Dear “Occupy” Protesters,
I find it just the slightest bit ironic that you are protesting corporate life, and financial inequality by sitting around in tents for extended periods of time. Two months in my own city. Doing just about nothing.
I would really like to understand what your desired outcome is. What would the success of your protests look like? And is it worth forgoing Starbucks for that long? Surely you wouldn’t be buying coffee from such a capitalist establishment as that during a protest for financial justice.
Because as far as I can tell, no one ever obtained much financial stability by roasting marshmallows around the campfire. See, we live in the land of opportunity. Which implies success awaits those who go out and earn it, not those who line up for a handout.
So, I have a solution for you. I am part of your proverbial 99% as well. But, I’m just a bit too busy to take two months off from my career as MOM of for small kids.
So, I’d need you to come to me. Since you are being evicted in my city tonight anyway… Bring your tents over to my house, I’ll make some off brand coffee, and let’s talk.
Now of course we’ll need to multi-task a bit. See, a few of you can make sure the kids don’t ride their bikes too far down the street. It shouldn’t take more than two of you to handle the dishes. Especially since the dishwasher is working. I’ll handle washing the laundry, but a couple of you will have plenty of time to fold. And then there is packing to be done. Because the movers are coming next weekend. Oh and by the way do any of you cook?
Don’t worry we’ll work that out later. And if anyone gets bored they can always walk the block and a half to the Habitat For Humanity project and swing a hammer or two down there.
And then around eight, when all the kids go to bed, we can sit around the campfire and figure out what exactly the end product of this protest may be. And if we get stuck for ideas I can tell you a few stories about living in Africa where the social services are non-existent, and financial inequity comes second to food on the table. Just for the sake of comparison of course.
See ya soon,
Multiplemama
“Because as far as I can tell, no one ever obtained much financial stability by roasting marshmallows around the campfire. ”
Really? You don’t think there have been more financial opportunities for African-Americans since their times of non-violent protest? You don’t think that things got better for the Americans camping on the streets (aka “the homeless”) after Herbert Hoover left office?
Occupy is about bringing to light the inequities that are becoming more and more a permanent part of life as an American. They have something to say, even if you don’t agree with it. It’s their right as Americans to participate in democracy. They are not anti-capitalist, by the way. The are against the corporate take-over of elected officials.
And that is exactly why I wrote this. I honestly have no idea what their objective is. And considering the amount of time they have invested in this demonstration you would think everyone would understand their objective is by now. If they are indeed against the corporate take over of elected officials, then I would most likely be on board with them. But lets get this clear then.
And as for he African Americans (and ALL Americans for that point) that have been met with success in this country. Well, they worked hard for it, and made their objectives clear when they demonstrated. They wanted opportunities and their actions demonstrated exactly what opportunities they wanted.
Ultimately, as tongue and cheek as some of my suggestions may be I do honestly wish I could get clarity on their objectives.
Thanks for your input!
Ha! I don’t really get all of this “occupy” business…at all. What exactly are they accomplishing? Nothing!
I like your take on it…it made me laugh :)
I know you’re a little busy these days so rather than re-write what Naomi Wolf was saying, I’ll quote part of her article here. It’s buried in the middle of the article, so it might not jump out during a skim:
“That is, until I found out what it was that OWS actually wanted.
The mainstream media was declaring continually “OWS has no message”. Frustrated, I simply asked them. I began soliciting online “What is it you want?” answers from Occupy. In the first 15 minutes, I received 100 answers. These were truly eye-opening.
The No 1 agenda item: get the money out of politics. Most often cited was legislation to blunt the effect of the Citizens United ruling, which lets boundless sums enter the campaign process. No 2: reform the banking system to prevent fraud and manipulation, with the most frequent item being to restore the Glass-Steagall Act – the Depression-era law, done away with by President Clinton, that separates investment banks from commercial banks. This law would correct the conditions for the recent crisis, as investment banks could not take risks for profit that create kale derivatives out of thin air, and wipe out the commercial and savings banks.
No 3 was the most clarifying: draft laws against the little-known loophole that currently allows members of Congress to pass legislation affecting Delaware-based corporations in which they themselves are investors.”
It’s pretty clear to me what she reports they are saying. You have to ask yourself why our media is not reporting this and why she is publishing this in a paper not published in the U.S.
And ask the protesters if they actually support these objectives. I think many of them are opportunistic. And don’t REALLY know what they want.
There are real problems with the movement as well as with corruptionin the system. The occupy movement in San Jose targeted the private homes of the mayor and the city manager when they were evicted from city hall. Private homes. With families. Not OK by me.
The brutality of the various police dealing with the protesters isn’t OK either.
And like you, I wonder how these folks can camp out for extended periods of time. It’s different than the marches and the sit ins of the civil rights era. Maybe it’s the 2011 version, but I’m not convinced.
Thank you for sharing your opinion with us, you have that right. I don’t agree with it, but I honestly feel that is the point of discussions right.
From my understanding (and looking at history), it’s really the last leg for fighting for true equality. There is serious economic inequality in the US. Just look at the unemployment rate for African Americans–it’s way too high.
It’s not because of lack of education, because a lot of people who are unemployed have a college degree or graduate degree.
OWS is about breaking down that inequality–finally. We have a generation of kids getting out of college that really have no real economic future other than flipping burgers. Not saying that flipping burgers is a bad job, but it’s a job that most people don’t wan to go to college for.
OWS is about a lot of things, but one thing that I do know about the movement, it’s not about nothing. Marching was done in the 60′s. Sit in were done in the 50s at lunch counters. Its a statement that they are making, and they are making sure it’s non-violent.
The news is not doing their fair share of reporting the real issues, but you really can’t expect them to–look at who owns them.
The OWS efforts and success (small or large) will affect our children’s future. Someone has to stand up and change what’s going on right now, and they are not alone. They have support from all over the world.
Well I for one am happy that you asked the question because the answers you have received have been most enlightening.
honestly, until I read your responses to this post, i hadn’t the foggiest idea what OWS was all about. i guess if i could see my way around the laundry, dishes, children, homeschooling, cleaning, cooking, and
wife-ing i might have had time to research this deeper…
hey you hope all is good!