I am sick to death of the Occupy Oakland Protests. It is causing so many problems for the city, and also for the small business owners there. There has been vandalism, and urinating in the streets. There have been people having sex in public, and people throwing things at police officers. They have camped out in the middle of the square, and it is an ugly nuisance. How is this ever going to end peacefully?
My liberal friends are so proud that film maker Michael Moore came recently to cheer on the protesters. I have a very low opinion of him because of the mis-truths and half- truths he has perpetuated in his films. But I bite my tongue when they tell me how excited they are that he came.
But let me get to the core of my issue with the Occupy movement. For a long time I have been patiently listening to my liberal friends complain about the Tea Party Movement. They have ranted about how they believe they have inappropriate intentions. But let's look carefully at the difference between the Tea Party, and the Occupy protesters. The Tea Party carefully organized their protests. They actually have a core leadership, and they paid $10,000 for permits to protest in Oakland. They had a set time frame for their protests, and went home when the time was up. They were peaceful, and not disrespectful to the nearby businesses. They did not leave trash, and graffitti, and feces on the streets.
The Occupy movement has no real leadership. It's just a bunch of people who all want to get in on the action. They have no clear goal for how or when this will end. How will they make the decision to go home? Are they waiting until some bank hands over millions of dollars? Because they are dreaming if they think that is going to happen. Are they waiting until the economy is fixed? Because they could be waiting many, many years, and maybe forever.
The Occupy Protesters have attacked police, then cried foul when police reacted violently. They especially make a big notice of any veterans that have been beaten, or hurt during the conflict with police. But what are the police supposed to do? Should they allow the protesters to throw bottles at them and hurt them?
My other observation is that many of the people involved in the protests aren't really there because of the Occupy movement at all. They are there to "take down the man", and to get in on the excitement. One of my facebook acquaintances has been getting involved in the riots, and actually was beaten by police. He got two black eyes, and bruised wrists. And guess what, I can't help but wonder what he was doing there in the first place! His mission has been to get video proof that the police are abusive. What does that have to do with the Occupy movement? Just like him, there are many "fringe" protesters who really aren't there for the same reason that the protest was started.
I was listening to a guest on a news program who made the comment that the liberal media jumped to film the one or two racist signs that were carried by tea party members, making it appear that all tea party members were racist. But they ignore the damage done by the Occupy movement. The funny thing is that a liberal friend of mine insists that all the media is right wing controlled.
I'm very angry at Mayor Quan for not stepping up and ending this. She has spoken out about how it is wrong, but she hasn't asked them to leave. It's not like she can talk to their leaders, because there don't seem to be any. She hasn't required them to have any permits, and has allowed them to occupy the city square for weeks! The Tea Party movement is asking for a refund of their permit money. Mayor Quan needs to step up and find a solution to end this. It is her responsibility. If it takes bringing in the National Guard, then so be it! We believe in free speech, but we don't believe in allowing people to deface public property, and attack our civil servants.
Thank you for letting me vent. Maybe now I can ignore the comments, pictures, and videos on facebook....
8 comments:
D,
People having sex in public? I don't mean to sound moralistic but that's disgusting.
I wrote a post about this Occupy X movement and no matter how analysts try to convince me that it is an expression of anger and tiredness over the way corporations and banks are doing things; I don't buy it.
These movements are politicised and unfortunately they draw pigs (pardon my french).
Mr. Michael Moore is an hypocrite - if he is so concerned about the state of affairs why doesn't he march on (along with his mates) to Washington, where the problem really is? He critiques the system but uses that very same system to promote himself and his work.
Does he really care about the people? Promote community work; encourage people to go back to the basics...
Thank YOU for venting: I loved it :D.
I have always had a difficult time understanding the mentality that holding a protest was actually going to accomplish something. It lets people know you have something to say, but generally the people in power are happy to ignore you and keep concentrating on keeping themselves in power and helping those who contribute to their campaigns.
I understand why people are so upset, there's good reason to be upset at what's happened to our economy and what led us here. However, I think if you wanted to send that message, anyone likely to pay attention has already got the point. It's a pretty strong statement to have tens of thousands of angry people show up. Really impressive if they do it all over the country. If I were an elected official I'd do some quick re-election math and figure it was worth looking at.
But they could have done that, played it out for a month to disabuse anyone of the idea that it was a fun flash mob but nothing of lasting seriousness, and then they could have gone home and found other ways to help the situation.
At this point, they're just going to ruin their credibility and chance to make a real change by being seen more and more as a problem to society themselves, than citizens rallying around a different problem society is struggling with.
Delirious, I am wondering where the Mormons stand on eschatology. One branch of Christians - the dispensationalists - argues that the morals of humanity will get worse and worse until the return of Christ. Another branch says that things will get better and better as Christ's reign is realized. I tend to the former, which is why I am not too surprised at the Occupy movement with their desperate attempts to degrade their humanity as far as possible while claiming that they are the only ones with a true moral conscience.
Vaxhacker,
I think you made a really good point about how they are discrediting their movement by their actions. Good point!
Looney,
I think you could call us "dispensationalists", because we do believe in dispensations. We believe we are in the last dispensation, which started with the restoration of the gospel. We do believe that things will continue to get worse until Christ comes again, because Satan is pulling out all his forces during this last part of the battle. Many church leaders in recent years have made comments about how the youth who are being born to the earth in these final years are very special youth who were reserved to come to the earth at this time because of the increase in wickedness that we will see.
It's interesting because my non-religious neighbor doesn't believe the world is getting more wicked. I think that's the only way she, as a non-religious person, can believe. Because if the world is getting more wicked, what hope does she have, since she doesn't seek God for help? But I don't know how she can't see the increase in wickedness for herself!
I am going to search to see if I can find a good quote on this topic. :)
As far as LDS eschatology goes, we also don't believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, so there's a mixture of hope and peril in the end times, as the followers of Christ (and to be fair, good people of other faiths, too) still labor for good in a world increasingly oppressive and running headlong the other direction (handbasket optional).
I think otherwise it's not too far from the eschatology of much of Christianity, although there are some differences too.
THank you for that clarification Vaxhacker, I hadn't thought of that point about the early "rapture". Yes, unfortunately, we will have to "stand in holy places" if we are to survive the times to come.
I'm right there with you on all these "Occupy" people. They're in our town too and frankly it's just all a bunch of people who love a cause and just want to get together and hang out.
I saw a funny sign on fb the other day that was making fun of all this. It said, "Occupy Mordor, because one ring should not be allowed to rule them all."
:0)
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