Occupy Movement Looks Like Civil Rights Movement – by Dwayne West
Look what’s come from the Civil Rights Movement: community leaders, congressional men and women, celebrated pastors of mega churches, big money lobbyists and multimillion dollar businessmen, not to mention tens of thousands of corporate executives who have gone on to operate some of America’s most prominent companies.
We must salute and honor the occupiers for their diligence and survival skills. People keep asking what are the occupiers going to do when the weather in cities like Chicago, Philly and New York gets blistering cold. Well, I’m sure they’ll deal with that when the time comes and I’m sure these smart intellectual thinkers and planners have already given it great thought and have a plan. They’ve planned these occupy protests with great precision. The question to the critic is, “What’s your plan?”
Forget what they’ll do during the winter months; let’s think about what they’ve done thus far under abusive and treasonous treatment by local government and law enforcers who terrorize innocent young kids and others who’ve joined protesters. These determined folks stood arm in arm while being pepper sprayed, physically removed and jailed, only to stand strong and return after being released from incarceration.
So I’m asking the critics, what would you have done under those circumstances? While you’re sitting in your recliner quenching your critical thirst with beer and stuffing your face with donuts and chips, these fearless people decided to protest the unfair treatment from our government and businesses too big to fail. You should get off that recliner and get down to the Occupy Movement in your city and raise your fist!
These people are not just demonstrating for themselves, they’re out there daily on your and my behalf. That’s why they should be honored for their actions. Many of them are Harvard educated students and gradutes, so if they decided to stop now, I’m sure most of them can probably be in a much better place than most of us sitting around denouncing the protestors and doing nothing. They’ve decided to risk their lives and put their careers on hold, so our children’s children will have a fair and better life.
The Occupy Movement has already made progress. When the banks (two in general, Bank of America and Chase) decided to raise debit card fees, this is what initially ignited the Occupy Wall Street rally. The protesters galvanized tens of thousands of signatures and arranged a ‘move your money day,’ and the banks dropped their intentions to raise rates on your bank card fees. So shut up and give thanks to the protesters for helping millions of people like you, who would have just paid the fees while the banks raked in billions of underserved dollars.
Just like the Civil Rights Movement, which marched for racial equality, poor people and jobs, movements must “move” first, then sustain and be geared towards a valid cause. The Civil Rights Movement, ‘Occupy Wall Street, Main Street and the Hood’ has a cause that will lead to major changes when it’s all said and done. I’m assured of that!
But if you are used to being fed information from the propaganda machine, then you won’t know about the accomplishments of this movement, past protest movements or any future plans for democracy. You’ll just sit on your couch remaining drunk and disoriented, singing the same ole’ sad song – Why Me? Peace and one love.
