"Officer" - Spoken Word @ Occupy LA Day 1

Transcription of poem as requested:

Officer
I'm afraid there must be some terrible terrible mistake
You see
I'm a free human being
And no matter how many guns you point at me
Im not going to give up my goddamn sovereignty
Please
Allow me to explain.

These laws you uphold weren't laid down by the Gods
Our national voting game is like casting lots
And someone else is rigging the odds
Our "public servants" own private yahts
So come on now, how 'bout let's get real
It's not a crime if you get paid to steal
It's not your fault if you can afford good PR
Its not a getaway if someone else is driving your car
The only things we control are what we buy at the store
Who do you know that voted to cut schools and start frivolous wars?

But that's just how it is
Or at least that's what he said
When he handed me my ticket
With a shake of his head

I'm not gonna pay out
These damn fifty bucks
And I'll tell you just why
If youll please listen up

I've come to a big ol' conclusion
It's all been some kind of illusion
Government's far less legitimate than gay civil union
Still we go on like independent ways of living are ruined

How well do you know the people in your community?
I'm talking about unity
Cause what's between you and me
Is unscripted
It's exactly what we make it
It goes exactly as far as we take it
Like I'm standing in front of you entirely naked
And not in a weird way
What I mean is it's honest
Out in the streets we mean what we promise
Whether we follow through is on the strength of our honor
And we have to explain our mistakes without a TelePrompTer

So how well do you know, that man on Tv?
Sweet talking his way to the presidency?
When you look him in the eye, do you see what I see?
He's made a career out of pretending to be what you need
Would you honest to god choose him over me?
Him over US?
When you get right down to it,
It's all about trust.

(botched this bit in the live version)
Who do you trust to make your decisions for you?
To set limits and controls on the things you can do?
Honestly, on that list, I've got only one.
I am my own master, second to none.
And that doesn't mean
That I don't have morals
Don't seek a god in creation
Or peaceful ends to quarrels
But whose God exactly do you want to live under?
Who gets to mediate between you and your own sense of wonder?
Between you and the undefinable philosophical divine?
Should it really be some adulterous motherfucker with a ton of charisma and no spine?

Being anarchist doesn't mean you can't be organized
I believe in our ability to compromise
Without guns bombs and police
Without losing our minds
And treating adults like small disobedient children
People generally behave when you threaten to kill them
But what exactly does that mean for the human race?
Put on all the makeup you want underneath it's still the same face

I guess I'm naive enough that I still have faith
That we can grow up learn love and get the fuck out of this place
Call me idealistic
Call me insane
But at least all my dreams aren't washed down the drain

So if youre not willing to look at me with the same kind of trust
As some stranger in a suit with clean white cuffs
Then consider this me, calling your bluff,
You don't believe in the system, you've just given up.

Love and Riots,

Althea Capra

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

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• angeles
• occupy
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• revolution
• officer
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[Jerman81]

Pretty good but I don't trust anything that bleeds for 5 days and doesn't die..sp

[katiewack1]

@moonsugar1 Give it time my dear, for there is something a brewing that cannot be seen, only felt underneath all the levels of propaganda conditioning.

[whitezombie93]

That's wonderful!

[djantiwar]

thats real talk out there

[moonsugar1]

My first thought on this vdeo would have to be, nice. ass. lol. Poems not badly written and you did say you were nervous but try to slow down when your delivering your key notes and rhyme's.

An anarchist serves to bring down a system of control. Would you not rather be a form of revolutionary that has a better system to replace the current one? Anarchy in itself solves nothing.

To be totally honest, I havent heard a single solution put forward by this occupy movement yet.

[sweYoda2]

I am not an anarchist, but it was a great speech. I don't know that much about anarchy, but from what I understand they like freedom and not being ruled by people. Correct? If that's true, then they'd love the zeitgeistmovement.

[itisnow]

incredible!



[dreamdiction]

Anarchy is Freedom from oppressive Government exploitation and violence.

[zholyrebel]

that was so coooool