Statement on Rice and Paulson’s Postponement of their Event and the Provost’s So-Called Respect for Free Inquiry:

We the students// and the people of Chicago// condemn Hank Paulson and Condoleeza Rice’s postponement of their event// scheduled to occur on Monday, November 14, 2011// at the University of Chicago.

Last night// Thomas F. Rosenbaum, Provost of the University// and Kimberly Geoff-Crews, Dean of Students// emailed a statement to the entire university community// faculty, students, and staff// threatening disciplinary action// against anyone daring to “disrupt” the event//“disruption” to be defined as the university administration sees fit.

In their email// Rosenbaum and Geoff-Crews// invoke the concept of free inquiry// in order to justify disciplinary action// taken against those expressing such free inquiry.// Such an invocation// makes a mockery of the concept of free inquiry// by invoking it in order to stifle truly free inquiry// which would allow those who disagree to make their opinions known// in a voice just as loud as Hank and Condi’s.

The Paulson Center is a corporate forum// where war criminals like Condoleeza Rice// can merge corporate interests// with academic legitimacy// without being called out for their actions.

Rosenbaum and Geoff-Crews do not care about free inquiry.// They are only concerned about their reputations// and the reputation of this university// in the eyes of its corporate sponsors.

We the students had no intention of shutting down this talk. // We only wanted to express// our frustration with the system// of which Paulson and Rice are an integral part// in a forum where our questions would have to be answered.

Paulson and Rice’s postponement of this event// suggests that they can’t handle free inquiry.

Rosenbaum and Geoff-Crews’ threatening email// suggests that they can’t handle free inquiry.

With this statement// we seek to puncture the illusion// that this University already embodies its highest ideals.// We issue a call to the University// and to all universities// to reflect on their basic commitments// and recognize the ways in which they have fallen short.

We issue a call for true free inquiry// where those with money and influence// like Hank Paulson and Condoleeza Rice// do not get to speak louder than everyone else.

We are the 99% // and we call upon this university uphold its ideals.

Statement on Rice and Paulson’s Postponement of their Event and the Provost’s So-Called Respect for Free Inquiry:

We the students// and the people of Chicago// condemn Hank Paulson and Condoleeza Rice’s postponement of their event// scheduled to occur on Monday, November 14, 2011// at the University of Chicago.

Last night// Thomas F. Rosenbaum, Provost of the University// and Kimberly Geoff-Crews, Dean of Students// emailed a statement to the entire university community// faculty, students, and staff// threatening disciplinary action// against anyone daring to “disrupt” the event//“disruption” to be defined as the university administration sees fit.

In their email// Rosenbaum and Geoff-Crews// invoke the concept of free inquiry// in order to justify disciplinary action// taken against those expressing such free inquiry.// Such an invocation// makes a mockery of the concept of free inquiry// by invoking it in order to stifle truly free inquiry// which would allow those who disagree to make their opinions known// in a voice just as loud as Hank and Condi’s.

The Paulson Center is a corporate forum// where war criminals like Condoleeza Rice// can merge corporate interests// with academic legitimacy// without being called out for their actions.

Rosenbaum and Geoff-Crews do not care about free inquiry.// They are only concerned about their reputations// and the reputation of this university// in the eyes of its corporate sponsors.

We the students had no intention of shutting down this talk. // We only wanted to express// our frustration with the system// of which Paulson and Rice are an integral part// in a forum where our questions would have to be answered.

Paulson and Rice’s postponement of this event// suggests that they can’t handle free inquiry.

Rosenbaum and Geoff-Crews’ threatening email// suggests that they can’t handle free inquiry.

With this statement// we seek to puncture the illusion// that this University already embodies its highest ideals.// We issue a call to the University// and to all universities// to reflect on their basic commitments// and recognize the ways in which they have fallen short.

We issue a call for true free inquiry// where those with money and influence// like Hank Paulson and Condoleeza Rice// do not get to speak louder than everyone else.

We are the 99% // and we call upon this university uphold its ideals.

“Durbin asked to reaffirm liberal values”(NBC Chicago): Elected officials addressed senior citizens and Occupy Chicago fighting cuts to social safety net programs

“Durbin asked to reaffirm liberal values”(NBC Chicago): Elected officials addressed senior citizens and Occupy Chicago fighting cuts to social safety net programs

I am here to say that we can have a society that provides healthcare for all, quality education for all, healthy land, clean water, nutritious food for all. We can have profitable family farms and robust rural communities and cities. But we’ll never get there if the corporations, the HMOs and the rich don’t pay their fair share.

Family farmers are less likely to have health insurance coverage than most Minnesotans and when they can get it, they pay a lot more for it. Why? Because HMOs care a hell of a lot more about profits than they do about people. They are holding a half of a billion dollars in excess reserves that we need to claw back into the state treasury. It’s our money. The money is there; let’s use it for care!

I come from a part of the state that remembers the robber barons of the 19th and 20th centuries, the banks, railroads, grain traders and oil companies who picked the winners and losers and amassed huge personal fortunes on the backs of Minnesotans.

I come from a part of the state that remembers farmers and laborers uniting to take down the barons and build this state into a place that invests in people and communities. I graduated from a school in a small, rural town with an education that was the same high quality as any kid got in the wealthiest district in the state. That school district now operates on a four-day-a-week schedule.

I come from a part of the state that knows that that when we invest in our workers, invest in our schools, invest in our health programs, invest in our transportation systems and invest in our environment, that everyone benefits and that everyone should pay their fair share.

I come from a part of the state that knows that way forward is to organize, to stand together to take back our power from the big banks, the HMOs, and the food & agribusiness giants that are pillaging our state and tell the richest 2% to pay their share to avoid deep cuts that kill jobs and will hurt all of us.

But now, the corporations and the rich pay a smaller part of their income in taxes than you and I do and they want to pay even less! They want to defund everything that makes this a great state, and leave us begging for low paying, no benefit, dead-end jobs! Enough is enough! I’m here with you today to collect on a bill that’s way past due! Big banks, big retailers, big agribiz, it’s time to pay up!

Terry VanDerPol is a western Minnesota cattle farmer and member of Land Stewardship Project. This speech was given in the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda on May 21, 2011 at the Rally for A Fair Economy.

Many inspiring ideas came from this meeting and we will be following up on collaborative projects with many of the participants.

Our goal is to build a better way to build a better world, then catalyze the collaboration needed to make it reality. We intend to scale our efforts in Dane County way up while actively sharing information with other communities undertaking similar projects in areas around the world. We’re terribly excited and hope you are too.

Please join us if you like. We’ll be publishing a lot more as we get time in the coming weeks, including video from the meeting, notes, and a thorough description of and funding proposal for the Time For The World project.

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In the meantime, read this article to learn more (thanks, Ruth Conniff!) We’re excited to be featured by The Progessive and plan to work with and for people of all political, social and economic stripes. That’s what inspires us about timebanking – it cuts across all these tired old dividing lines and connects us as humans. No losers in this game, that’s part of what makes it so much fun.