they are protesting because they are against the wars In Iraq and Afghanistan but there are other issues tonight.”

“Me and my buddy were over there,” said the young combat veteran. “We were in Baghdad.”

All of us, except Frank, immediately thanked them for their service. Frank was standing too far away to hear the conversation.

“Those people over there don’t like to fight,” said the youngster. “We obviously thought the fight was worth fighting. They’re just different than you. We’re going to go over and hear what they’ve got to say.”

As they walked away I told McCarron that those two young men’s eyes have seen things human beings should never see. I said it almost loud enough for Frank to hear.

“What’s that?” Frank asked. I repeated the statement about what they have seen and told him they did a tour in Baghdad.

“Oh,” said Frank. “They’ve been there and done that then.”

Last Friday, when I was across the street, I noticed several veterans raised their hands when Tomkins asked if any were present.

Just then a chant erupted from across the street. It was led by DeKalb City Clerk, Steve Kapitan.

“We are the 99%. You are the 99%. We are the 99%. You are the 99%.”

I love statistics. Every time I read them I crank up Todd Snider’s “Statitician’s Blues:”

They say 3 percent of the people use 5 to 6 percent of their brain
97 percent use 3 percent and the rest goes down the drain
I’ll never know which one I am but I’ll bet you my last dime
99 percent think with 3 percent 100 percent of the time

65 percent of all the world’s statistics are made up right there on the spot
82.4 percent of people believe ’em whether they’re accurate statistics or not
I don’t know what you believe but I do know there’s no doubt
I need another double shot of something 90 proof
I got too much to think about

Too much to think about
Too much to figure out
Stuck between hope and doubt
It’s too much to think about

They say 74 percent of everything you learned in college is a bunch of bullshit you’ll never need
83.4 percent of everything you got you bought to satisfy your greed
Because 91 percent of the world’s population links possessions to success
Even though 88 percent of the wealthiest 1 percent of the population
Drinks to an alarming excess
More money, more stress

It’s too much to think about
Too much to figure out
Stuck between hope and doubt
It’s too much to think about
Pick it then

74 percent of all statisticians truly hate their @#!@# job
The average bank robber lives within say about 20 miles of the bank that he robs
There’s this little bank not far from here I’ve been watching now for a while
Lately all I can think about’s how bad I wanna go out in style

Too much to think about
Too much to figure out
Stuck between hope and doubt
It’s too much to think about
That’s right
It’s too much to think about
Amen
It’s too much to think about

I ain’t part of no 99%!

This Friday was Occupy DeKalb night. Several of the regulars from the Interfaith Network for Peace and Justice felt right at home occupying that particular location in downtown DeKalb. But there were more newer, younger faces than those of the regulars.

This economy has illuminated the contrast between those who have and those who have not. It has exposed the government, financial and mainstream media systems in bed together with the blankets pulled over their heads so they can’t see that they’re exploiting (by controlling the 99%) the many to reward and protect the few (their bosses — the 1% who almost all drink to alarming excess). Guilt complex?

Let’s relieve some stress before this thing gets all revolutionary as in real class warfare. How about the Tea Party types who aren’t the brainwashed right wing shills and the Occupy Wall Street types who aren’t the brainwashed left wing shills meet in the middle of Main Street and find the common ground necessary to fix society from the ground up. Start by ending the corruption that has allowed that cozy relationship to flourish. Tar and feather anyone who tells you the government should just budget for a certain percentage of expenditures for corruption.

Equal opportunity. That’s what we want. That’s what those veterans fight and die for. That’s their motivation and let no shill tell you otherwise.

Entitlement breeds corruption. Corruption steals opportunity. It hoards it. It exploits it. End it.

We need innovation to meet the demands of a changing world. Innovation requires productivity. Who does not want to be productive? Isn’t that what equal opportunity is all about?

Advancing technology is not only shrinking the world it is lifting those bedroom covers and shining a big bright light on the ol’ boys network. We can demand equal opportunity. Maybe a Magna Charter of Equal Opportunity is in order.

But to get it we can’t afford to be in the 99%. Oh no, it’s time to raise the bar. We’ve got to use 5-6% of our brain, not 3%, 100% of the time — or at least any time near the elections.

Stop the corruption and we’ve all got it made.