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The people of Berkeley will never be denied their historic post office!

7/30/2014

Hundreds of people gathered on the steps of Berkeley's historic Main Post Office to hear Ralph Nader speak about the fate of the United States Postal Service, privatization and the importance of our public commons.

Read Ralph Nader's letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein here.

Some quotes from Ralph Nader's speech on the Berkeley Post Office steps

"Those of us back east, we look to Berkeley for leadership"

"USPS is a creditor to Uncle Sam"

"...an exaggerated crisis built in with Trojan horses in order to fulfill a number of purposes: 1) to deliver more business to the parasite private corporations; 2) to deliver real estate to the developers and their brokers"

"You’ve got to show them that it’s building momentum. In the process you’re educating your children and grandchildren into why this postal service is so important."

"Bring the children down to 32,000 post offices and teach them how to write thank you letters and thank you notes."

"The thing you want to do on all issues for justice is tell people it’s easier than we think…historically every social justice movement started and ended with less than 1% of the people being really active…and I don’t mean 50 hours a week. Really active means up to 200-300 hours a year, that’s all…"

"Stop exaggerating the opposition. They’re bullies and like any bullies you know what brings them down, right? Citizen courage, showing up…"
"There are 32 million people in this country today who are unbanked. Up until 1968 there was the U.S. Postal Savings, part of the post office. That was terminated by the banking lobby 1968. Now we are seeing a growing momentum to bring it back."

"Showing up is half of democracy. So they’re counting heads… and they count increasing heads. As Abraham Lincoln put it, 'With the public sentiment, you can achieve anything.' "

"So let’s get more organized than you already are, and you’re more organized than any other group I’ve read about in this country to save the Post Office, but don’t let it go to your head…and you know how to multiply."

"This building shall never be denied the people of Berkeley…this building represents the binding together of the American people for over 250 years. This building shall never be denied the spirit and foresight of Benjamin Franklin.

" We can focus what you’re doing in a close way in Washington where it counts. You are our strength…without you, we cannot focus. (an analogy of a magnifying glass focusing the sun’s rays followed). You are the sun’s rays."

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Ralph Nader Will Speak at the Berkeley Post Office

7/29/2014

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Ralph Nader will speak on the front steps of the Berkeley Main Post Office, 2000 Allston Way, on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 2:30 p.m. about the fate of the United States Postal Service, privatization and the importance of our public commons.

Mr. Nader has been an advocate on behalf of keeping the USPS under public control and has helped expose the misinformation that has been proliferating about the postal service’s financial situation. Nader argues that it is in the public’s interest to join the struggle against the corporate state that would ultimately destroy the rights of the American People.

Local groups Save the Berkeley Post Office, Berkeley Post Office Defenders and the National Post Office Collaborate have continuously resisted the actions of the USPS over the past two years and warned that selling off Post Office buildings is the first step to privatization and loss of our public commons.

Click to read Ralph Nader's letter to Congressman Darrell Issa, chair of the House committee that oversees the USPS.

Music from 2:00 p.m. Talk at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, 2014.

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