This series, Attempting
to Bridge the Gaps, is all about bringing together poor white, minority, and
the LGBTQ communities together in understanding and acceptance of each other. I
cannot do that by myself. So for now, I want to create a place where we can
talk to each other over topics that matter to us, so we can find out what the
AMERICAN PEOPLE want, rather than a me, me, ME attitude, of which we are all
guilty. Comments welcome, but refrain from hatred or assumption of hatred.
Let’s talk.
What Was Occupy Wall Street?
Occupy Wall Street was a movement that started on
September 11, 2011 in Zuccotti Park. Its goal was simple, at first: rid the
government of the undue influence of corporate greed and money and ensure
social justice for all. USNews
(Greene, 2011) provides a decent timeline
of OWS, its influences, and results.
Why OWS Failed:
OWS failed for several reasons. Two of the big
ones is no
leadership (Pepitone, 2013) , and spreading too
quickly to other, (in my opinion lesser) points
of interest (Levitin, 2015) . Because nobody kept
this huge, rising and roused group on course to rid America of social and
financial inequality, the Occupy movement fell apart. To be fair it fell into
smaller, more focused groups on these lesser interests, many which continue
working today.
Why OWS Needs to Return:
But, it was that huge number of people coming
together that got national and international attention. The protests, sure, but
also the original message before it got diluted. And it is that huge number of
people, plus more, we need to actually
make the change in income inequality: which, as I stated
before (Neal, 2016) , is what I believe
to be the first step to visiting American’s other problems.
That goal requires the masses, regardless of
race, sexuality, gender, or any other extraneous label thrust upon Americans,
to come together again. To hold hands. Demand what Occupy Wall Street demanded
in the beginning:
Take
corporate money out of politics, ensure undue social and economic inequality
disappears, and get rid of the social injustices too many people suffer on a
regular, daily, basis.
Again, no one single group can do this. The
liberals are going to have to accept poor whites, poor whites are going to have
to put away the racism the rich whites manipulated into them, women and men are
going to have to appreciate each other, blacks and whites will have to finally bury
the blood-soaked hatchet between them, and everybody will also need our legal Mexican
and Asian brothers and sisters to add their voice before there is a chance of
the Established Machine changing gears and giving even one, single damn about
us. Then we’ll have to continue pushing until this country is truly ours again…possibly
for the very first time.
Bibliography
Greene, B. (2011, October 17). How 'Occupy Wall
Street' Started and Spread. Retrieved from usnews.com:
http://www.usnews.com/news/washington-whispers/articles/2011/10/17/how-occupy-wall-street-started-and-spread
Levitin, M. (2015,
June 10). The Triumph of Wall Street. Retrieved from theatlantic.com:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/the-triumph-of-occupy-wall-street/395408/
Neal, J. (2016,
November 14). We Need to Re-Brand the Middle Class: Attempting to Bridge
the Gaps. Retrieved from americandirtmorales.blogspot.com:
http://americandirtmorales.blogspot.com/2016/11/we-need-to-re-brand-middle-class.html
Pepitone, J. (2013,
September 17). Why Occupy Wall Street Fizzled. Retrieved from
money.cnn.com: http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/17/news/economy/occupy-wall-street-fizzled/
James Neal is a fantasy author,
blogger, and freelance writer/artist. Visit his titles listed below and follow
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