Image by jpellgen via Flickr

Let me begin by saying that there are two sides to each and every story and somewhere in the middle lies the truth.  As thousands protested in Oakland it seems as if they were met with extreme force.  While some say that the entire Occupy Wall Street movement is a leaderless group with no clear goals, other say that there are clear demands and that no one is taking the time out to see what Occupy Wall Street is all about.  I have done some research and all I can say is THANK YOU!  I cannot go out and sit in the streets for months at a time, but for the people who can and are; around the nation and world, I applaud you.  As I watch video after video of the raid on Occupy Oakland movement I am saddened and disheartened.  We are all Americans.  We live in a nation in which we have the right to assemble and the right to stand up when we feel injustice is occurring.  All of us should be thankful that this brave set of individuals are bringing awareness to concerns that are decades in the making.

I have watched a lot of the videos of the Occupy Oakland Raid in the past day and a half.  Part of me keeps watching them to see if I see my brother, who has not checked in yet, and part of me watches because I am just in such disbelief.  These are not images of a free America.  These images closely resemble nations across the world.  Nations in which the people are suppressed.  Nations that are not build on democracy and freedom.   What have we done and how do we fix it.

I see a lot of the points Occupy Wall Street is making.  I agree with many of them.  As a family of 6 it is tough to make it.  Having grown up in middle class, I struggle to hang on to my class status. Each day it becomes more difficult.  There are so many things that our family is suffering through that many others, in this once great nation, are also suffering.  It is my understanding that Occupy Wall Street and All of the Occupy movements are looking for basic things.

• Take the money out of politics.  Special interests and lobbyist have ruled this nation for too long.  It is time for the laws to be made by the people for the people once again.
• Spreading of the wealth.  While some are against higher taxes for higher income brackets I am not.  The trouble is that the days of philanthropy are long gone.  The upper class and corporations have been ruled by greed.  People with money used to spread it around.  A CEO of a business would make sure that all of the employees of that business are able to survive before taking millions in bonuses.  They would give holiday bonuses to all of the workers.  It seems to me that in today’s society, the upper class keeps the wealth with no regard to the hardworking people who brought that wealth to them.
• Health care… what a mess.  This is another matter of greed and money.  Even doctors are fed up with insurance companies.  11 years ago I had a baby and paid $20 for my entire pregnancy.  I paid for insurance and when I needed it… they covered me.  Now I pay three times as much to have insurance and they cover next to nothing.  This past pregnancy cost $12,000 out of pocket.  What American has that kind of money sitting around.  It almost totals the amount of my entire college education.
• Jobs, jobs, jobs.  Where are the jobs?  As a nation we make nothing.  We have become a nation founded on service.  Machines and “convenience” factors such as Easy Pass, self check out in the stores and online banking have stolen our jobs.  As a nation we need to stand up and figure out how to fix this very real crisis.

While I do not feel as if this great nation needs to become a socialized nation, I do believe that we have to take a long, hard look at what capitalism is doing to us.  This nation post 9/11 is a utter mess. We have been stripped of our privacy and rights due to fear.  We have allowed corporations to run this nation.  It is time for something to change and it is my belief that the protesters of Occupy Wall Street are on a positive path.  Change is inevitable… let’s just pray that it is change for the better.

Becca

Related articles

• Occupy Wall Street roundup, Day 41 (dailykos.com)
• Occupy Oakland prepares for city-wide strike (rt.com)