Occupy Moore Allows Folks to 'Make a Point'
Ron Davis (right) brought eighth-grader Matthew Bines to the Occupy Moore event as way to teach him about free speech
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The Occupy Moore demonstration in downtown Southern Pines on Saturday gave Ron Davis the perfect opportunity to educate Matthew Bines about the First Amendment.
Davis, 82, of Pinehurst, mentors Bines, 13, of Aberdeen, in the Moore Buddies program.
“We’re here exercising free speech, and that’s why I got him out here,” said Davis who held a sign that said “Impeach Congress” on one side and “Bring Troops Home” on the other. “It’s a good learning experience for him.”
Davis added that he feels the United States is “broken.”
“I think our Congress is ridiculous and has become ineffective,” he said. “I also think we spend too much money trying to rule the world, and I’m a former fighter pilot. We need to get our troops from all over the world, not just the Middle East, back home.”
Bines, an eighth-grader at Southern Middle School, held a sign that said “Improve Schools.”
“I think we should get rid of No Chil Left Behind,” Bines said. “We shouldn’t just pass kids from one grade to the next just to move them along.”
Davis and Bines were among about 40 early participants in the daylong nonpartisan demonstration, which was modeled after the protests in New York and originally dubbed “Occupy Broad Street.”
Sam Dreher, of Vass, handed out placards titled “Don’t confuse capitalism with socialism.” On the back, Dreher listed books, articles and a documentary film as “suggested reading and viewing.”
“Things are going on in this country that are wrong, and here I am,” Dreher said. “It has nothing to do with any political agenda.”
Bonnie Klein, of Whispering Pines, was one of several women at the demonstration wearing a “Free Hugs” placard.
“A friend of mine sent me a YouTube video of the ‘Free Hugs’ movement, which started in Italy,” Klein said. “That was just a few days ago, and this morning I made these signs.”
Klein said the message is to “love your fellow man.”
“There’s enough of everything to go around as soon as there’s love,” she said. “If we were all loving, we wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in today.”
Organizers began setting up for the nonpartisan event at 9 a.m., two hours before its scheduled start.
“This is far from civil disobedience,” said Kevin A. Smith, who signed the permit application submitted by event organizers. “We’re just here to make a point and start a conversation. This is about a broken system. The current system is not sustainable, so it should be addressed in the best way possible.”
While much of the discussion Saturday focused on the disparity between the wealthiest 1 percent of the U.S. population versus “the other 99 percent of us,” Smith acknowledged that Moore County nonprofits benefit greatly from the upper class.
“The nearly 600 nonprofits in our county would be lost without the financial support from the top people,” he said. “What these wealthier folks do is not only commendable, it’s essential.”
Jim Heim, chairman of the Moore County Democratic Party, said he helped gather facts and figures for the event.
“This is, in no way, a Democratic function,” Heim said. “This is a vibrant nonpartisan movement. I’m just here as a liberal. I’ve been working hard to help. I’m just here to assist and watch the fun.”
The figures that Heim collected included a graph showing that from 2007-2009, home equity dropped 35 percent, unemployment rose 102 percent, and Wall Street profits skyrocketed 720 percent.
“It’s pretty sobering stuff,” he said.
Occupy Moore included an education panel, music and presentations on various topics. Organizers even scheduled “quiet time” from 1 to 1:30 p.m. so the carriage and buggy parade could proceed unimpeded through downtown Southern Pines.
O’Linda W. Gillis, president of the Moore County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, talked about voter suppression and the Historical Thousands on Jones Street march Feb. 11 in Raleigh.
“I’m going to keep on marching, marching down the freedom way,” Gillis said. “I am glad to join you today to be part of this nonviolent and peaceful movement.”
Gillis also read a position statement on the Occupy Wall Street movement from Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP.
“The NAACP is encouraged by the broad national support and by the great diversity of Americans who have been participating in the Occupy Wall Street campaign,” the statement said. “The movement and the peaceful protestors who are part of the campaign seem to share many of the same goals as the NAACP.”
Jealous said NAACP branches across the country have been encouraged to work with local Occupy groups to “nonviolently advocate for policies, which will improve economic conditions for all Americans consistent with NAACP priorities.”
Smith said momentum for the downtown Southern Pines event started gathering in October after someone wrote the following sentence on his Facebook page: “Occupy Broad Street?”
A group of 10 people held an initial meeting soon after, followed by a second meeting last month.
Occupy Wall Street began Sept. 17 in the financial district of New York City. That protest inspired demonstrations in more than 1,600 cities.
Participants are mainly protesting social and economic inequality, corporate greed and corruption.
Contact Ted M. Natt Jr. at tnatt@thepilot.com.
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Comments
dlb 1 year, 5 months ago
Is it irony that signs directed interested people to park at BB&T and First Bank? Both lots were empty by the way.
Bentpan 1 year, 5 months ago
"The figures that Heim collected included a graph showing that from 2007-2009, home equity dropped 35 percent, unemployment rose 102 percent, and Wall Street profits skyrocketed 720 percent."............... So Mr Heim finally admits that as of the Democrat take over of both houses Jan 2007 the economy has gone south.
Toda 1 year, 5 months ago
The event was very cordial as well as informative. Speakers pointed out under-funding or lack of funding for intellectual growth and funds to expand the community college system technology programs. State of the art robotic applications and career opportunities in high tech industries. There are jobs ~ without the highly skilled personnel to enter the work environment without math and decision making skills.
I enjoyed the event yesterday, even though the air was brisk, for the crowd of over a 100, friendly conversations were to be found with friends, neighbors, and new acquaintances.
DaveyNC 1 year, 5 months ago
Ah, I missed it. Car trouble.
I wonder if young Mr. Bines and Mr. Davis know that No Child Left Behind was largely a Democrat Party initiative? That was mostly Ted "Giant Head" Kennedy's baby. Bush signed it early in his first term in an attempt at bipartisanship, hoping to improve inter-party relations. Did him a lot of good, didn't it?
fugitiveguy 1 year, 5 months ago
Voter supression, you mean like when those black panthers were standing outside the poling place with billy clubs in Philadelphia that Eric Holder decided to blow off. No, I guess you are referring to that phony baloney voter supression that doesn't occur when someone has to show a photo ID at a poling place.
dustyrhoades 1 year, 5 months ago
I went to check things out around 3pm.
Hey, that's when I was there. Wonder why wdd didn't say hi. Geoff Cutler did.
I wonder, I wonder....
dustyrhoades 1 year, 5 months ago
Voter supression, you mean like when those black panthers were standing outside the poling place with billy clubs in Philadelphia that Eric Holder decided to blow off.
Not true. The DOJ obtained an injunction against one of the members, dropped the suit against the other (Jerry Jackson) because even the police officers on the scene didn't even tell Jackson to leave or take any action against him at the time, and dropped the suit against the national NBPP after they suspended the Philadelphia chapter's charter over the incident.
Get your facts straight.
And of course, one person going overboard in one precinct is exactly like a national campaign to discourage and prevent low-income people and people of color from voting.
alladat1 1 year, 5 months ago
Hey Toda - Kudos. Nice positive review and good info provided. Thanks
cantstandya 1 year, 5 months ago
To participate in freedon of speech and display concerns is to be commended by all that attend these functions but to align and be used by the NAACP and their leadership is selling out to an organization that has preyed on organizations that are not as well known but are found to give voice to the NAACP they have entered into areas that have little or nothing to do with many of todays problems facing our country yet find a foothold and begin to create diversity where none existed before their entry into the debate,before one is taken in by their tactics ask yourself what is their real agenda,past history will show it is not always what it seems.
fugitiveguy 1 year, 5 months ago
"And of course, one person going overboard in one precinct is exactly like a national campaign to discourage and prevent low-income people and people of color from voting."
An oft repeated bold faced lie. Only the party that has been overwhelmingly more prominent in voter registration and fraud cases would be against strengthening the integrity of our elections.
cantstandya 1 year, 5 months ago
justpassingby,no need for a second sentence,I said it all in the one that is posted,I feel no need to write a documentry on an organization that has a history of attaching itself to whatever cause fits their needs.
madstork 1 year, 5 months ago
DR writes ..." a national campaign to discourage and prevent low-income people and people of color from voting."
I am serious. Can anyone explain how requiring an ID prevents "low income and people of color" from voting? No really...how does that work exactly?
cantstandya 1 year, 5 months ago
madstork,I'm quite sure if one was required to show proper I.D to receive any benefits from one of our many social programs there would be a rush to do so if it meant they would be denied them without said documents but then again maybe thats why we have so many getting these benefits that really have no entitement to them,the cost of providing legal documentation seems as if it would cost far less than the on going plundering of our social funding programs requiring to carry some form of legal I.D. should only offend those that are in question of being legal.if these organizations who advocate against these measures would dedicate their effort to help those who are unable to get out on their own if disabled instead of fighting for the right to not have to show proof of citizanship or legal rights to vote their efforts would serve more purpose,using race or financial status is a worn out excuse that provides little substance to this arguement.
LauraLeigh 1 year, 5 months ago
It's a shame NCLB (which I don't like) gets blamed for social promotion, since that travesty was happening long before Mr. Bush took office and signed NCLB. After all, even in the mid-80s, no one wanted to hurt a kid's fragile ego by actually insisting he learn something....
The_AnonymusProfit 1 year, 5 months ago
I stopped by the protest several times while doing things around town. I certainly would call this an occupy lite, or a diet occupy. I wasn't really sure what to expect but a friend asked if I wanted to come play some music in his studio mid day and asked if that was ok or if i was Occupying Moore county. It was nice to see some people acknolwedge the fact that the non profits would be belly up without the rich. I also did enjoy the don't confuse capitalism with socialism,
Thing is you cant just do this for 1 day and be done. The one thing that the OWS crowd does have right is to make a point you have to continue to show up. Every day.
As for disparity in Moore County, I wonder, as I have traveled around Moore County, I see factories that are running skeleton crews. I wonder why. Moore county is mainly a retirement and golf community. I wonder what would happen to unemployment if the councils attempted to regrow the aberdeen industrial areas.
I talked to a few of the occupiers, I even saw Dusty there but he seemed busy so I chose not to introduce myself, kinda takes away from the anoynmus aspect of my name. Most of the people I talked to agreed that this country is broke, but how to fix it was an all together different story. Most agreed however that overwhelming government intrusion was not the way which warmed my cold neocon heart.
Last poll I checked had Newt at 54% in North Carolina in the GOP primarys and Newt over Obama by 9%. At least I can be almost sure that NC will go back to red next year.
The_AnonymusProfit 1 year, 5 months ago
As to the Legal ID conversation.
2 Documents are required to obtain a NCID,
You can use various documennts but 2 are presented upon birth
A quick ride to the DMV and a 10 dollar bill will get you a NCID
Any rhetoric about this disenfranchising anyone is complete and utter bollocks. 10 bucks and some paper that you got when you were born is not disfranchisement AND if you get stopped by the Police and dont have ID I believe but I could be wrong that this would be illegal?
Also if for some reason you dont have these documents, A GED, College Diploma, Electric Bill in your name, will work as proof of Identification.
cantstandya 1 year, 5 months ago
With the threat of terrorist in this country and what we spend trying to curtail their entry why anyone would think it is a violation of their rights in requiring one to carry some form of legal proof of citizanship is beyond me,if this request is out of line or unconstitutional than the rest of the attempts to keep our country safe must be a waste of taxpayers money also in their minds,we should consider it a must and a priviledge to be able to prove our right to be considered American citizans along with the priviledges that go along with those rights,one of them being that of the right to vote.
madstork 1 year, 5 months ago
Dusty...still waiting for your perspective
snookyone 1 year, 5 months ago
AnonProf: As one of the speakers at Occupy Moore pointed out, you have more of a chance of being struck by lightning than getting charged with voter fraud. Considering the rarity of voter fraud, I strongly suspect the reason behind the scheme to require voter ID is, indeed, to take away the right to vote from certain segments of the population, namely college students, the elderly, and minorities. Perhaps you don’t realize it, but many elderly were never issued birth certificates.
And should state-issued photo ID's the required the TAXPAYER would have to cover the costs, perhaps even the cost of obtaining birth certificates, etc. It will cost the NC taxpayers millions that we don’t have! And to what end? To TAKE AWAY their rights!
concerned 1 year, 5 months ago
I couldn't stay any longer than the video I have below without shouting out and I wasn't there to cause a scene.I respected their right to gather there just as I would want their respect to do the same.
http://youtu.be/LBsacRpqOjA
AbdominalDohMan 1 year, 5 months ago
snookyone.... I would be willing to bet that 95% of these elderly people you claim do not have a birth certificate had, at one point in their life, a driver's license, which is legal identification.
geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago
It's kind of sad, Snook, that in 2011 you really think the idea of voter ID is disenfranchisement. I listened to a few minutes of the voter ID speech, and thought it was demoralizing and pathetic. In this land of unparalleled opportunity we'd claim such victimhood that it's too difficult to commute to a place and pay ten bucks for identification proving you are an American citizen. Talk about a lack of respect for the "99%." Sad.
LaissezFaire 1 year, 5 months ago
Went to this event for a short time, and some guy was talking about unfairness( as if the universe was constructed to be fair) and the environment , corporate ethics. Just recycled pablum from the 1970's and collectivist ideas. Nothing new in the ever continuing soap opera of the human race.
fugitiveguy 1 year, 5 months ago
"I strongly suspect the reason behind the scheme to require voter ID is, indeed, to take away the right to vote from certain segments of the population, namely college students, the elderly, and minorities."
Its because you believe all the crap shoveled at you by your loony lefty leaders. What evidence do you base your strong suspicions on? There is none. Al Gore and company bemoaned the million or so black voters "disenfranchised" in Florida back in 2000. Trouble was, they could not produce "1". It was a total wagon load of horse squeeze. I wish one, just one prominent person on the left would come clean and call out this farce for what it is. No individuals, just a large group singing from the same sheet of music. You would think black people would at some point get tired of the left marching them out everytime they need a fake group of victims of the dastardly right.
Jibbs 1 year, 5 months ago
Regarding the voter ID, I find it amazing that unions, the NAACP, and all the other socialist groups can afford to fund the OWS movements, by way of paying people to be there and feeding them; they can donate millions upon millions to fellow socialist politicians; they can fund a protest in Madison, WI for weeks and weeks; they can pay countless amounts of money to bus rural poor and urban poor (often homeless) to make it to the voting booth on election day; and go through an extensive absentee ballot campaign for socialist candidates (which is largely admitted as the primary vehicle for voter fraud).
. . . but they wont shell out the few dollars it would take to get their voters an ID for those that claim they can't afford it.
fugitiveguy 1 year, 5 months ago
"How is it enfringing on someones right to vote when you ask for some form of ID?"
It doesn't. Even he doesn't believe it. However, voter fraud benefits the left to a far greater extent than the right so the end justifies the means. If they repeat it enough time, the dumb masses begin to believe it, next thing you know they are all reciting it like parrots. Not one person on the left has the integrity to break with the pack and call it the bold faced lie that it is.
geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago
The reason voter fraud isn't investigated like other crimes is that it makes the whole country look bad. We're the nation that's supposed to be setting the example to the rest of the world. Voter fraud is the distastful crime that stains our notion of freedom, Democracy and free elections. Voter identification is the obvious solution. Why libs hate the idea, and come up with all these victimology excuses for not doing it, is curious to say the least.
LauraLeigh 1 year, 5 months ago
Boy, Snook, you have a low opinion of people, don't you? "I strongly suspect the reason behind the scheme to require voter ID is, indeed, to take away the right to vote from certain segments of the population, namely college students..." --
How many college students do you know who don't have a driver's license? You've got to have a birth certificate to prove your age so you can get a license as a teenager.
"... the elderly, and minorities. Perhaps you don’t realize it, but many elderly were never issued birth certificates."
My dad had some trouble, a number of years ago when he was applying for retirement benefits, because the courthouse in his county of birth had burned down and records had been lost, but his military records sufficed in lieu of the birth certificate. People who were born at home with a midwife still have had the opportunity of proving their age/legality with a number of alternative records, like a family Bible entry. My dad was born at home - he had a birth certificate.
Minorities? Minorities born in this country get the same paperwork as non-minorities, if they have their babies in a hospital, and can register a live birth if they homebirth, again, same as non-minorities.
I have my birth certificate. Every member of my family has a copy of his/her birth certificate. Getting a copy of a LEGAL, aunthentic birth certificate is generally not a big deal, and only minimal inconvenience. If I have to replace it, it will cost ME only the copy and seal charges at the county courthouse - a negligible personal expenditure.
Who are you trying to fool, Snook? Or protect???
dustyrhoades 1 year, 5 months ago
See, Snooky, the lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud just proves how widespread it is. Conspiracy theorists are beyond reason.
geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago
How does one get caught for crimes not investigated or prosecuted? Explain, if you would, Eric Holder's refusal to have the Justice Department either investigate or prosecute the two Black Panther chaps clearly committing voter fraud. Not conspiracy theories, video evidenced truths as plain as the nose on your face. And where there is smoke...
dustyrhoades 1 year, 5 months ago
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-md-schurick-robocalls-verdict-20111206,0,6200720,full.story
Henson's plan was evidence in Schurick's trial. It stated that "the first and most desired outcome is voter suppression." The goal was to have "African-American voters stay home." In the same document, Henson proposed what he called the "Schurick Doctrine," which was designed to "promote confusion, emotionalism and frustration among African American Democrats."
Sec. of Virginia State Board of Elections Finds Widespread Incidents of Voter Suppression
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/16105
Voter intimidation in Minnesota
http://www.startribune.com/politics/33551514.html
teufelhunden 1 year, 5 months ago
Down there for the parade approx an hour. Not much going on. When did things actually get started?
teufelhunden 1 year, 5 months ago
Oh sorry that was their quiet time. NAACP? What's their purpose again? Seems like they have been paid pretty well to do a pretty poor job. Their communities are worse than ever.
Toda 1 year, 5 months ago
Never did I think there would be so much commentary about an event that never escalated to the volumn I'm reading here. No one referenced voter ID or the NAACP. The primary event logic was lack of jobs, education, and a taxable income imbalance between one-percent and 99%.
geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago
There was a speaker who spoke on Voter ID between 3 and 4pm ?.... You must have left by that point. And the volumne's not up that high, seems like mostly civil debate...so far.
Toda 1 year, 5 months ago
"geoffcutler 22 minutes ago" => Yes, I had left by that time. I was referring to threads like the one posted by LauraLeigh 2 hours, 38 minutes ago...I would like to have met you.
JeremyG 1 year, 5 months ago
It is not a crisis, it is a scam! Thank you Occupy Moore for making an effort in hostile territory. People need to wake up and see the system has failed. The merger of corporation and state has allowed the economy to crash at the hands of banksters and crooks on Wall St. Both parties are to blame as being enablers in order to stuff their own pockets. There has been no real accountability. That is what Occupy is about. We are not asking for hand outs or something for nothing. We are simply asking that the game not be rigged.
LauraLeigh 1 year, 5 months ago
Toda - Thanks for pointing out that you were addressing my post. I, of course, was responding to snookyone. The problem of needing voter ID, as I see it, is that illegal immigration has skyrocketed in this area in the past decade or so. It wasn't even on the radar when I voted in my first election, in 1976. Now it's a major factor in our unemployment and crime rates. Unfortunately, people who aren't even eligible to vote in our elections are voting - hence, the need for ID obtained by proof of citizenship.
Toda 1 year, 5 months ago
"LauraLeigh 23 minutes ago" I'm sorry if you were offended by my using an example of your thread. My point was that I left before all the remarks regarding voter ID was opened for discussion.
LauraLeigh 1 year, 5 months ago
Toda! No!!! Not offended!
And the problem in NC would be that people can register to vote without having to prove citizenship - only residency, which can be demonstrated with a utility bill in the individual's name. And, by extension, no proof that the person is who he/she claims to be.
Is that a problem? Evidently. I didn't have to have proof of ID when I got my utilities connected. I could have been from anywhere, using an alias. It is done, you know.
Bentpan 1 year, 5 months ago
Seems to me from what I've been reading most of the people at the occupy event were conservative spectators rather than supporters. As to the voter ID question, how do you prove voter fraud when you can't even prove who voted. Legal residency to vote is the law so what are democrats afraid of?
teufelhunden 1 year, 5 months ago
Bentpan-Haha...exactly!
geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago
Just thinking....were the tea partiers identified as "Folks?" Sorry, can't help myself.
fugitiveguy 1 year, 5 months ago
"so what are democrats afraid of?"
That they will be impeded the next time they want to "Frankenize" an election.
geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago
Oooh...good one!
snookyone 1 year, 5 months ago
GeoffCutler: If the purpose of the NC voter ID bill is truly to protect our democracy, or something equally as noble, why then does it only focus on an aspect of the process that could TAKE AWAY the rights of certain citizens? Why would a party that identifies itself as the ‘defender of rights’ risk robbing even one citizen of their right to vote - that is, of course, unless the party had something to gain from it? Think about what a huge risk to democracy the NCVoter ID bill is. We send our kids to war to fight for our rights – but then deny them those very rights when they try to vote while at college out of state???
If the NC General Assembly is dedicated to cleansing the electoral process, why don’t they look into how votes are tabulated? Where are the answers to the numerous suspicious vote-counting discrepancies since 2000? And, above all, why doesn’t the GA address the one and only problem that will make our electoral process work for “we the people” – and that is campaign finance reform?
fugitiveguy 1 year, 5 months ago
"Think about what a huge risk to democracy the NCVoter ID bill is."
Not now, I have to go feed my unicorn.
geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago
Snooky, I'm sorry, but opposition to providing identification when one votes is rediculous. I don't care what's in the bill, or what state would require it. This is America. It shouldn't be too much to ask of our voters that they prove citizenship, are actually alive, and only vote once. Men and woman have laid their lives down time and time again for this country and our ideals of freedom. And you're whining about providing ID at a voting booth? Serious? Time for a priority check.
geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago
Fugitive...you're on a roll tonight!
snookyone 1 year, 5 months ago
LauraLeigh: If you're really interested, here is a link to the watchdog group, Democracy NC. On the right side of the page there is a link to a chart which breaks down the groups that would be most impacted by the NC Voter ID Bill. There are also comments from a wide range of citizens whe would be disenfranchased by this bill. I can see that you are very defensive over this issue and there's no need to be. We all want a system that works, but it has to work for everyone, and not just a certain group.
snookyone 1 year, 5 months ago
GeoffCutler, I think we there should be some form of ID presented at the polls, but NOT what this bill would require.
rudy2donline 1 year, 5 months ago
Occupy Moore was an idyll, with or without purpose depending on which participant you heard. As such, a peaceable assembly encouraged by the Constitution. We need more of those, so that people peaceably assembled discover who shares and who opposes their point of view - get into a debate rather than walking around hoisting signs. It is distressing to see the Occupy banner dragged through the mud of Long Beach with the express intention of obstructing the peace. Arrests should follow.
Courseaire 1 year, 5 months ago
Things that require an ID:
Vote - none needed. In fact, for the next election, all I need is Snooky's name & address, get to the polls early & I can steal her vote. How cool is that.
verninvass 1 year, 5 months ago
Everyone needs a ncid. What's the big deal?
pinewoodnc 1 year, 5 months ago
Geoffcutler 17 hours, 57 mins ago... You hit it right on the head.
JER 1 year, 5 months ago
If it will make the group who thinks they loose elections via voter fraud happy, then by all means lets have a voter ID requirement. That way, when their candidates loose, they'll have to come up with some other reason. I'll also find it ironic if the first person denied the right to cast their ballot is one of them.
geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago
"loose" elections. You got it, JER!
honesty2 1 year, 5 months ago
@snooky- Don't all college students have a school photo ID?
honesty2 1 year, 5 months ago
Courseaire, I'm glad you didn't go to law school. You really need to write a book instead. Or standup.