This man made this happen. We're only beginning with this. We got a good team together.
We're going to do big things in the future. Aaron, you're my brother.
Thank you, Aaron!
We love you, Aaron!
I was just going to introduce my friend Norman Siegel.
I'll say something. We were a bunch of angry kids that went down to Wall Street and just wanted to be heard.
And I think we're being heard.
Yeah, baby! We really only had one day to get this together.
We had a hard time getting a permit with the city, but they worked with us, so let's give the city a hand.
We're going to do bigger things. We're looking at a big slice of the pie called Central Park.
And we're going to get it. Norman's going to help us.
Thank you!
I think at this point, now that the whole world is watching us, I think it's time to take it to another level.
I think we need to change some laws.
And the only way we're going to do that is by changing minds and communicating with one another.
And I do want to give a shout out to the NYPD. They're part of the 99% too.
It's my great pleasure to introduce my friend Norman Siegel.
Thank you, Aaron.
And first, I want to thank all of you for coming out and giving yourself a round of applause.
Thank you for your service.
I also want to thank the vets who we have today.
We thank you for your service.
And I want to thank the people who are behind me because this is all about an egalitarian movement.
It's everybody, not just one person. We are a chorus. We are not soloists.
We are a chorus in all of our voices, harmonized to send a message for freedom, for justice, for equality, and fairness for all.
Not some, but all.
I want to thank all of the people from 1199, the most progressive union in the city of New York.
All those folks that are wearing this white hat that says Marshall.
When this rally ends, go over to them, thank them, hug them, and kiss them, and say, we thank you.
I also want to thank the yippies. They were the ones who put the permit in.
Jerry, Darren, and Jerry the peddler. By the way, Jerry holds the New York City record for the most arrests in an eight-hour period.
Within eight hours, he was arrested, we got him out, he was arrested, we got him out, and he was arrested the third time. That is the New York City record.
I also want to report that Occupation Highway is en route to Trenton tonight, and we should remember all those folks who, in my opinion, are doing a similar settlement among Montgomery in 1963.
They're marching from New York to D.C. 2011, and it's all connected.
Let me be serious for a couple of minutes. Many of us were taught that America is the land of the free.
I remember my teachers, and I'm sure many of you remember how they talked about the principles of freedom and justice and equality.
Well, today we rightfully question whether these principles and values are being followed.
When the 400 wealthiest Americans have a greater combined net worth than the bottom 150 million Americans, it is time to question and examine the status quo.
When the top 1% of Americans possess more wealth than the entire bottom 90%, it is time to question and examine the status quo.
When 49.1 million Americans are reckoned number of living in poverty, it is time to what? Question and examine the status quo.
When 15.9% of Americans age 65 or older are seniors or poor, it is time to question and examine the status quo.
When the national unemployment rate continues to be over 9% and millions of Americans are jobless, it is time to correct this situation, and it is time to question the status quo.
Last month, a time magazine telephone poll taken of 1,001 Americans, 79% of those people polled believe that the gap between the rich and the poor in our country is too large.
79% agree with us. We can do better. We must do better. We are here today to say visibly and vocally. We support occupation low streets questioning and examine these fundamental economic justice issues.
It is long overdue.
History teaches us that we lose our precious rights when people of good will become silent and even quiet. It is when people of good will look the other way and rationalize and minimize the injustices that are going on before our own eyes.
We need to question, we need to challenge, and we need to speak up to obtain freedom, justice and equality and fairness for all, not just some, but all.
Here's for now, historians, our children and our grandchildren will ask us if we were aware of the economic and social injustices that were present in the early 21st century.
They'll question us about the racial, gender, sexual orientation and class inequality that continue to permeate America during the early part of the 21st century.
Eventually, all of us will be asked, what did we do in the face of these injustices? Hopefully, all of us, all of us will be able to answer these questions substantially.
Hopefully, all of us, all of us will be able to say, we spoke up, we marched, we rallied in opposition to the status quo.
And hopefully, we can say, we help keep our country, the United States of America, a place that follows the principles and values of freedom, justice and equality for all.
Thank you.
