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.