Everything the Media Told You About Occupy Wall Street Is Wrong

A few weeks ago I saw many FBers repost this article from Keith Boykin of CNBC. He started the article – “After 10 days out of town, I finally made it to Occupy Wall Street on Tuesday and had a chance to see for myself what's going on. My conclusion: almost everything the media told me about the protest is wrong.” I agree. However as someone who has been there every day usually twice a day for over a month, I think he is the media as well. Since I work directly across the street form Zuccotti Park and was used to buying my coffee from a coffee stand in the park or enjoying a bit of nature amidst the lower Manhattan skyscrapers I have a different view. I have walked through the park every work day morning and night since Day 1. I have spoken to some of the OWSers. Below is my response to the 10 myths of OWS.

Myth #1. The Movement Is Violent.

First we have to realize that there are more than 1 OWS group. The original or core group and the various groups that have been attracted to the media attention. The core group that was there day 1 before the media attention and world wide explosion are non-violent. If you pay attention week day mornings and mid day are basically the core group. Evenings and weekend attract a much wider range of protestors. There are those who protest “for a cause” and those who protest “just because.” The clashes with police have for the most part occurred in the evening and weekends. So while the OWS movement is non-violent unfortunalty they have not done a good job of policing the groups that they stand shoulder to shoulder with.

Myth #2. It's Just A Bunch Of Pampered Kids.

Again it depends on if you are talking about the original group or the group as currently constructed. Yes the original group was for the most part college students. In fact one of my first thoughts after reading some of their signs was “if this is the best our colleges have to offer the USA has bigger issues than Wall Street.” This is not to say I don’t agree with some their message, it’s just that it was usually technically incorrect. They have a good point but were misguided in their presentation. Over time they were joined by a wide range of protestors from 1960’s hippies who have found their youth to groups protesting anti-Semitism to capital punishment to a man wearing a sign that said fart smellers unite. Again while swelling in sheer numbers may look impressive it has done little for their original message.

Myth #3. There Are No Black People Involved.

Truth is for whatever reason it is probably 98% white.

Myth #4. They're Anti-American.

ANYTHING BUT!!!! The truth is this is America! We were founded by people protesting high taxes, religious persecution and an out of control government rulers who led without thought to the common man. Sound familiar? The represent all of us. Again their message may not always be on point but Americans have defended their right to protest often with their lives. The only objection I would have is that I have seen some flying the flag upside down. Usually a sign of extreme distress or danger in this case it is just disrespectful. And believe what they may they are in that park over a month because they are in the USA. Most counties would not allow it. Respect the flag in memory of those that died to give you this right.

Myth #5. They're Just Modern-Day Hippies.

Of course they are! So where is the problem with that? The original Hippies ended a war.

Myth #6. They Don't Know What They Want.

They do know what they want. The problem is WE don’t know what they want. Because they have attracted so many groups with mixed messages the original message has been lost in the shuffle. But even if you go back to the original OWS group their message was important but misguided. They protest against Capitalism and “Too Big To Fail.” But Capitalism is not too big to fail. Capitalism is starting with 1 small burger joint and becoming McDonalds like Ray Kroc. Capitalism is taking an idea and becoming Micorsoft or Apple. Capitalism is you take the risk if you win you enjoy the rewards, you lose and you spend the rest of your life paying for it. Capitalism allows for anyone to build their own business big or small. Socialism, Communism etc. do not. Too Big to Fail is Politicalism. Too Big to Fail is politicitians returning polical favors. Too Big to Fail is the polititians saying Too Big to Fail on “MY WATCH!” Capitlism is what built this country. More in future blogs.

Myth #7. The Labor Unions Are Behind This.

Not originaly but they are involved now. So whats the problem? Better Labor Unions who at least pretend to represent the people than Suan Sarandon, Russell Simmons and other celebreties who show up for the publicity, claim to be one of the common man than drive away in their $300,000 car or fly first class for a week in a Five Star hotel or rip off the common man with their prepaid cards, excessive movie  or CD costs etc.   

Myth #8. They're Pro-Obama. They're Anti-Obama.

Yes they are. I originally thought they were Pro-Obama. But now I think what they have to say can hurt Obama more than help him. Either way they speak their mind without political slant.

Myth #9. They're In the Wrong Place.

Yes they are in the wrong place. First off “What is Zuccotti Park?” I always thought it was Liberty Park. Anyway Zuccotti Park is not Wall Street and Wall Street is not The Enemy. Most of the “Wall Street” they are thinking of are no longer there. Try Mid-town or Jersey City. Wall Street as a symbol is also misplaced these days thanks to a Global Economy. The most on point sign I have seen at Zuccotti Park is “Bring back Glass-Steagal.” Again I will go more into that in a future blog but this is the point. Don’t blame big business (in this case insurance companies, banks and investment firms) for playing with the rules Washington gave them. We all do the same with every deduction on our income taxes, every senior discount and in fact by occupying Zuccotti Park and not trying to “Occupy Wall Street” you are also playing within the rules politicians have given you. Your target is not Wall Street but Capitol Hill, the White House, and every City Hall and Capital City across this country. They have bankrupted our country and our cities and states with their pork barrel politics. They have allowed businesses to take jobs overseas and put Americans on the unemployment lines. And they are the ones who are directing our attention to big business to hide their own roles in this mess.

Myth #10. They're Taking Over Wall Street.

I have spent a great deal of my life since 1975 in the area. I have been to and worked on Wall Street, I have been to and used Liberty Park (Zuccotti Park) many times and I can tell you they have not taken over Wall Street. But they have taken over Zuccotti Park. And although I stand behind their right to protest and even agree with some of their message what they have done to the park is a shame. It may have been clean on the day Keith Boykin visited but that was only because of an act of desperation clean up before being evicted the week before. I could always make my way across the park to buy my coffee from the same coffee truck until the past few weeks. I could always enjoy a nice weather day amid the trees and benches and local families enjoying the park. Until the last few weeks. Now the volume of tents, sleeping bags, people and have made it impossible. The people who live and work in the area who originally embraced the OWS movement are starting to feel like they are the house guest that never goes home. The local businesses are being hurt. Even McDonalds has started closing their bathrooms to non-customers. If their goal is to upset big business and government they have missed the mark. They are affecting the people who live and work and small businesses in the area.

At what price freedom?

Freedom of speech gives us the freedom to state our opinions however right or left of center, however inflammatory and however extreme it may be. But with this freedom comes responsibility. With this freedom comes the responsibility of being correct and not just spouting off for the sake of hearing our own voices. With this freedom comes the responsibility of knowing on whose ears our words may fall and what effect they may have.

In light of yesterday’s shooting of the congresswoman and others in Arizona comes the fact that the shooter may actually be a mentally or emotionally unstable individual who is anti-immigration, anti-government and anti-Zionist. All of which is certainly within his right to be regardless of whether or not the majority agree, but it seems that these fires were fueled by certain websites. Again it is well within their right to publish on their website their views but where does the responsibility lie to realize that there are people out there that may read these words as a call to action rather than a healthy debate.

I am in no way singling out this particular website. Because this is also common practice with mainstream newspapers, networks and even politicians themselves. To what length do we need to go for ratings? How extreme must we be just to be heard? Whether you are berating Sarah Palin or Pres. Obama are the only boundaries we know when we have driven some poor soul to an action that we all will regret.

History is littered with the names of those who took action and took lives driven to an extreme by rhetoric. Mark David Chapman, John Wilkes Booth, Sirhan Sirhan, James Earl Ray and on and on. We can weave all the conspiracy theories we want but anyone must admit that at least a few of these were unstable individuals driven to action based on rhetoric. With whom lies the responsibility to correct this situation?

That responsibility lies with those of us stable enough to listen and still know right from wrong. Most of us can follow stories of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, develop an opinion to hate him, but never actually attempt to kill him. But there are those who will read a negative article about Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ views on immigration and actually be driven to action. But it is those of us who know right from wrong but crave this extreme rhetoric and in fact spread it ourselves through facebook and blogs such as this one that have created this environment where CNN, FOX, our elected representatives and others go out of their way to give us what we want. Do you think this is what the founding fathers had in mind when they drafted the Constitution? And by the way New York Congressman Gerald Nadler it is a sacred document. One which you were elected to uphold so I would choose my words a little more carefully.

Every time we watch a network news show because they are extreme we feed into this behavior. Every time we visit an inflammatory website we feed into this behavior. Yesterdays; senseless killing of a federal Judge who was in the wrong place at the wrong time or an innocent 9 year old girl who was eager to learn how government works is on our hands, it’s on our hands because we have driven society to this extreme. Extreme sports, extreme fighting and now we crave extreme news. We as a society are like a ravenous animal whose thirst can only be satisfied when we have been driven to the precipice.

Is yesterdays event any different than a Palestinian bomber in Israel, an Al-Queda militant bombing a market in the Middle East? I was raised to believe this country was better than that. I saw my father cry on 9/11 because he and his brothers fought in wars to prevent something like that. I can’t help but wonder what he would have said yesterday if he were alive.

Yesterday was a national disgrace and we as a nation must prevent it in the future.

Our Idols

The text book definition of idol is as follows:

1.    an image of a god, used as an object or instrument of worship

2.    in monotheistic belief, any heathen deity

3.    any object of ardent or excessive devotion or admiration

4.    a false notion or idea that causes errors in thinking or reasoning

My question is, “do we idolize the wrong people?”

In society today we have a tendency to idolize people who hold prominent places in society. Politicians, celebrities, athletes, business people, priests, ministers and other religious personnel and other people in authority who may or may not have earned that respect.

Almost always to a person this trust, this level of idolization leads to a total let down. Almost always this trust is broken. And when it is broken it is broken in a big way. Leaving us wondering, “What happened?”

A politician takes a course of action opposite of his campaign promises and we are surprised. An elected official commits a crime that would have put most of us in prison and is slapped on the wrist with a “censure.” We not only still idolize him we re-elect him. Celebrities and athletes get caught for DUI, non-payment of taxes, cruelty to animals. And ala Michael Vick we remember only as long as their next touchdown pass or hit movie. Madoff commits hundreds of millions of dollars in fraud and we chastise him. Anyone remember Martha Stewart. We again buy her magazines, watch her shows etc. we have a short memory because we are desperate for someone to idolize. Priests abuse children, nuns defraud colleges and we still put our trust in the church. Misplaced? Ministers betray trusts and spread gossip yet we still hold them in high regard. Are we that desperate for an idol? Maybe. But we are misplacing that trust. We are putting the wrong people on the pedestal. By definition - a false notion or idea that causes errors in thinking or reasoning

The common denominator in all these cases is the same. Humanity. We, humanity, are putting our trust in people who are only human. We are expecting too much from people who are no different than ourselves. Human. We are disappointed when they exhibit the frailties of human nature. We expect them to be above other mere mortals. But they themselves are mere mortals.

By misplacing this trust we are both setting them up for failure and setting ourselves up for failure. Meishu-Sama talks about the change from the age of night to the age of daylight. In the age of daylight things that previous went unseen will be exposed in the daylight. So maybe this false idolization we have is a result of years of misplaced trust that was just never exposed. Or perhaps when times are bad, wars, bad economy etc. we are just more in need of a hero. Someone to idolize.

Even so should we be idolizing celebrities and athletes? Should we live our life according to their belief structure? Should we allow politicians to become bigger than life? More than 20 years in the Senate. Really? Then you wonder why they feel like they are untouchable. Twenty million a year to play a game. Really? Are they worth that much more than teachers, firemen, me or you? Then we are surprised when the go wrong. We put our priest and ministers on the same level as God and we are surprised when they screw up. Really? They too are only human. They have no better line to God than you do. They are there to guide, to assist not replace God. But some allow position to go to their heads.

The point is there are better idols to look up to. Our parents, yes some of us screw up, but for the most part they only wanted the best for their children. True heroes. People who go about doing good in this world without massive compensation and without looking for notariety. The young men and woman who put their lives on the line every day for their country. You may not like the reason for the war, and some my screw up but they still do what needs to be done without earning twenty million a year and without the individual notariety.  

Or how about we just idolize God. Whoever you believe he is, however you worship him! I have found if you put your trust tin God he will never let you down. Yes sometimes you may not understand his methods. At least not right away. But he always has your best interest in mind.

Allow our athletes, celebrities, politicians, ministers to be what they are: HUMAN. And put your faith in one who deserves it.

Betrayals of trust

Trust is the most foundational block of any relationship. Trust is involved in all the basic elements of a healthy relationship: love (respect and consideration for another person), communication, commitment and honesty. Without trust you may get feelings, you may get the high of the "moment," you may get patience and tolerance but nothing will provide the strength and the solidity you need for a lasting relationship as trust. The root of trust is WHAT YOU BELIEVE about the other person. And your BELIEF about the other person is the accumulation of experiences that have either affirmed or corroded the original commitment or promise.

TRUST is not just about big promises and commitments. It could just be the other person's body language, their eyes or an air of authenticity. Have you ever felt like you are in the presence of a person for the first time and you find yourself saying "Somehow I trust this person." Trust is born in the way the other person reflects in us. Finally what you come to believe about another person is what directs your behavior and actions towards that person. So, trust is critical to the dynamics of any relationship, whether it is a business, politics, a working environment, marriage, family, religion or friendships.

When you have believed something about a person and that person has broken your "trust" in that belief, there isn't a whole lot left.

Cheating, lying, gossip, "backstabbing," disloyalty, miscommunication or the lack of it, dishonesty, not being on time, an unreturned to call, are all promises that once broken change the level of trust someone has placed on you. Trust is broken by changing the belief system another person has about you.

Now, I know we have all broken promises. I have broken many promises, many times and it hurts me in the pit of my stomach when I realize I miserably failed so many times and have let so many people down. We are after all human. So this is not from a guy that has never lost trust from people but about someone who realizes what happened and took steps to recover the trust I lost when I failed. Sometimes you can sometimes you can’t. But the point is to try.

You can regain the trust you lost. That is, if the other person has a good heart towards you.

When you let someone down and betray their trust you have actually betrayed yourself first and foremost all. That's the first person you must work with: YOURSELF! You must come to terms with your own failure, your own humanity. What happened? Why did it happen? Was an accident or is that a pattern of your character? Proud people stumble on this first one and simply cannot do it!

When you let someone down and betray their trust you must acknowledge you did it and that will hurt your pride. If you are not ready to be humble and talk to the person whose trust you betrayed, you are not ready to regain trust from that person.

When you let someone down and betray their trust it's going to take time and effort to recover it. It will not happen instantly. This is one of the greatest challenges "betrayers" face. They usually want to "just move on." They want instant gratification. It just doesn't happen that way!

When you let someone down and betray their trust, in spite of what you may do to regain their trust you should be ready to possibly be rejected and you may never regain the lost trust again. In that case it is out of your hands, even if it hurts! What kicks in here is character: you did the right thing and your heart is right. Move on knowing that you are flawed, you have erred and learn from it so that in the future you do not betray others trust.  



We are what we eat!!!

So just an interesting turn of events over the last 24 hours. I don't know if anyone else put 1,2 and 3 together but here goes. First we have Senate Bill 510 Food Safety Modernization Act. A bill which if left intact and enforced at face value would provide for our food safety by eliminating the ability for farmers to clean and reuse seeds from previously grown crops. A process which worked well for hundreds if not thousands of years. Certainly our parents and grandparents were raised on such seeds. Until that is Monsanto thought it would be safer for all farmers to use their genetically engineered seeds. Engineering that is needed because we spent so many years using the chemicals and pesticides (originally produced by Monsanto) that our ground cannot produce healthy fruits and vegetables. That is unless of course we use Monsanto's genetically engineered seeds made to overcome the chemical poisoning. Healthy???? This bill not only covers our farm grown produce but allows for the government to reach into our own backyards and charge us with a crime if we use our own seeds. Goodbye Heirloom Tomatoes!!!!! This is not just a matter of health but also a matter or freedom.
Number 2  - The US Army today announced that it was embracing healthy foods for their new recruits. Genetically Engineered healthy food I'm sure. The military increasingly believes that producing quality recruits starts at the dinner table during basic training, so it has started a more emphatic effort to change their eating habits. Color-coded labels point the way to healthy items, and drill sergeants stand watch over the chow line, calling out soldiers who don't put enough fruit on their plates. So instead of education they are using color-coding and intimidation. How well do you think that will go over? Will they remain healthy right up until we put their lives in danger in the battlefield. Then what color-coded K-rations? Of course our government thinks its better to wait until our children turn 18 or 19 to teach nutrition rather than start at an early age.
Which brings us to Number 3 - House Republicans have temporarily blocked legislation to feed school meals to thousands more hungry children. Republicans used a procedural maneuver Wednesday to try to amend the $4.5 billion bill, which would give more needy children the opportunity to eat free lunches at school and make those lunches healthier. "It's not about making our children healthy and active," said Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee. "We all want to see our children healthy and active. This is about spending and the role of government and the size of government — a debate about whether we're listening to our constituents or not." So it's about the role of government unless of course it involves Monsanto, seeds and the military.
I don't know if anyone else put these 3 stories together or even saw all 3 of these stories but as I said in Blog #1 my mind is a busy place. Health is definitely not on the minds of our lawmakers. Money certainly is. Control certainly is. As I also say don't pay attention to the story pay attention to who the story comes from and what they have to gain. Food is no longer a matter of nutrition its just another way of making money. Nutritional food is not as important as profits, if it were it would be cheaper to eat apples than potato chips. Shirley and I belong to a religion known here in the US as Izunome. It's 3 basic beliefs are Johrei, Appreciation of Art and Beauty and Natural Foods and farming. Our founder, Meishu-Sama, taught natural farming and eating healthy foods over 60 years ago. He once said the day will come when we go into a store, a big modern beautiful store that has every food imaginable, but none of it is edible. Thanks to Monsanto and our Government that day is almost here.

My First Post!!!!

So I always have a lot going on in my head. Sometimes I verbalize it, sometimes I just laugh to myself. Now finally I've gone all in on this electronic media craze. First Facebook, now a blog. I'm all in. There will be no specific topic, nor main theme. Just what I'm thinking when I'm thinking it. This could get scary folks. So hang on for what may be a wild ride.