Matt Bor‘s statement is just terrific and pointed.

I’ve had a few conversation on my travels with people about the Occupy movement. For it to really drive the national agenda and to mold presidential candidates who will not be able to ignore the 99% the cause will need to unite workers, unions, students but most importantly the poverty-stricken.

The poor lose the most in a society where a select few control the majority of wealth.

I suspect poor folk might be more concerned with holding things together in their own neighbourhoods than having the time and incentives to join open-ended demonstrations in the downtown precincts of American cities.

But for a truly important Occupy movement the voices of the most disenfranchised are essential.

I’m left to wonder what the 2.3 million Americans behind bars (who obviously can’t pitch a tent or picket a capitol building) might think of the involvement of the people from their (usually the economically ravaged) communities. In fact I’m wondering what the incarcerated masses think of the Occupy movement generally.*

Despite the figure of incarcerated folk being actually about .7% of all Americans, we should note that 1 in 100 American adults are in prison or jail, and that 7 million American (approx 2% of the total population) are in custody, on parole or under other forms of supervision.

Matt Bor does a great job in confusing our presumptions about ‘freedom of assembly.’

I, for one, would appreciate seeing actual protest signs with this mantra at Occupy gatherings.

Check out Matt Bor’s blog and buy a copy of the cartoon here.

*Anecdotally, many prisoners I’ve worked with as an educator sympathise most with Republican notions of “freedom” and are suspicious of government “meddling”.