Whose Streets? K Street's

As the saying goes, “The proof is in the pudding.” Government of the people, for the people and by the people is a cruel joke, a fairytale taught during history period in U.S. schools. We Americans are getting what we deserve. We are too lazy to deserve democracy. Ignorance is bliss or we are just too uncaring to mobilize. We are content with complaining at the TV or spouse and kicking the dog. I dare say we deserve government by, for and of K street lobbyists and their masters.

Last weekend two dozen protestors attempted to demonstrate at the Military Expo on the National Mall. This past Friday US Youth Climate Movement expressed outrage over British Petroleum, Halliburton and Transocean’s catastrophic Gulf oil spill by holding a “Day of Action, Night of Mourning” Today another handful of activists urge us to contact the White House demanding President Obama take control of the clean up of this environmental catastrophe.

Yesterday a human catastrophe was commemorated. The Nakba, Arabic word for catastrophe, refers to the date when Palestinians were first expelled from their homeland by Jewish refugees of post WWII Europe. Approximately 80 concerned citizens sang, chanted, held banners, marched and flyered the passersby and tourists flocking the sun-drenched waterfront at Georgetown in attempts to bring awareness to the U.S.’ role in the war crimes on the Palestinian people.

Tomorrow, SEIU and other labor union activists are calling for “Quarantine K Street” in protest over lobbying firms’ gross expenditures to halt any financial reform from passing Congress. In addition, there is a call to attend a Senate hearing in which BP’s CEO will testify.

This is just a sampling of opportunities from which one may choose to participate and have your voice heard if you just look for them. So why is it, then, that Americans are not here en masse, by the hundreds of thousands, the millions? Ten percent of Americans are unemployed. Where are they? Where are the homeless and soon-to-be-in foreclosure? Why are they not squatting at the houses of congresspeople who supported TARP- receiving bank execs and with the golden parachutes? Where are all the now unemployed teachers, school staff and librarians who have been laid off by states, counties and cities facing blackouts and furloughs? They must see the connection between the wars for the profiteers and the bankrupting of our communities?

A couple of years ago, my congressman kicked me out of his office when I protested his support for continued war in Iraq, “You forget who you work for,” I told him. He aptly replied, “Adios! I work for the people who put me in office!” He wasn’t referring to you and me.

"Out of sight, out of mind." goes another saying and until the people become a constant presence in the houses of our government we should edit the chant to "Whose streets?? K Street's!!"