Thursday, November 3, 2011

Oakland Occupiers - I don't get them

I'm sure most people have watched the news or read something about the Occupy Wall Street folks, who are now called the 99%ers, who went on a rampage in Oakland last night.  They broke windows of storefronts, damaged a Whole Foods grocery store, started fires, graffitied walls and windows (with kill cops and other such sayings).  Today some of the more peaceful folks helped clean up the mess, although I didn't hear of any of them offering to pay for the damage. 

I'm confused.  I thought it was Wall Street and corporate greed that they were protesting.  Instead they hit the mom and pop stores, stopped truckers from making a living, and damaged Whole Foods, which is one of the most globally sensitive grocery stores in this country.  Men's Warehouse closed on Wednesday and had a sign in their window supporting the strike.  Their windows were all smashed anyway. 

The talk was that these were not the Occupiers who did this damage but anarchists.  Sorry.  In every group you have the quiet ones and the loud ones.  These were the loud ones acting out, but still part of the group.  There was dissension among the ranks, some arguing that the lawlessness of the night was not as effective as the disruptions during the day.  Others stated that their disagreements among themselves make them stronger and more united. 

One of the protesters was interviewed and his reason for being there protesting was that he has worked hard and deserves to have more than he has.  He was in his early 20s if that old.  All that I thought was I'm sure he worked hard.  I'm sure he cleaned his room, set the table, maybe even fed the dog.  Whatever his parents asked him to do.  He hasn't been a grown up for very long. You don't get to the top for a very long time, it takes more than a year or two. More often than not, you don't get to the top.    

One of the shop owners whose windows were busted out and items looted from the window displays and from inside the shop made the comment that she didn't know who the people were that caused the damage.  It certainly couldn't be people from Oakland because it's a wonderful community. 

The story of one of the businessmen defending his building with a shotgun is not being widely spread.  These people took off when they heard him cock the gun.  Good for him. 

Is this coming to your town?  Are you prepared to defend yourself?   

1 comment:

  1. The disagreement amongst the protesters seems to point to the reality that they don't know what they want. It's a mob, and mobs don't have a brain nor do they think. Not only do the protesters not have an idea what work is or know what they want, it seems they don't have the thinking skills to figure out those two things.

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