Dear Occupiers,
Hi. My name is Adam Brown. I am a college student who will soon earn my Associates of Art Oregon Transfer degree. I have worked so hard for this moment in my life, and I am very proud of what I have accomplished. In the Winter, I will transfer to Western Oregon University, and be the very first in my family to go to an accredited university. My fiancee -- who has shared in my struggle, also got accepted in to Western and will begin in Winter with me.
Today, we found out that Ellie's (my fiancee) Pell Grant and Oregon Opportunity Grant have been cancelled. Completely. We have no idea why this has happened, or what prompted Western Oregon University to make such a decision, but there it is. Come winter, we will have 1000 dollars less than we thought we would have. As a consequence, we are now moving out of the apartment we have both shared for 4 years and moving back in with Ellie's parents. There simply is not enough money for us to go to school and keep living on our own. So we will be living in her parent's garage for an unspecified amount of time.
Why do I tell you, the Occupation, all of this? Because I want to thank you. From the bottom of my heart. Its a hard, emotional time for us. We both broke down today after receiving the news. But when I see all of those that support us (maybe not in name but in spirit) camping out, peacefully demonstrating, making a point and taking a stand for the little guy, it fills my heart with...hope. For the first time, I am filled with hope.
Its really easy to think, when you are in a position like ours, that no one understands or cares what you are going through. But as I was looking through the pictures of the Occupy encampments all across the country, I realized something. We are not alone. We have never been alone. You guys are the ones fighting for US. You don't even know us, and yet somehow you feel compelled to fight for us. Not just for us, or the people who don't have health insurance, or the people being foreclosed on, or the people whose jobs were sent to India or China, but for all of the 99%er's out there silently struggling to do the right thing. Silently carrying the burden of having to live paycheck to paycheck, or out of a car, or out on the streets. You fight for us, and you speak for us. Thank you. From the very bottom of my heart, from the pit of my soul...thank you Occupy Wall Street.
To the 1%er's: We're pissed, and we are going to FIGHT. Enough is fucking enough. The situation that I am in shouldn't have to happen to ANYONE who has the drive and ambition to continue their education. I shouldn't have to pay 15,000 dollars a year to get a degree. I shouldn't have to worry about either paying for textbooks or food. It should be a GODDAMN GIVEN that I can pay for both. When did college students become "parasites"? When did it become so hard to LIVE THE GODDAMN AMERICAN DREAM? What happened to "if you work hard enough, you can succeed"? Is "success" only for the rich now? No. It shouldn't be like this. You want OWS to define itself, here is a fucking definition for you: they are fighting so situations like mine, and countless others stop happening. They are fighting so America can once again live up to her hype. They are fighting FOR US. There is your fucking definition, you pigs. I hope you choke on it.
I am signing up to volunteer at Occupy Salem, Oregon as we speak, and if you SUPPORT SAVING THE AMERICAN DREAM, I suggest those of you that have the time do the same. Its time to stand up. Its time to rise. Its time to take back what was once ours. Enough is enough.
Adam