Social Commentary: OWS Continues

Few blog entries have elicited more response or created more controversy then the ones I posted concerning the protests under the umbrella of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. Using lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park as its base of operations, OWS grew from a relatively small group protesting corporate greed, particular as it is displayed on Wall St., to an international phenomenon with "franchises" in major cities in this country and around the world. Although mostly non-violent, OWS has met with institutional opposition in virtually every city it has surfaced. Most cities showed limited tolerance and very little patience for the tactics of OWS. Oakland, Ca. was particularly brutal in its crackdown of the OWS protests there. Even New York, which largely supported OWS's First Amendment Rights, lost patience and have recently enforced local ordinances that have made it more difficult for OWS to continue in its present form and location at Zuccotti Park.

However, despite the efforts of all the intuitions in all the cities being challenged by OWS, the movement continues. In fact, even as I write this entry, tens of thousands of people are preparing a National Day of Action to disrupt "business as usual" in cities around the country. At this moment, thousands are gathering near Wall St. in an effort to halt the NYSE and drive their message of ending corporate greed home. Of course, the NYPD is prepared to not allow this to happen. It's bound to be a contentious moment.

This has created even more controversy in what is already a controversial movement. Many (and many of you have posted your thoughts on this on the blog) feel that this is the last straw for OWS and their "ilk" (as one person wrote to me). Some that loosely supported them in the beginning now feel that their message has become disjointed and has lost focus. Since OWS's main objective is to decrease, in not eliminate, the huge income gap that DOES exist in this country, why would they make an effort to stop working people from working? But this misses the point. Unfortunately, IMHO, too many people miss the point Occupy Wall Street truly is trying to make. Some of that lies with how OWS has presented itself and created its message. It is FAR from a perfect organization! However, too much of it lies in the misconception people have created in their minds concerning OWS. To steal from the master of gonzo journalism himself, Hunter S. Thompson, there is entirely too much fear and loathing involved in their thinking. And that frightens me. In fact, it frightens me to the point that I need address some of these "misconceptions" directly.

First, I can't tell you how many entries I received calling the protesters filthy, disgusting, lazy, pigs, and worse than sewer rats. They wrote to me to tell them to stop whining and get a job! Quite frankly, I was shocked to see the level of vehemence many writers levied towards the protesters. It was visceral. It was angry. And it was mostly misguided (yes, Fear and Loathing). One woman wrote calling them disgusting and worse, and actually had the audacity to evoke Gandhi (she misspelled "Ghandi" repeatedly) in the very next sentence! WTF?! Obviously, she never read the GANDHI quote that so aptly sums up these protesters and their movement: You must be the change you want to see in the world.

Because of my position as a TV journalist, I have had the opportunity to not only witness the activities in Zuccotti Park but also inquire more deeply about it on at least a half dozen occasions. I believe it has given me a certain perspective that, if you haven't been there and interacted with the participants, you couldn't have had otherwise. Therefore, I have challenged these people to witness the movement first hand by making a trip to their "home base" of Zuccotti Park. And if you do go, just don't walk around the edge of the park, go in. Meet people. Talk to people. Don't be afraid (there's about a zillion policemen there anyway LOL!)

If you read my posts, you should take notice that I have acknowledged that the movement is certainly "far left of center" and, therefore, has taken on a type of fringe personality. I have also written that ALL movements that are not so-called main stream can attract characters that could not be described as "normal". This is even true of The Tea Party. I've seen their rallies and they have plenty of people who are "not on center" (crazy hats, outfits, slogans, etc.) In a sense, the two parties are the same but different. And I resent people who use epithets to describe the people at OWS. Shame on you for judging your fellow human beings so harshly! Yes, many are down on their luck and look it. Many are disenfranchised and look it. Many are homeless and look it. But I've also seen people of ALL ages, ethnicities, and economic and educational levels participating. Many were downright attractive! And that's why they, and TENS OF THOUSANDS of others who are JUST LIKE YOU AND I, are part of this movement. They are making an effort to raise awareness to the inequities that are tearing this country apart. They are pushing back and the status-quo doesn't like it one bit. And why would they? It can hide under many guises but, ultimately, it's just greed. You want what I have but you can't have it. This must change. The playing field must be leveled. OWS has been the spark.

Like myself, many of you have worked hard to attain what ever status in the world you now occupy. I like to think of myself as a self-made man. I also like to think that no one ever GAVE me ANYTHING. I have never been on public assistance and hope never to have need of it. But at the same time, I have to acknowledge the advantages that our society has offered me: I am a white male. However, I know MANY who have had the need for public assistance - many who just needed a hand up to get on their feet again and back on the path to self sufficiency. THIS is what OWS is all about: close the gap and create a truly Great Society where there is justice and OPPORTUNITY for all. And for this they are called filthy, disgusting, lazy, slovenly, dirty, stupid, and worse? WTF?!

Recently, NYC made a decisive move to clear Zuccotti Park for cleaning. Protesters would be allowed to return but without anything that would allow them to continue sleeping in the park. Sleeping there would no longer be tolerated. The protesters protested but lost their challenge and the ban would stay. This, combined with the onset of colder weather, led many to believe that this would be the ultimate end of Occupy Wall St. From my recent observation at the park, it has certainly thinned the crowds, particular late in the evening. However, as evidenced by today's massive demonstrations, it has far from killed the movement. In fact, I believe that it will be, in the long run, a very positive change. It forced OWS to re-think and re-focus its mission and goals. It had become too sedentary, too "locked in " to the park. It needed to be more "fluid", more proactive. In a sense, it was a wake up call to get off their asses playing drums and smoking pot and get on their feet and start marching again, calling attention to the true cause of ending the very real, and very stark, inequities that are plaguing this country. OWS should be the first to acknowledge that change. REAL change is good, even for them. Based on today's action, I think they're getting it.

In the final analysis, unless you own or run a multi-million dollar corporation, these people are more on your side then you nay sayers will ever know. Now, if I could just get you to come along . . . there really is nothing to FEAR or LOATHE.