Preamble may be the most important to write

Because it should define why we all are here doing this. It should crystallize and communicate the core philosophy we want to express. It should be concise, but clear.

I have tried my hand at this already, and I will post it as a work in progress. Please comment.-

In the course of our lives, when it becomes necessary to alter the means by which we are governed, all human beings reserve the right to control, change and affect what that government shall be. No single person, no group of individuals, may dictate to the general majority the means by which they are governed. These are the inseparable rights of the individual, and in consensus, the majority of who they make up.

They shall decide the course that government will take and no person, or smaller group of persons, will deny their cause.

We, the general public, reserve the right to hold assembly, to speak our cause, and effect necessary change, as we deem fit, through democratic action, in order to secure our natural born freedoms and natural born rights.

The big suggestion I have here
whatever we come up with:
get a team of volunteers as them to poll a cross section of the american public-and ask them to describe themselves-how they feel about what is written. Try getting folks to talk to at least a couple hundred folks-that are really a cross section or something close to it.

Beyond red and blue by Pew Institute has a simple metholdology used to classify US voters. You can ask these quiestions and adjust any sample of 200 folks or so mimic a cross section.

You are right:
many folks will read nothing more of this document except the preamble-or will have it read to them over radio.

It will get spun all kinds of ways.

The success or failure of OWS depends on how well it is perceived as giving a more authentic voice to the 99%

I also agree that the preamble is going to be the most important part. It shouldn't come off as to strong in the sense that it might make people think we are overthrowing the government. Because even though we may have some issues with the way it is run- most people still like our form of government. The preamble also shouldn't come off as weak. It needs to be powerful and speak what it is we want people to know.

I'd try to avoid sounding like we are forming another government. I get the impression, correct or incorrect, that OWS is a forum by which the 99 percent can address a government increasingly having a legitimacy crisis. The question is whether we can establish enough legitimacy to conduct a dialogue with the govt. through the OWS forum to address the economic crisis, & the crisis of legitimacy that is increasingly taking hold.

I think we need to state our dissatisfaction with the current government. And yes, that may mean changing or altering the current government, if that government does not rectify itself. In recent history, it has not shown a willingness to do so.

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" -(Declaration of Independence)

The current government does not derive its powers from the consent of the governed, and that is why we are here today.

I think we need to reinforce our democratic rights by stating exactly what that means.

For me, this is the core of our grievance. Our government has been stolen from us, and is no longer deriving its powers from the governed, but rather, those who would pay to own it. The 1%.

We are here to restore our democracy. To return power to the governed, the 99%.

It should not merely crib from the Declaration of Independence & the Constitution.

The reason that they are imitated over & over again, is that it is the simple poetry of truth, readily understood by all.

Spider wrote:It should not merely crib from the Declaration of Independence & the Constitution.

The reason that they are imitated over & over again, is that it is the simple poetry of truth, readily understood by all.

Exactly. The right of revolution is a concept dating back to the beginnings of society and was used extensively in the drafting of our Declaration of Independence.

“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”


"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."


The foundation is already laid out right in front of us. A history professor, constitutional lawyer, hell even a political science major would certainly come in handy for all of this.

In the course of time, when it becomes necessary to alter the means by which a people are governed, all human beings reserve the right to control, change and shape the nature of that government. No single person, or group of individuals, may reasonably dictate to the general majority the means by which they are governed. These are the inseparable rights of the individual, and in consensus, the majority they comprise. They shall decide the course that government will take and no person, or smaller group of persons, can rightfully deny their cause.

We affirm that, as is stated in the United States’ Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" (emphasis added). The current government no longer derives its powers from the consent of the governed but from the excessive and illegitimate influence of corporations that have usurped the citizenry's just power and now hold overwhelming influence over the government. We affirm what is stated in the First Amendment to the Constitution, that when aggrieved, it is the right of the people to peaceably assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Therefore, We the People do hereby announce that we shall shall elect and convene a NATIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY beginning on July 4, 2012 in the City Of Philadelphia.

I like this last one by Mojo. Very nice.

I agree with Molly, this one by Mojo is excellent.

It is the belief of The People that governing body of The United States of America has been corrupted by domestic enemies and no longer operates under the principles established in, and protected by The Constitution of The United States of America. These malicious parties, incorporated or as individuals, have secured for themselves the process by which The People elect representatives; and in doing so have commandeered the Legislation, Execution and Judicial oversight of the laws of land. Being bestowed with the defense of our own Freedom and the peaceful means to do so, the citizens hereby demand that all funding of all public elections at the Federal, State and Municipal levels of governance be restricted as the right of human beings, and not the entities formed by them. We also demand that the influence of Legislators and Executives by lobbyists representing for-profit entities be limited to written correspondence only which is to be made immediately available to the public. Upon compliance with this demand, the restoration of the original intent of the United States Constitution will then be the sole focus of all facets of Federal Government until the array of Grievances expanded upon in the remainder of this document are considered and addressed.

I'm pretty sure the Original has most everything we need in it...The Issue to me Has Been Incresing Disparity, and to a Greater Extent the Complacency of Me, and my fellow Citizens...Well we've sure as heck been woke the f%#4 up now haven't we...Blaming the Wealthy for what comes naturally will dissuade moderate support in my opinion..For no good reason..WE THE PEOPLE,are Responsible,and it is OUR Civic Duty to FIX IT.

Preamble should contain a definition that the "value" and rights of citizens supersede the rights of any particular "values" system that may attempt to impose restrictions on individual rights. Modification and clarification of individual value should be clearly defined based on Precedence. I believe this needs a new and different definition in the 99D. This should be a core foundation.

"WE THE PEOPLE, LET THE POWER, AND WEALTH OF FEW CORRUPT THE PRESENT AND FUTURE FOR MANY, WE THE PEOPLE ARE TO BLAME, WE THE PEOPLE ARE OBLIGED BY OUR CIVIC DUTY TO REMEDY OUR FAILURES, AND WE THE PEOPLE SHALL, WITH GREAT HASTE!!!"

fouryawkeyway wrote:I'd try to avoid sounding like we are forming another government.

We may want to avoid sounding like we're forming another government but another government very well may be what we need. We are, after all, in our current predicament because the government we have let it happen.

I wanted to relay some of my thoughts in my notes. Whether or not you agree is fine. There are differences emerging in the original preamble that I see. What I think happened, is that the current political philosophy went off track somewhere. Value systems somehow gained more value and political power within a certain framework of beliefs.
Insert>
The beliefs of the individual whether religious, sexual preference, nationality, or otherwise shall be held in the highest regard as a unique and important part of the moral fabric of the American Union.

The rights of states does not supersede the right of each citizen, but acts in harmony with its citizens. No entity or individual shall act in a manner that may jeopardize the property, rights, well-being, or livelihood of the citizens of the American Union.

Doing away with the a dysfunctional 2-party system:
Move that process to a local level. Force the Senate and House to work as a body. Legislation would be passed on to states where it would be decided on. States will choose their own system. In other words, states and citizens would be the final interpreters of the law.

livegreenordie wrote:...The beliefs of the individual whether religious, sexual preference, nationality, or otherwise shall be held in the highest regard as a unique and important part of the moral fabric of the American Union.

I don't think individual interests, individual rights, ever were paramount in the Founders' conception of American government. If we want to add them to our document's Preamble, so be it, but nothing in the Constitution's Preamble suggests they are all that important.

We can't really form a new government, but we can show our current Congress, as our numbers grow, that we can replace them with people who will truly represent us, starting with the 2012 election.

Here is my stab at a preamble:

Many Americans have come to feel they no longer have a voice in their government-or any real hope for control over their own lives and destiny. We have witnessed our representatives listen more to money than us and follow their own vanity more than show concern for their country.

Even the very integrity of our election process has come into question in recent years. American politics have become horribly divisive. The founding fathers intended congress to represent the republic in miniature-but instead it is a voice of competing interests that have little to do with the American people and a lot to do with empowering and enriching a small minority.

We are here to look for potential points of a broad consensus among Americans. We hope to give the American people a voice that isn't tainted with self-serving lies or greed. Some of us look mainly to roll back the corruption that has steadily increased along money in politics. Others are reconsidering questions dealt at the creation of the constitution.

We simply don't have the option to stop until we find a real solution. This is our home-and we are not going away.

We are fooling ourselves if we think we don't need our own well-defined Preamble. Something very basic that all can agree on. As I submitted earlier, the Preamble with be the defining declaration framework of the basic principals of the movement. Again, modification & clarification IS necessary on the basis of how we see our dysfunctional government operating. The main issue is the rights of citizens above all else.
To reaffirm this message, I propose that we frame this accordingly, and submit it immediately to the OWS working group.

If you really read into this, it covers all the issues we are most concerned about.

[The rights of all citizens should be held in the highest regard above all else. The rights of states do not supersede the rights of the individual. The religious, political party, sexual orientation, nationality, or other beliefs of each citizen are unique and important part of the moral character of the American Union.
No entity or individual shall act in a manner that may jeopardize the well-being, livelihood, or property rights of the citizens of the American Union.]

Do you think that OWS could agree with this statement? I do--this is what we desperately need for solidarity, I propose.

I beg to differ that the rights of citizens is not addressed in the preamble.
"We the people" >citizens
seek to:
Form a more perfect union, declare our blessings of liberty, justice, domestic tranquility, common defense.
What do we want?
Do we want to form a more perfect union? (or is it necessary)
Do we want to reaffirm our rights to liberty?
(Liberty is a moral and political principle, or Right, that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions.-Wiki)
Do we want to reaffirm our rights to justice?(or are they okay the way they are?)
Do we want to reaffirm our rights to domestic tranquility?(are we domestically tranquil-if you feel we are, then there is no need to address this)
Do we want to reaffirm our rights to a common defense?(How are we being defended and are you okay with the way we are being defended?)
These are the reasons I see, that show most definitely the need to address these issues line by line. We will never be able to find solidarity if we cannot come up with our own Preamble that is easy to read, easy to understand, simple and acceptable. This will lead to consolidated efforts to complete the rest of the declaration. That is why I feel this should be #1 priority. We need a consensus that will bring us to the next step in the process.

This was posted in the New Topics section of this form a few days ago. I think we should seriously think of using our own constitution to change the dialogue and balance of power than presenting grievances. The Occupy Movement has made a radical shift in the way politics is viewed and the way power can be created, organized, and developed through out the world. Our unique constitution which cedes power to Us, the People, needs to be our starting point. Of course, it will be challenged, and our course we have much work to do to create a new declaration, but why not have that be our starting point?

Here's draft. Responses can be found in New Topics.

A New Declaration of Independence

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of humankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Consequently, we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all humans are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men and Women, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

However, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide a new government for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of this populace; and such is now the necessity that constrains them to alter their former system of government.

The recent history of this present government is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of tyranny over 99% of the populace.

To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world:

They have refused to honor and adhere to economic laws and principals, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

They have stolen, extorted, and embezzled trillions of dollars from our savings and our future earnings, and given such funds to banking institutions, favored corporations, and the moneyed few.

They have given over sixteen trillion dollars of taxpayer money in zero percentage loans to six banks while taking between 6.8% and 7.9% interest on almost one trillion dollars in loans to 70 million students.

They have been bribed, corrupted, and compromised into stealing billions of dollars from the populace in the form of farm subsidies to highly profitable monopolistic corporations who create and manufacture potentially toxic food products.

They have stolen millions of our homes and caused immense suffering and poverty by creating, ignoring, or condoning false profit bubbles, predatory adjustable loans, mortgage security swaps, and suspect foreclosure practices.

They have poisoned our water, our air, our soil, and our food by neglecting to enforce or enact laws of immediate and pressing importance for the public good.

They have neglected to pass or enforce laws to protect the populace from suffering the unhealthy consequences of harmful corporate practices in the name of profit.

They have elected Supreme Court Justices whose ideologies and philosophies favor a select few at the expense of the many and run counter to the democratic principles of our founding fathers.

They have erected a multitude of new offices, new laws, and taken away inherent freedoms under the guise of terrorism that threaten the very nature and substance of a constitutional Democracy.

They have waged wars, occupied nations, and threatened the sovereignty of others without the consent, approval, or will of the people.

They have rendered the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power, and contracted private, clandestine military, intelligence, and weapons corporations without our knowledge or consent.

They have corrupted, manipulated, and altered the democratic electoral process so that the Executive and Legislative Branches of this government no longer represent the will of the people but instead represent the moneyed few.

They have allowed the Federal Reserve to print money in our name, give out free loans to banking institutions, to operate independent of the will of the people, and to create policies that benefit the rich at the expense of the public good.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Appealed for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Protests have been answered by mockery, neglect, hypocrisy, false imprisonment, illegal arrests, and all to often with brutality and excessive force.

Their character is thus marked by every act which may define an Oligarchy of the Rich and Powerful, and is unfit to rule a free people.

We have warned them of attempts to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us, to tax us without our representation or consent, to corrupt our political system or alter our system of inherent checks and balances. We have reminded them that we are first and foremost a government of, for, and by the People. We have appealed to their justice and magnanimity to disavow these usurpations, which have and continue to cause great suffering and hardship among us.

Unfortunately, they have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity by the people.

We, therefore, as the 99% of the populace of the United States of America, Assembled in a multitude of occupations, protests, and congregations throughout this great nation, do, in the Name, and by the Authority and Spirit of the United States Constitution, declare and call for a Popular Amendment to change our constitution by direct popular vote.

We believe and declare, as James Wilson, one of the original framers of our constitution, stated in 1787, that "... the people may change the constitution whenever and however they please. This is a right of which no positive institution can ever deprive them."

We call for an National Assembly to dissolve by Popular Amendment the current Executive and Legislative Branches of government and to create a new government based on the original principals of the United States Constitution, a government Of The People, For The People, and By The People; and that as a Free and Independent People guided by the Principals and Ideals of our Founding Fathers, we have a right to do so.

Well, I really like the version that Mojo has posted. I think it needs a little more meat, but I feel it is a step in the right direction. I'm going to take a crack at writing a Preamble based on the PDT/Mojo version. I like several points which have been added by livegreenordie. Randallburns has also established valid points in his attempt at a preamble. Finally, the "New Declaration of Independence" is well written, makers numerous extremely important statements, and there is a great deal I like about it, but...

I wish to raise some very serious questions here:

• First, what exactly ARE we trying to accomplish in writing this declaration?
  
• Are we simply trying to establish the philosophy and demands of the 99% movement?
  
• Are we generating a rough draft of a declaration that will be presented by the NGA next July, or are we trying to generate a final draft, that the NGA will vote upon, before being presented?
  

My present understanding of this forum and its association with the 99%/OWS movement is that we are trying to generate some concrete philosophy to galvanize and establish legitimacy for our cause. After all, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America were not written by those who selected the delegates that met in Philadelphia.

I guess, I feel that once we are in possession of these answers, that we will have a more concrete "mission statement" to provide to the 99%/OWS movement to shore up our purpose here on this forum. I, and I'm sure many would agree, want to be absolutely certain of what we are trying to accomplish in writing this declaration. I feel our mandate to organize the election of delegates and in managing the logistics behind the NGA in Philly next July is clear. I feel less clear about our role in the actual writing of the 99% Declaration. Since, I'm really quite new here, I want to receive some clarification (however clear or muddy that clarification might be) from those more senior than I.

I've thought for a long time that we need to redeclare ourselves and our interests, but we need to be very careful to avoid potentially alientating others or leaving holes corporations can drive abuses through. 1againstmachine's revision is a great start to which I've made changes I hope will make it more accessible to modern people while keeping it general enough that it will stand the test of time. Some of the grievances seemed a bit too specific for a declaration, while Jefferson's original languaging mystifies many 20th century readers. I'm also not convinced we should begin by advocating the elimination of two of the three branches of government. We may get there, but I always like leaving the solutions open to brainstorming as long as possible. So here's my idea:

A New Declaration of Independence

As our forebears recognized, when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to reformulate the political system under which they live a decent respect to the opinions of humankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the change.

Consequently, we reaffirm that we hold these truths to be self-evident:
• that all humans are created equal,
• that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, among which are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness
• that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among People, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed
• that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter it to end the destruction and better meet their needs, or to abolish it if necessary and thereafter to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

Like our forebears we hold that when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object reveals a design to deny these rights and instead impose upon the People an undemocratic despotism, it is the right, it is the duty of the People to reject such government, revising or replacing it to provide a government capable of ensuring their future security.

The recent history of this present government is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of tyranny over 99% of the populace. We have endured these abuses and usurpations with patient sufferance; but now assert that necessity requires us to address them by the only means available to us: altering our system of government to eliminate them.

These abuses and usurpations include:

1) transferring trillions of dollars from our savings and our future earnings to banking institutions, favored corporations, and the moneyed few without the consent of or regard for the consequences to the People. Specifically they have:

2) neglecting to pass or enforce laws to protect the populace from suffering the unhealthy consequences of harmful corporate practices in the name of profit and have given over sixteen trillion dollars of taxpayer money in zero percentage loans to six banks and bailouts of corporations to prevent them incurring the appropriate market response to their poor business choices and recklessness instead of allowing them to fail as millions of small businesses have done.

3) using billions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize farms in such a way that small and family farms cannot compete fairly with corporate farms and food stocks reliant on unsustainable methods of production.

4) allowing millions of our homes to be taken without regard to principles of fairness and truth in lending

5) allowing the poisoning of our water, air, soil and food neglecting to enforce or enact laws necessary to protect human and environmental health

6) appointing and confirming Supreme Court Justices whose ideologies and philosophies favor a select few at the expense of the many and run counter to the democratic principles of our founding fathers.

7) in the name of security, requiring us to sacrifice freedom and erected a multitude of new offices, new laws, resulting in the loss of so many inherent freedoms that the very nature and substance of a constitutional Democracy is threatened

waging wars for corporate profit, occupied nations, and threatened the sovereignty of others without the consent, approval, or will of the people

9) rendering the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power, and contracted private, clandestine military, intelligence, and weapons corporations without our knowledge or consent.

10) allowing and participated in the manipulation and corruption of the democratic electoral process rendering the Executive and Legislative Branches representative of the moneyed few not the people they swear to serve.

11) allowing the Federal Reserve to operate independent of the will of the people, and to create policies that benefit the rich at the expense of the public good.

In every stage of these oppressions we have appealed for redress through appropriate means (petition, vote and peaceful assembly). We have warned the government of attempts to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us, to tax us without our representation or consent, to corrupt our political system or alter our system of inherent checks and balances. We have reminded them that we are first and foremost a government of, for, and by the People. We have appealed to their justice and magnanimity to disavow these usurpations, which have and continue to cause great suffering and hardship among us.

Unfortunately, they have been deaf to our voices, our pleas for justice and fairness, and the requirements of Constitutional government.

Our repeated protests have been answered by mockery, neglect, hypocrisy, false imprisonment, illegal arrests, all to often with brutality and excessive force, and with the continuation and intensification of the oppressive behaviors.

The character of this government is thus marked by every act which may define an oligarchy of the rich and powerful. They are not only unfit to rule a free people; they are in violation of the fundamental principles of this nation and the oaths of office they have sworn. As a result, they have lost all claims to legitimacy.

We, therefore, as the 99% of the populace of the United States of America, do, in the name, and by the authority and spirit of the United States Constitution reject these abuses of government and rescind our consent to be governed by it until it shall be restored to its legitimate purpose: a government of the People, by the People and for the People.

To achieve this end we call for the democratic election of a National Assembly to address these abuses and identify appropriate remedies subject to the will of the People.

While I think this one is eloquently stated, and I agree it is the people's right to overthrow or abolish the government, I don't think, tactically, this is smart. And how would that work, anyway, with our current dysfunctional voting system? You're asking people for an up or down vote on whether to dissolve Congress and have a new constitutional convention? What about the Supreme Court? I don't know, I just don't see this one winning us a lot of support, notwithstanding the fact that everything you state in it is true.

The sad thing is that Americans are not, by and large, revolutionaries. I don't know why, because it seems to me we're about 40 years overdue for a revolution, but I suppose they've just been propagandized into inertia and complacency.

1againstmachine wrote:This was posted in the New Topics section of this form a few days ago. I think we should seriously think of using our own constitution to change the dialogue and balance of power than presenting grievances. The Occupy Movement has made a radical shift in the way politics is viewed and the way power can be created, organized, and developed through out the world. Our unique constitution which cedes power to Us, the People, needs to be our starting point. Of course, it will be challenged, and our course we have much work to do to create a new declaration, but why not have that be our starting point?

Here's draft. Responses can be found in New Topics.

A New Declaration of Independence

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of humankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Consequently, we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all humans are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men and Women, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

However, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide a new government for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of this populace; and such is now the necessity that constrains them to alter their former system of government.

The recent history of this present government is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of tyranny over 99% of the populace.

To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world:

They have refused to honor and adhere to economic laws and principals, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

They have stolen, extorted, and embezzled trillions of dollars from our savings and our future earnings, and given such funds to banking institutions, favored corporations, and the moneyed few.

They have given over sixteen trillion dollars of taxpayer money in zero percentage loans to six banks while taking between 6.8% and 7.9% interest on almost one trillion dollars in loans to 70 million students.

They have been bribed, corrupted, and compromised into stealing billions of dollars from the populace in the form of farm subsidies to highly profitable monopolistic corporations who create and manufacture potentially toxic food products.

They have stolen millions of our homes and caused immense suffering and poverty by creating, ignoring, or condoning false profit bubbles, predatory adjustable loans, mortgage security swaps, and suspect foreclosure practices.

They have poisoned our water, our air, our soil, and our food by neglecting to enforce or enact laws of immediate and pressing importance for the public good.

They have neglected to pass or enforce laws to protect the populace from suffering the unhealthy consequences of harmful corporate practices in the name of profit.

They have elected Supreme Court Justices whose ideologies and philosophies favor a select few at the expense of the many and run counter to the democratic principles of our founding fathers.

They have erected a multitude of new offices, new laws, and taken away inherent freedoms under the guise of terrorism that threaten the very nature and substance of a constitutional Democracy.

They have waged wars, occupied nations, and threatened the sovereignty of others without the consent, approval, or will of the people.

They have rendered the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power, and contracted private, clandestine military, intelligence, and weapons corporations without our knowledge or consent.

They have corrupted, manipulated, and altered the democratic electoral process so that the Executive and Legislative Branches of this government no longer represent the will of the people but instead represent the moneyed few.

They have allowed the Federal Reserve to print money in our name, give out free loans to banking institutions, to operate independent of the will of the people, and to create policies that benefit the rich at the expense of the public good.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Appealed for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Protests have been answered by mockery, neglect, hypocrisy, false imprisonment, illegal arrests, and all to often with brutality and excessive force.

Their character is thus marked by every act which may define an Oligarchy of the Rich and Powerful, and is unfit to rule a free people.

We have warned them of attempts to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us, to tax us without our representation or consent, to corrupt our political system or alter our system of inherent checks and balances. We have reminded them that we are first and foremost a government of, for, and by the People. We have appealed to their justice and magnanimity to disavow these usurpations, which have and continue to cause great suffering and hardship among us.

Unfortunately, they have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity by the people.

We, therefore, as the 99% of the populace of the United States of America, Assembled in a multitude of occupations, protests, and congregations throughout this great nation, do, in the Name, and by the Authority and Spirit of the United States Constitution, declare and call for a Popular Amendment to change our constitution by direct popular vote.

We believe and declare, as James Wilson, one of the original framers of our constitution, stated in 1787, that "... the people may change the constitution whenever and however they please. This is a right of which no positive institution can ever deprive them."

We call for an National Assembly to dissolve by Popular Amendment the current Executive and Legislative Branches of government and to create a new government based on the original principals of the United States Constitution, a government Of The People, For The People, and By The People; and that as a Free and Independent People guided by the Principals and Ideals of our Founding Fathers, we have a right to do so.