why i occupy

i occupy because i finished my master's degree almost 6 months ago and have yet to find work. 6 months is looking less and less like a long time. part of this is locational--i am assured that there are entry-level positions in my field in other places, but i've already relocated once and i can't do it again. most of my education was paid for by scholarships and grants, but i'm still thousands of dollars in debt. i know i'm not the only person from my class to face difficulty finding a job, and i know countless college graduates who can't find work and believe the only option is to put themselves further in debt to earn yet another degree.

i occupy because my partner is a transgender veteran who has no protections for job security, when he's lucky enough to be employed. he is fortunate to have healthcare through the VA. (at the moment, i only have health insurance because of the much-maligned "obamacare" bill that allows me to use my father's insurance for another 2 years.) the courts just decided that prisoners are entitled to more government-funded trans-related care than he is. he is part of a group of dedicated, patriotic americans who fought wars they didn't believe in and sacrificed their lives, their limbs, and their mental health for a fictional idea of our safety and security, who returned to the states to find no jobs and no support from the very people they set out to protect.

i occupy because my neighbors are homeless, unemployed, underemployed, and hardworking. they and their children are hungry, cold, and often untreated when they are sick. i occupy because i want to work with passionate, qualified teachers who are paid for enough time and energy to teach my eventual children about history, art, and music. i occupy because when one 40-hour work week is not enough, it doesn't make an 80-hour work week healthy. i occupy because the American Dream has turned into a nightmare, and the people who made it that way refuse to wake up.