Occupy Baltimore, Troy Alexander; the duty of artists and intellectuals

I went to Occupy Baltimore during the day, and was disappointed to find very few people occupying, and of those few, many homeless folks. Baltimore is a very poverty-stricken city, so I wasn't surprised by their presence, but by the scarcity of intellectuals and common people. Its a very different scene from Wall Street, where college professors, anarchists, musicians, labor union workers and common people of all ages are mingling at all hours. I have yet to be there for the GA which happens nightly, so I hope to attend later and see how the space changes when the community fills it. I did meet some smart and kind people down there, including Troy Alexander, who has this important message:

Remember, the state is the people. That means the state is an institution for the people. No one single person is above the state. When the state becomes a means to enslave and work against the common interest, against the common person, action must be taken. It is the duty of the artists and the intellectuals of this state to express and put into words and action the protest of the common person. If we fail to do this then we, as an entity of the state, keep the power in the hands of the few. We must live up to the obligations and expectations of what god created us for; to be the voice of the people. It is not our right, but our duty, to serve people against the corrupt institutions of wealth and extremism. We are the shepard; the corrupt are the wolves. 

-Troy Alexander