The Occupy Movement
Image by SEIU International via FlickrSeveral years ago, when the economy began its spiral downward, I predicted that there would come a tipping point when the middle class would rise up and revolt. The past few weeks have fulfilled that prediction as a small group of protesters staged an occupation on Wall Street. Today, the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement has inspired protests across the country and around the world.
Why are these protests spreading like wildfire? Mainly, it is because 99% of the world is fed up with the 1% who are making huge sums of money, yet not paying their fair share. Here in the states, we have a Congress made up of a huge percentage of the 1%. In fact, there seems to be more millionaires in Congress now, than ever in history.
Unfortunately, the 1% has forgotten that history repeats itself. They really need to take a crash course in American and World history...especially focusing on the happenings during the 1700's. The United States had its birth when 99% of its population in the 1700's said, "Enough is enough. No taxation without representation!"
Today, the cry may well be the same, because there are few in Congress that have the slightest idea of how to budget each week to pay the bills AND buy groceries, put clothes on a growing families back and provide for emergencies. I doubt there are many who have ever had to make one can of soup feed five people or who knows how to find a complete outfit for a toddler or teen on just ten dollars.
Don't get me wrong, I know there are some in the 1% who realize that with privilege, comes responsibility. These folks give of their time and money to help others. From the beginning, they have supported the rest of us. But, there are still too many in the 1% that essentially believe we all should just "eat cake."
One of my blogging buddies posted on her blog about a local figure in Canada that mouthed off on a small business owner, who is giving profits to help build wells in Africa, then had the audacity to offer the owner an investment deal! Learn more at Karyn Climans.
While I am not attending any of the OWS protests, I am standing strong with the 99%. I know the struggle first hand. I work at four different jobs trying to keep my head above water. I have seen friends struggle to keep their homes, feed their children and live the dream. (You can join the Virtual March at http://civic.moveon.org/occupy/other99/)
Enough is Enough...We need jobs that pay good wages and provide benefits. We need leaders who understand that the 99% are not going away, who will support us, not their own wallets and bank accounts. We need to take care of the underprivileged, the elderly and the sick, not just push them off into a corner, but really care for them. We need to be the change we have been looking for, because we ARE that change.
The time has come...the time is now. God bless us all!
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