I am the 99% and it occurred to me that much of what the Occupy Movement is fighting for–especially from a human rights standpoint–Franklin Delano Roosevelt included in his plan for a bill of social and economic rights. During his State of the Union Address on January 11, 1944 Roosevelt suggested that the nation had come to recognize, and should now implement, a second “bill of rights.” Roosevelt’s argument was that the “political rights” guaranteed by the constitution and the Bill of Rights had “proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.” Roosevelt’s remedy was to declare an “economic bill of rights” which would guarantee:
Employment, with a living wage
Freedom from unfair competition and monopolies
Housing
Medical care
Education
Social security
I like these rights. I wish everyone had these rights.
Roosevelt mentioned a total of eight rights in his address. Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is comprised of eight nights. That’s cool. Eight rights. Eight nights. Festival of Lights. Hmm, Festival of Rights!
Hanukkah begins on December 20 this year. It is my hope that during these eight nights, the 1% are reminded about Roosevelt’s eight rights. It is also my hope that in 2012, 68 years after Roosevelt’s address, the Occupy Movement will succeed and that 100% will achieve the implementation of these rights.
Come Hanukkah next year lets make the Festival of Rights just that, and we can celebrate.
