December 15 - KONK Network

keynews/
‘Occupy Key West’
A NATIONAL MOVEMENT
GETS LOCAL SUPPORT
n
I N T E R V I E W W I T H
Rick Worth
Key West artist
Guy deBoer | GD You’ve taken the
opportunity as an artist and communicator
to label the front yard of your
home with messages in support of the
Occupy movement. What were your
feelings and thoughts behind that?
Rick Worth | RW I’ve been following
it since September 17. I’ve been
waiting 20 years or more to try to get
[people] to raise their eyes up against
what’s going on
in America
today. I’m 48,
and I have seen
it come through
for more than
25-30 years. My
last little protest
was trying to
save the people at House Boat Row,
which was also my first southernmost
protest. Our town sent me to jail that
night. It showed up in the newspaper
[as did] an outstanding bicycle fine in
St. Petersburg, Florida, from five
years ago. ey were to extradite me.
I know what it’s like to try to save
poor people, and I know how hard it
is. e movement that is going on
around the country and around the
world is about making things a little
bit more level and giving people more
of that bottom ring of the ladder
which seems to be cut off.
GD e national media is saying it’s
a disorganized movement. ere’s no
spokesperson or goal or agenda of
what the organization is trying to
accomplish. I’ve heard comments
from people who have supported the
Occupy Movement say that’s the
beauty of the movement. is is not
an individual voicing concerns but
individuals speaking up for what they
think is wrong with the United States
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and the way it’s treating the common
man. What do feel about the
structure of it?
RW Let’s address the idea of the mass
media doing what it can to probably
misinform the public as to what’s
really going on. Today anything that
is being produced has to have some
kind of backing. Someone from the
corporate world is funding a lot of
events, and when it comes down to
the media, it is no different. Media is
owned by people with views of what
gets out is going to be controlled. I
have heard people say they don’t have
an aim. I don’t think a movement like
this needs one.
GD As I see it, Occupy Movement is
people who feel money has bought
political power. Do you feel this way?
RW Yes, I agree. is is where I
would say the Bill of Rights seems to
not be working for us. I know that
during Martin Luther King’s day it
didn’t work either. He would say if
you are going to have something
written down on paper stand behind
it, because a lot of Americans believe
that’s what we have for our protection.
It at least gives us a voice to say
something. I’ve been watching all of
this brutality being put down upon
these protestors, and the protestors
themselves are being put down. ese
guys, as well as I love our country, are
by no means anti- American. It’s our
Continued on page 6
GUY deBOER
KONK
BROADCASTING
NEWS DIRECTOR