PeaceSmiths, Occupy Wall Street, and The Constitution
November 23, 2011 at 10:49 am kwilder 2 comments
Kimberly writes:
PeaceSmiths, Inc. has a collection of posters, audio, video, books, etc., that we store as part of our peace and justice archives. Many weeks ago, I sorted through the archives in search of some books that we could donate.
The PeaceSmiths board decided to send a box of our books to The People’s Library at Occupy Wall Street at Liberty Square. So, I picked out some choices I thought would interest the activists there, wrapped them up, and shipped them to NYC.
Because of the current theme of public discourse, and the focus of Occupy Wall Street, I was very amused to find a certain, small, pamphlet-shaped book. Among the PeaceSmiths archives, was a copy of the US Constitution, published by Citicorp/Citibank, in collaboration with the US government. I cannot help think that Susan June Blake, PeaceSmiths’ former Coordinator, saved the item with her usual sense of humor and irony. There are very amusing finds like this one among the archives.
In order to share the joke, I sent this book as one of our donations to the Occupy Wall Street Library. I even wrapped it up in a recycled plastic bag, with a note attached.
I am so curious to know if this copy of the Constitution made it to the library. And, I am even more curious to know if it is one of the books that the NYPD and the NYC Sanitation Department trashed, by throwing into a pile in a dumpster. If, instead, this copy of the Constitution is among the (very few) useable, retrieved, books, then that would be a very good omen. There is a chance it was preserved in its plastic bag!
I do think that the existence of this book is something to reflect on. It is from about 1987-1991. The book was cosponsored by Citicorp/Citibank and the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution. So, it is a kind of joint government/corporate venture of a rather philosophical kind.
There are two introductions to the document. On one side, are comments by the then Head of Citicorp Worldwide, Richard Braddock. On the facing page is a forward by then Supreme Court Justice Warren E. Burger.
At the bottom of this post are some quotations from Mr. Braddock’s comments.
Today, there is a chance to hear Occupy Wall Street Librarians, The National Lawyer’s Guild, and others, discuss the Constitutional violations against their library, committed during the raid of 11/15/2011. There is a press conference at noon at 260 Madison Avenue, on the 20th Floor. If you are able to go, please see if you can find our copy of the Constitution, among the retrieved books that will be on display.
More information on the press conference is at the Occupywallst website: here.
Quotations from the Occupy Wall Street/PeaceSmiths Archives document:
A Message From Citicorp
Freedom
Justice
OpportunityThroughout the history of the nations, the freedom to think, speak, write, and create; to possess diverse political, social, and religious views; to own and use property and produce and distribute goods and services, has rarely existed. What has made all these freedoms a permanent part of our nation is the Constitution…
[Last sentence...]
Citicorp. Because Americans want to succeed, not just survive.
[Signed by...]
Richard S. Braddock
Head of Citicorp Worldwide
Consumer Financial Services
Entry filed under: Action Alert, Art and archives, Long Island, news. Tags: archives, big banks, Citibank, Citicorp, Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, Constitution, Constitutional Law, libraries, megabanks, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Wall Street Library, peace archives, People's Library, Richard Braddock, Susan Blake, Susan June Blake, US Constitution.
1.
Robert Goldberg | November 23, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Kimberly,
Thank you for your message re: the PeaceSmith material sent OWS; the subsequent destruction by NYC’s Finest.
While I see the US Constitution as greatly in need of repair, many of its ideas were improvements over the horrible world from which it emerged. That world was ruled by the arbitrary whims of hereditary rulers over the shackled minds of power-hungry clergy, who used religious myths twisted from scripture to keep their populations ignorant.and in fear
Today, those who hide behind the veil of corporate fictions, wield similar tyrannical power by grafting the myth of law under a Constituional republic In reality they ignore law or quickly shape it to their purposes by owning the lawmakers and administrators. The Corps’ religion is a secular one that uses mass propaganda technology that offers economic nonsense to keep most of the population from realizing the reality of our situation.
(Space does not permit offering the antidotes.)
Happy Turkey! and thanks again. I don’t believe in corp. controlled social networks.
Bob Goldberg
2.
kwilder | November 23, 2011 at 3:07 pm
Thanks for the thoughtful comments!
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!