The occupy demonstrations are starting up all over the country. It's all over the news media. Today on local TV, there was news coverage of the fledgling movement in LA. It made me laugh to see that the protesters here are wearing shorts and lying around on the lawn of City Hall.
The LA protesters have brought with them their sleeping bags, generators, computers and all their wireless devices. Apparently there was a faction who wanted to do something to annoy the police, but they were overruled by the majority. I'm not sure what this is all about or if it will accomplish anything. Lots of disparate voices. Lots of Agendas.
But, I can't help but wonder if the demonstrations are simply diversions to move our minds away from actually dealing with the problems we face. The problems seem so big, but I think we could move forward by passing President Obama's "jobs bill" and getting people to work. It also seems to me that we had better get busy instead of fighting one another, and work toward getting more support for our President in Congress.
Yeah, I too worry about the powerful multinational corporations, and the fact that these organizations have been declared by our Supreme Court to be persons with the same rights as the individual. I worry too that these entities can donate as much as they want to any candidate or group without disclosure. I don't think that the 99 per cent of us want less regulation of the very industries that got us into this mess.
There are so many problems. So much to do. So few ideas about how to move ahead. I'm not sure if it isn't already too late to do anything about all of it.
Yet all of this Occupying makes me uneasy. it all seems somewhat disquieting to me. So many people with so many different grievances, and no clear unifying idea about exactly what they want. And some the the publicity for the events by the bloggers at Anonymous just seem downright SCARY. People in masks always make me afraid.
I'm generally OK with demonstrating on the streets as long as I can understand the purpose and the goal. I've participated in a few myself. But. I don't understand this movement, or exactly what they think they might achieve. I know people are hurting and people are afraid. Maybe the Occupy People just want to bring attention to the plight of so many who are unemployed, underemployed, loosing their homes and have no medical insurance. Maybe that's it, but there are always those who have darker ideas.
Years ago, I met some people at a neighborhood party who I would describe as "Gun-Toting-Right-Wing-Wingnuts". These people frightened me with their talk about being prepared for an upcoming Revolution and Civil War. They were afraid of a one world government. They were afraid of "Liberal" ideas and multiculturalism. They were sure we would have a Race War and that we would all have to choose sides. I said I couldn't do that, but I got the idea that they simply thought that people like me and mine would simply be swept aside in the coming tide.
Try as I can to meditate on peace, there is so much noise out there. Maybe someone can explain all of this to me so that I can better understand. I'd be grateful for that.
Posted by Judi at October 3, 2011 5:18 PM | TrackBack