Punk Rock Is Not Dead

Many thanks to Don Diego Ramirez for his guest post today!

Punk is not dead. Punk will only die when corporations can exploit and mass-produce it.

Jello Biafra

My friend Jake asked me to write a blog about my recent trip to OCCUPY DC.

Please be patient with my mind is not as sharp as it once was. I have suffered much tragedy in the past few years and it has taken a toll on my ability to concentrate. So perhaps this exercise will do me some good.

The Occupy Wall Street occupation began on September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, New York City, as Keith Oberman later said,” The park is the spark”. Most Occupy activist said to me’ this movement begins with the anti-Globalization movements that began to erupt around the world in recent memory.

I made my pilgrimage to Occupy DC during the Thanksgiving Holidays. I was fortunate enough to be there in our nation’s capital, shortly after the Activist from Occupy Wall Street had completed their historic 231-mile hike from New York City to the District of Columbia. I spoke to members of the Zucotti Park Occupation and members from DC’s Occupation at McPherson Square. This movement is alive and well.

For any member of Occupy Martinsburg I want to share the basic information on how best to contact Occupy DC: location: McPherson square (15th and K street, North West-walking distance to the White House), General Assembly Meetings are held nightly at 6pm, Occupation period INDEFINITE. An Occupy DC Activist named Kelly offer to be a contact person for any member of Occupy Martinsburg who wants to visit or assist in any way. Kelly can be reached directly at 301 237 5040 or email her at planesawdust@hotmail.com. Occupy DC’s official web site is:

www. OccupyDC.org.

First, I want to say that I have been a proud and loyal member of OCCUPY MARTINSBURG since October 12, 2011. The day I meet most of you. A week earlier I had met Bethy and a few others in front of the Federal building on King Street doing their first Occupation. I was immediately interested in having an opportunity to partake in this historic movement. I want my voice to be heard. So I became an Activist with Occupy Martinsburg, I offer and have given my experiences as both an Artist and as an Art organizer to our movement.

I will continue to the best of my ability to support this historic Revolution of CONSCIOUSNESS! I am a member and Occupy activist with in our Art Group. Despite the cold Race Street Artist Cooperative remains committed to facilitating this group in any way it can. I can be reached at 304 616 8760 or email: dondiegoramirez@gmail.com.

As many have heard me say, I believe this movement OCCUPY WALL STREET to be a battle cry for all of us to truly exercise our most fundamental rights and to fulfill our individual civic responsibilities that come with this cherished idea of American Citizenship. We are American Citizens -not mere consumers of corporate detritus.

We the people can forge a better tomorrow. ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Occupy Wall Street and all the other global occupations are in essence a non-violent Civil call to action. My trip to Occupy DC only strengthens that belief!

Occupy Wall Street and Occupy DC are seeking a method of TRUE Social change. First: We are the 99%- We must call out, then drag these corporate criminals and elected officials in to the public square to be tarred and feather. These Wall Street 1% guys are DOMESTIC TERRORISTS who became politically insulated Wall Street thieves, liars and corrupted corporate criminals who have defrauded the world of it’s wealth with their insatiable greed, incompetence and treasonous acts. HOLD ALL THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ECONOMIC MESS ACCOUNTABLE!

That is the only HOPE we have for CHANGE.

As American citizens our goal must be; to hold accountable all Government officials and the Corporate Elite, who have allowed these crimes of the past decade, to go uninvestigated and unpunished. We must seek to end once and for all the vast corporate corruption of our most cherished American institutions.

“ Democracy not Corporatocracy”.

We must demand a truly transparent Federal Government.

We as Americans must demand legal accountability for the institutional corruption of American politics by major Multi National Corporations. We must demand the equal amount of sacrifice made by the 99% -by those select few in the 1% who have received such benefit from the growing disparity of wealth, not only in America but also around the world. We are the 99% who demand Economic Justice for all. We have the numbers- we must shape our destiny. We cannot continue to destroy the future- it does not belong to us. This is a fight for the future, a fight for the world a fight for justice, equality, and true representative DEMOCRACY!

Lastly, I must stress at the fundamental core of this occupation movement are ‘Old School” PUNK ROCK ETHOS! That came of age in the American Hard Core scene of the Reagan years. We must D. I .Y. -‘do it your self”. For any one who wants to understand punk ethos to try to understand what I am talking about Google: Henry Rollins, Ian McKay of Jello Biafra.

Don Diego Ramirez, Artist