Do we need any more proof that the Occupy Wall Street group (if they can truly be called that) is little more than a se3lf-indulgent rabble? The attitude recently displayed in New York shows their true colors as nothing before had done.
The crowd essentially demanded that it be allowed to occupy a piece of private property, a vacant lot owned by Trinity Episcopal Church, as a new place to, well, occupy. The authorities and the Church leaders rightly rejected it. The Church did it more out of an odd kind of respect, saying that there spot wasn't good as there were not sufficient facilities available to a bunch of people. The police saw it as trespassing and acted that way.
The Occupiers are clearly not interested in anything other than themselves. Taking over private property without the consent of the owners cannot be viewed as a legitimate form of protest but, rather, as a desperate attempt to get back in the limelight. Such actions do not help the poor, the repressed, or the 99% they arrogantly claim to represent. But it does give them just a little more screen, print, and Internet time.
So be it. As long as they pay the fine on their out of jail. We're sure that cash strapped municipalities can use the shot in the arm.
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Re Occupy & Trinity Church: You don’t need to be Christian, or even religious, to understand -and embrace- the idea behins these ancient words: "Whatsoever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." But many of the 1%, in blind greed and endless schemes, have forgotten this. They have closed their eyes to what the word "society" should really mean, and what it can mean. But due to Occupy Wall Street, we are finally talking less about CUTS and more about BLEEDING. Instead of demanding m-o-r-e budget cuts -to be borne by the middle class and poor- we are FINALLY focusing on the shameful bleeding that the poor and middle class has endured, for all too long. Instead of talking about even m-o-r-e cuts in the taxes of millionaires....we are now talking about fairness and justice - about an economy and a political system that is increasingly run for the rich, and by the rich. Instead of talking about LESS government, we are talking about a government that WORKS FOR ALL OF US, not just a favored few. Thank you OWS, for reminding us that people -ordinary working people- really DO matter, and for helping open our eyes to what’s going on in this country, and why. The attempt by OWS to occupy Duarte Square (the empty lot owned by Trinity Church) is much more than a plea for sanctuary. For like Zuccotti Park, it’s an attempt to carve out a protected space, a living conscience for the city, amid the repression. A refuge...in a city where control-freaks would sweep us under the rug, and out of the way. In a city where they would pen us in, and try to permit us to death. In a city that tells us to “move on, move on”..... you don’t belong, you don’t count, you don’t have a right to be here...don’t assemble, don’t block the street, don’t trespass, don’t EXIST! They would deny us, deny our lives, deny our very futures. IF WE LET THEM. But OWS responds, both in word and in DEED: it says we’ve had ENOUGH - we BELONG, we STAND our ground, and we DO matter! This IS our land, and we want it BACK! The word OCCUPY...says it all! That’s why OWS has captured our imagination. That’s why a living breathing OCCUPIED public space is important for OWS. Like Lady Liberty’s never extinguished torch that burns in our harbor, OWS needs to have a concrete, persistent, in-your-face presence.. ..to continually remind us of what we’ve lost, of what we are, and what we can be; a protected place to affirm, illuminate, defy...and inspire. Trinity Church, with its oft-proclaimed ideals (and its huge land holdings), should look deep into its collective soul, do the right thing, and help OWS secure a sanctuary. Not merely a space of refuge, but an enclave of hope, of non-violent change, and compassion. And dare I say: a space of love - love of country, love of your fellow man and woman, love for the poor and oppressed. Can thoughtful Christians argue with these simple Christian / these simple HUMAN values? For if Christ were physically with us today, as He was 2000 years ago, He would be among the FIRST to climb those fences, and occupy Trinity’s Duarte Square. Of this I am certain. Let us hope and pray and plea...that Trinity Church -and others- hear the call, and respond. For the old ways are not working. Find a quiet place somewhere, and consider this: Each of us has only one brief life....one chance....one roll of the dice....and many choices. The time has come to choose....to risk...and to act. If not now...then when? If not you, then....who? You DO have the power my friend....and the choice IS yours. Don’t let your hopes and dreams die: LIVE YOUR IDEALS!
Stanchaz: I appreciate that you took the time to post. But, with all due respect, almost all of what you say is hyperbole. All this ranting against the rich...yet no mention of all the philanthropic endeavors of the wealthy. In Detroit alone, we have many things named after those wealthy patrons who donated much of their time and money to doing good works for the poor and middle class. The names Ford, Karmanos, Taubman, Ilitch, and many more grace our city because of the deep generosity of those families. This is true in all major cities of our nation, and I wouldn't be surprised one bit if it were true of most of the cities of the world.
While I also do not doubt that there are selfish rich people (just as there are selfish folks of every stripe) it seems that a great many of them, at least, do use what they have for the betterment of the greater society. To dismiss them all as evil, as the Occupy adherents appear to do, reeks of something worse than whatever evils it is the rich supposedly do. It reeks of jealousy, whose stench is in many ways more foul than the presumed arrogance and greed of the rich.
We are reminded too of a comment we overheard from a plumbing contractor: 'I ain't never been hired by a poor man.' We need people of accumulated wealth, capital, who are able to give working men and women gainful employment through investment and philanthropy.
Besides, if we went all out into a command economy, which is exactly what we would have should the government steal (yes, steal) the money from the rich, well, we've seen how that works out. We've seen Soviet five year plans stretched to seven in the hopes of achieving certain goals. We've seen people lined up for hours on the mere rumor of bread or shoes coming to the local store. How does that help the poor?
We haven't even gotten to your 99% yet. Why do you think they all support Occupy? We don't; most of our friends don't, and none of us are wealthy. Quite frankly, what the Occupy Movement is most guilty of is hubris. That, dear friend, is about as selfish as you can get.
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