Why You Should Join the Wednesday, November 2, Oakland General Strike

Oakland 1946, the last general strike in the US

You may have heard about this Wednesday's General Strike, with mass gatherings to be held at 9am, 12 noon, and 5pm -- at 14th and Broadway in downtown Oakland.  The call for a general strike is not surprising given that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe banks and major corporations have too much power, support amending the U.S. constitution to affirm that corporations don’t have the same rights as people, and believe corporations have more control of our political system than average citizens do.

For the past three decades the wealthiest 1% and their corporations have been taking an ever-increasing share of the income we produce, leaving the vast majority of us to make do with ever-smaller crumbs to survive on.  Now is the time to take a stand and declare that we absolutely will not permit these outrages to continue.

This coming Wednesday, November 2, those in the greater Oakland area will have a chance to make an extremely powerful statement by participating in the Oakland General Strike.  We will be using one of the most powerful tools available to we the people -- but a tool which has not actually been exercised in this country for over 60 years, since we last used it here in Oakland, in 1946.

The Occupy Wall Street movement and Occupy Oakland have now presented each of us with a vital moral choice:  Do we participate in the Oakland General Strike and help shift the direction of this country?  Or do we allow giant corporations and the ultra-wealthy ever more free license to plunder the resources and wealth of this nation, and of our world?

This is how you can participate in the strike:
 * Do not go to work
 * Do not go to school
 * Or at least, do everything you can to minimize those activities.
 * Do not patronize any banks or other corporations on Wednesday.

Instead go to 14th and Broadway in downtown Oakland -- especially for the Wednesday mass gatherings at 9am, 12 noon, and 5pm.

Everyone is encouraged to participate in the Oakland General Strike, regardless of where you live.  For more details, please see:  http://www.OccupyOakland.org 

If we now join together, we shall not fail with the great task before us.