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Young Protestor, Peace of the Action (POTA), Obomba Residence, July 4, 2010 from gregory vickrey on Vimeo.

“There is something abnormal here, and it sure as hell isn’t me.”

When I grabbed the bull horn to speak in the heat of Washington, DC, on the 4th of July, 2010, those were the first words out of my mouth.

Frustration made the oppressive heat and more oppressive city all the more so. When I first arrived near the White House, in Lafayette Park, a Secret Service blue-shirt shouted, then screamed, then shouted again, for me to “move back, move away!”, as I was apparently encroaching on sacred ground during the arrival of some esteemed BBQ guest. I meandered a bit amongst the tourists gawking at the gates to the hallowed halls of the presidential palace, smiling for the cameras, and standing oblivious to oblivion.

The circus continued and eventually I connected with colleagues and friends of POTA. There were so few of us, and I lamented in my head about the movements for peace, for civil justice, for health care. I muttered the Declaration of Independence preamble to myself, and thought of the Bill of Rights. I spoke aloud to a passing stranger, “Epic fail.”

Those of us who could ‘legally’ assemble on the White House walk grasped signs, recording equipment and the bull horn. We rose up for ourselves, for the movement, for the soldiers, for Afghanis, for Iraqis, for ecological systems, for you, for generations. We spoke to the obvious nature of corporate control and the obnoxious behavior of the powers that be. And we observed the people along the walk shunning us, posing instead for their most congenial photos with their best statist smiles.

The bomb threat came next; you did not hear about it through mainstream media because it was a fraud, perpetuated by your United States government.

First we were told we could not assemble – our bodies had to stay in motion. Mere minutes later a young man with a backpack and a guitar strolled through and as he spoke with rank authorities the message from the bull horn became righteous and powerful. The young man then moved to the edge of the walk, mumbled something, and immediately we were told to shut it down and get out of the park.

Amazing how that works, is it not? Read that last paragraph again.

The aggression from the agents in charge was directed towards us, not in dealing with a supposed bomb threat. As I moved slowly through the park I asked a relatively relaxed agent if, indeed, there was a bomb threat. He casually replied, “mmhmm.”

This was not an evacuation of any sort; it was a trampling of rights to assemble and to speak freely. You see, we were disturbing the BBQ and birthday celebration with the truth.

Just outside of the park, opposite the festivities at the Big House, we continued speaking and flyering and expressing other rights as provided in the Constitution; yet, again, we ruffled too many feathers and were forced to cross the street, and our “free speech zone” was officially a quarter mile away from the one man who needed to listen to us.

Oppression. Frustration. Epic fail.

Dripping with sweat, yet cold-hearted under the glares of people disgusted, ambivalent, or ignorant of our collective purpose, I took the mic and I roared. For several minutes I stormed and shouted and raved, and with each breath I listened for an echo from the masses walking by.

Only silence.

My stump-speech ended with a quote from the greatest truth-teller I know: “Turn on to politics, or politics will turn on you.” And I said it twice, because I swear by that statement.

Silence.

If it were not for POTA, no one would have heard. If it were not for POTA, my shoulders would have sunk. If it were not for POTA, I would have been alone in those words, and in that moment.

Where were you at 5pm on Sunday, 4th of July, 2010?

—–

Later that evening I returned to the White House. Of course, once POTA had dispersed for the day, the placated masses were allowed back in the park at Caesar’s door step. They had nothing to say, and only flash bulbs to burn.

A young girl, not yet three, walked with me. She was determined to protest.

“Protest! Protest! Fight the Power! Fight the Power!” she chanted along the walk.

“Yes, but what are you protesting?” I asked.

“Bad gas. BP. Bad people.” she stated matter-of-factly.

Fist-pump.

I had my echo.

We know that there are likely more, but these are ones Karyn Strickler and I have personally vetted. Please help them by any means necessary. This list is in no particular order.

PLEASE SHARE FAR AND WIDE. Help one, help all:

http://www.Peaceoftheaction.org

http://www.southernenvironment.org/about/top_10_2010

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gregory-Vickrey/40416433278?ref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=219721254423&ref=ts

http://climategroundzero.org/about-us/

http://www.ohvec.org/join/index.html#donate

http://www.climatestrategies.us/support.cfm

http://www.forestcouncil.org/join/

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/476/t/1173/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=761&track=w9home

https://secureusa.greenpeace.org/securedonate3/index.php?from=donatenav

http://www.commondreams.org/donate

http://www.easycartsecure.com/CounterPunch/Donations.html

http://www.actforclimatejustice.org/n30-day-of-action/donate-support-funds/

https://secure.avaaz.org/act/?r=donate〈=en

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1312/t/6849/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=3630

http://gregoryvickrey.com/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=159256783275&ref=ts

http://www.singlepayeraction.org

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org

http://www.seashepherd.org

http:/www.tongassconservation.org

If there are any groups you should be added, please let us know. If there are groups you believe need to be more scrutinized, let us know that as well. Your wishes to add to this organic list to improve it is paramount as a source for change.

(and I will add more direct links later)

Thanks,

Karyn and Gregory

Fourth Quarter Results are in with outstanding results
contact | Gregory Vickrey – gregoryATgregoryvickrey.com or 202.487.1201

On June 18, 2009, GVConsulting ventured into the realm of socially responsible investing, putting together a comprehensive plan to maximize profits while doing positive things for the planet. Through rigorous (and proprietary) mathematical analysis, as well as utilization of input from potential and actual investors, we believe we have created the most proactive investment strategy in the world to date.

For a snapshot, here are our June 18,2009, opening results:
$100 000.00

Further, here are our results as the end of the official Q4:
$179 262.37

In just over 6 months, our Q2 results bear 79% profit- all in green, socially responsible investments. These results take into consideration donations to nonprofits selected by long term investors.

Congratulations to all who have benefited to this point. We look forward to bigger things to come in the new year. Keep an eye out for an end of year report, as well as prospects for the new decade.

Take care,

Gregory

Enjoy our initial list of activities that will drive change in an ever increasing difficult environment to bring about justice and peace and prosperity for all. We will be adding references for these selections soon. Spread the word, friends; 2010 is upon us and time slows for no man or woman.

New year, stronger fronts. Here we begin a list of things to do in 2010 to bring monumental change to the systems that are holding down “we, the people”. Add your ideas. We will compile the one’s slated to have the most impact, and act accordingly. I, and others, can also add resources as we go along.

1. Refuse to pay your income taxes this – and every – year, until systemic change is realized.

2. Remove your money from the big banks that meddle in everything from investment scams to insurance fraud, and re-invest those dollars in community credit unions (nonprofits).

3. Compile a list of nonprofits you have donated to recently. Send that list to us at NAR. Here, we will analyze it, and send you notice back about where your money really goes.

4. If you invest, or consider investing in the new year, speak with Gregory Vickrey.

Greetings Friends,

While I had a productive and enjoyable time in DC thanks to colleagues and proactive friends ready to deal with the messes our country faces, alarm bells continued to ring from every block I walked, and every train I hopped.

First, drinking from a glass half full, I would like to thank my hosts in Columbia Heights who let me ramble on about leftism as well as sleep in their comfortable environs. You all at the Peace House are good people.

Further, it was a joy to be able to interact with Amy Belanger (she is on Facebook but I do not know how to tag her – feel free to search for her among my friends), as we are like-minded souls in search for measurable solutions to the goings on in this world with the express intent to improve the global condition.

Other visits to organizations and with the scattered individual were likewise inspiring.

But let there be no mistake: Washington DC is corporate occupied territory. The machine guns blocking entrances to parking zones next to congressional offices attest to the fear the government (OUR government) has for us “average citizens”. The culture of intimidation permeates nearly every street of import, and acknowledges that this is no longer America the Free.

We have a lot of work to do to bring the power brokers to heel and back in line with where we, the American public, would like to go. Unpopular wars, half-assed attempts at reforming healthcare, a tax code no one can understand except for the corporate attorneys looking for (and finding) loopholes, are just a few of the examples of the outright extortion of the American public one can view visiting with just a small segment of the DC community.

The beltway is corrupt, and that means our country is complicit in this corruptness.

It is time we all pay attention, and take action.

While my one man visit may make an impact for a day or two, we need to coalescence into thousands in DC and millions across the country, regardiess of partisanship, and take our country back from the rich, out-of touch cronies that propagate the White House, the Senate, the Congress, and the administrations that convolute laws and space and time to suit their greatest benefactors – those corporations that hold no vote, and are constitutionally prohibited from exerting any powers.

If we do not do it, who will?

Peace and strength and fortitude be with you in our collective march towards a just world.

One of the more intriguing programs we are creating here at GVC lies within the realm of Socially Responsible Investing, or SRI. The SRI effort was pioneered years ago by colleague Peter Camejo and his company Progressive Asset Management. The tradition continues today as more and more investors become cognizant of the impacts they have simply by moving their moneys around from corporation to corporation.

Some companies abuse the good will and precedent setting of the reputable entities; funds like Green Century purport to be “green” while still sticking your moneys into corporations like General Electric and Exxon – even so, they lose your money on a consistent basis. Take a look at their performance records over the last 10 years and see for yourself.

In short, “greenwashing” in the investment arena should not be any more palatable – especially when generating a consistent loss – than in any other corporate arena.

So we at GVC have constructed a new paradigm, based on strong investment potential, highly transparent screening processes, sound mathematical modeling for potential returns, and peace of mind for the green investor.

In the very near future we will have a dedicated site for this service; in the meantime, feel free to drop a comment to this post or contact us via email or phone for our most up-to-date prospectus, questionnaires, and the like.

This is yet another way GVC, businesses, individual investors, and nonprofits can work together to make the world a better, more balanced environment for all shareholders. And when it comes to mother earth, that is exactly what we are – stakeholders in the greatest asset available to us, our living planet.

One of the things we will be doing in the coming weeks is highlighting some success stories for environmental groups around the country (and eventually the world). From small and worthy groups, to the large bohemoths that love to take corporate money for all the wrong reasons, we will keep you posted on our goings on, as well as theirs. Stay tuned, and either drop a line in the blog, or send an email for questions, comments, and suggestions.

Finally, if you would like to send an article to be posted on our site, please let us know.