All over the news we have been hearing endless stories of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement. As students, many of us may be asking ourselves what this all means. For the past two months, there have been a series of demonstrations in New York City in the Wall Street financial district. Interestingly enough, these protests were started by a Canadian activist group called Adbusters. The main focus of these protests revolves around social and economic inequality as well as corrupt greed, power, and influence over government.
A movement that began on September 17th in Zucotti Park has prompted similar organized protests, not only throughout the country, but also around the world. The protests have been especially active in the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston, where people began to voice their opinions as well. This has since spread to countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas where crowds of thousands came together to demand change.
The events of occupy Wall Street have had, and are still causing, great debate within political parties and the global masses. Protesters believe that Wall Street has corrupted Republicans and Democrats, but it is clear that they are strategically keeping options open than completely disregarding the government’s availability. Todd Gitlin, a professor at Columbia University and leader of students for a Democratic Society in the early 1960s, said that the refusal to totally opt-out of electoral politics tells us a lot about the character of the movement.
So, is this grand movement for the 99% (the people who do not make up the 1 percent of wealthy persons who wrongly influence important aspects of life) really just a movement of hypocrisy? The fact that the Occupy Wall Street website offers a donate button seems to completely go against their strong idea of power without the influence of money. Although the ethics being lobbied are rooted in ideas of substance and truthful reality, the execution being carried out as the protests continue does not reflect this.
It is important that we look at this progress with open eyes, and establish a position before the original Occupy Wall Street stance becomes further convoluted. The right to protest publicly is what makes America the land of freedom, and as future generations explore the systems of life, both financial and political, it is important that individual thoughts are formed and vocalized. We should look at the continuing events of Occupy Wall Street critically, and learn from them to evolve our own sometimes-hypocritical thought process.