What started only two months ago, the Occupy Wall Street protest has quickly found roots all over the country and all over the world. Launched in New York City on September 17, 2011 following a media campaign by the Canadian, anti-capitalist organization Adbusters, the movement continues to grow every day. No one knows how long people will keep sleeping in mummy bags and tents in lower Manhatten or the Oakland bay, but for now, Occupy Wall Street is here to stay.
Occupy Wall Street represents a change in American culture, it is a loud statement that people are tired of the corporate, elite class bias that has come to dominant today’s economic situation. Protesters, government officials and the general public- whether affected or not- continue to wait and see how long this is going to go.
Some hope that with the coming of winter, people will pack up and go, and the cries of the 99 percent will be muted by the fall of fresh snow. Some want the group to come out with a clear, concise list of demands while others rebuke this as disloyal to the essence of the protest. In any movement of this magnitude, there will be divisions and disagreements, but what will be most interesting to see as time goes on, are two things.
First, whether its in the from of a list of demands, or a draft of a constitution, the movement must clarify their purpose and present distinct goals in order to unify the millions of supporters in a common goal.
Secondly, the most important question to ask right now is, will the movement stay predominantly nonviolent? There has already been numerous accounts of vandalism, destruction of public property and the unneeded disturbance of the innocent population. As the protest heightens in intensity, will the people maintain a careful awareness of who they are fighting? Because a movement as large and scrutinized as Occupy Wall Street, will be judged on their weakest elements.
The 99 percent are not fighting the local business man going to work at Standard & Poor’s in order to provide food for his family. They are not fighting the women who owns her own cupcake shop on Liberty st. or the guy who parks his Beamer where you were going to park your bicycle.
That’s not what Occupy Wall Street is about. What Occupy is about is protesting the failed policies of the government, and working to hold accountable the greedy CEO’s and Wall Street gurus who are responsible for the destruction of the middle and low income populations. It is the recognition that we have been silent far too long. Our generation mirrors the same characteristics that saw the changes brought on by the Civil Rights movement and protests of Vietnam.
The world has moved into an era that is seeing a global shift towards embracing democracy, an unparalleled connection of communication from globalization, and an unprecedented amount wealth. But as the gap between the rich and the poor widens, as the numbers of impoverished and disenfranchised minorities grow, movements like Occupy Wall Street will begin to sprout worldwide. In the first decade of the twenty first century, we have witnessed two global recessions, the longest war in American history, the Arab spring, and now this sweeping movement of the 99 percent.
Occupy Wall Street epitomizes the growing disillusionment of the American population, and though we have yet to see if anything substantial will come from it, we are beginning to see the first glimmers of a future shaped by a majority in action. The future is unpredictable, but the power of the people is not.
Daniel Martin
Writing For Media
608 Words
7 November 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment