To all "Occupiers Far and Wide, Present and Past"

..... In asking ourselves about the history of various "occupations" through this country's past, can there be a fair question that asks whether or not corporate wealth and narrow moneyed interests have preoccupied what is the very best of this democracy over the last 30 years? And maybe, just maybe what we see now at the various occupations across the country is just a waking up of sorts, finally hearing the tolling bells on the village greens and commons that have been stilled for so long...

...... In the present tolling of bells I also hear the occupiers of the past and it is to them that I want to pay a little tribute at year's end, a year where TIME magazine has made the"Protester" its banner person of the year.So, here's to all those who occupied in foreign or domestic wars, so that we at home might have the chance at keeping freedom's vigil. To those who revolted against monarchical rule after occupying their own consciences and deciding that taxation w/out representation was reason enough to risk their lives, thus through this sacred protest as enshrined in the Declaration Of Independence, did they take up their cause and birth this country

......To all those who occupied their conscience and committed themselves to the work of building and keeping the underground railroad or making their last stands at Harper's Ferry because they knew that slavery was a terrible bliight on humanity and that it must end. To all those in the great Prairie Revolt of the 1890's where farmers and settlers rose up against large corporate, moneyed interests and whose demands were finally met 30 years after their revolt was put down..... To the great feminists traditions and to their will to bring more compassion and care into state affairs and to women's suffrage. To the movements in the 30's and to FDR that great "occupier of his own conscience" and a "Traitor To His Class" (book) that helped the common man.

To all those at home and abroad who fought fascism and prevailed in WWII do I thank your occupations of conscience to take up arms and to your willingness to risk all for the yet unborn among us who now understand the full measure of your devotion and have not had to hail any fuhrer since then .... to all the great occupiers of conscience who changed this society so much for the better in the great Civil Rights movements. To all occupiers in all wars, who for better or worse, believed that they were sacrificing for the just causes of freedom. For my uncle David Kaul, who I am named after, who died on his 18'th birthday in Korea, not so sure about the causes that brought him there but willing to commit the last full measure of his devotion do I pay tribute and respect. To my father, a soldier in WWII, who flew over the hump of the Himalayas many times,( risking his life each time) into China to train the Chinese troops against the Japanese and was awarded a medal by "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell, and who may nearly have died from yellow fever do I pay my tribute. To his "occupation of conscience" that the right was done and that sacrifice is sometimes necessary.

This is my tribute to all occupiers of conscience now, in the past and in the future wherever they may be who have ever taken themselves to task for whatever reason they felt/now feel necessary so that the better good might be served by acting upon the dictates of their occupied conscience..