October 18, 2011
Editor’s Note: Carole Townsend, a correspondent for the Daily Post, is writing a blog called “Food for Thought.”
Have you been watching the news, with all this fuss about young unemployed, disgruntled Americans protesting corporate greed and injustice? What do you think about it? I think it looks like a lot of fun, like a giant outdoor sleepover in big cities. I’m not really sure of its purpose, though.
I get that people are fed up. We own a home that’s worth about $80,000 less than we paid for it 12 years ago. We own a small business and can’t afford to hire more employees (that we need) because the taxes and insurance are so burdensome. Banks have carte blanche to stick it to whomever necessary in order to maintain their fat profits. I get it, believe me.
The goal(s) of the Occupy (Street Name) movement seem terribly unclear to me. I heard a young woman being interviewed this morning, and when she was asked what the Occupy Atlanta agenda is, she answered, “To right the injustices.” I’d love to see her resume.
It excites me to see people activate and move when something matters. What I hate to see is a bunch of unemployed people rise to the occasion by spouting empty catch phrases and not washing their clothes or hair. The 60s were a bad experiment. We need to remember that.
I read somewhere this morning in my daily perusal of newspapers that the Occupiers are demanding a $20.00 per hour living wage? Across-the-board debt forgiveness for all? Why didn’t we think of that? I’ll tell you what I’d like to see:
I’d like to see banks be reasonable with people who have made their payments on time, every month, for years but who are caught with devalued property because of irresponsible lending practices. Frankly, I think responsible homeowners are getting the short end of the stick.
I’d like to see people who say they want to work, be willing to take a job that pays less than $20 per hour. We were never promised all we need, whenever we need it. In fact we were promised nothing, but I will always believe that people are happier working for minimum wage than sitting at home drawing endless unemployment. At least I believe we are wired that way.
And lastly, entitlement is the downfall of any economy, any society. No one owes us anything. Just because you were raised being praised for coloring inside the lines and being handed a trophy so you wouldn’t feel left out, doesn’t mean that’s the way the world works. It’s tough, and the resourceful survive.
Change is necessary. How best to go about achieving it remains to be seen.
Do you understand the Occupy Wall Street movement? Help us out.
Comments
SomeLady 1 year, 7 months ago
All one needs to do is watch the live feeds, news, check out the photos, etc. to realize that it's not just and unruly bunch of "unwashed young people" participating in this movement. U.S. Veterans, regular middle class folks, and older Americans are all well represented in the crowds. Yes, there are some "young dirty hippy-looking" types as well, but it's certainly inaccurate to paint the tens of thousands of participants across the country (and world) with that brush. So let's start by acknowledging that this is in fact a movement by ordinary Americans, our neighbors and friends, and stop referring to them using derogatory terms. Let's be decent human beings treating our fellow human beings with respect. We're all in this together.
The biggest complaint of the Occupiers is the power that the big banks that got bailed out with our money (as well as big pharma and big oil) hold over our representatives. Legislation continues to benefit the profits of these companies, while in turn these companies raise our fees, pollute our environment, send jobs overseas and basically do whatever they please with impunity. They turn the screws on hard-working people just trying to make ends meet, in an economy that they played a big part in screwing up. Banks that are "too big to fail" have too much power in our government, have gambled irresponsibly with our money, ruined our economy, and we need to do something about it. The Occupiers would like to see some accountability, which certainly we can all agree on. A good start would be to reinstate Glass-Steagall, and find a way to prevent banks from ever becoming "too big to fail."
Try listening to the larger message. Try checking out a variety of news sources and viewpoints before making a judgment. Just like there were "fringe elements" at the Tea Party rallies holding Obama-Hitler signs, there are going to be some "fringe elements" at the Occupy movement asking for their student loan debt to magically disappear. That's not representative of either movement, and not a very fair example to base an opinion on. My crazy hope is that the Tea Party and the Occupiers will find some common ground and work together - We definitely all have a common goal - where everyone has a chance at the American Dream through hard work.
suedehead 1 year, 7 months ago
SomeLady is right on target!
jack 1 year, 7 months ago
I would prefer to see their ire focused on the real culprits in Washington, DC.
SomeLady 1 year, 7 months ago
Thank you, suedehead. I appreciate it!
Jack, that concept is not lost on them, which is why they are asking for reform. The frequent "battle cry" of "Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!" is a complaint against government policy. The two specific changes I see them asking for are to reinstate Glass-Steagal, and to overturn "corporate personhood" so that corporations don't effectively "own" our representatives' votes. The Occupiers are asking for more transparency, and less influence of the wealthy on our lawmakers. Capitalism works great when businesses act ethically, but some have not done so. Some in our government (both sides of the aisle) are guilty as well. There are lots of things that need improvement, which is why the message might get muddled for some. But the core of the movement is promoting accountability and ethical behavior, which I believe we can all agree on.
raah 1 year, 7 months ago
So the government gives unasked for bailouts, imposes restrictions on banks to help major retailers bottom lines, taxes corporations until they move overseas, and the occupations folks aren't protesting on the national mall. What's up with that? Let's help the protesters numbers increase by encouraging the homeless to move into the parks...
SomeLady 1 year, 7 months ago
Alright, check this out (hopefully I'm doing this right, I've not posted a link on here before). It should clear up some misunderstandings about the people at Occupy Wall Street:
link text
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