OCCUPY WALL STREET”

As I watch the news reports over this past week on the global economic protests, my thoughts flashed back to a similar protest 79 years ago (no I wasn’t there) when several thousand WWI veterans marched on Washington DC to protest President Hoover’s veto of a bill that would provide these soldiers of their bonus pay. 

In 1932, America was in the depths of depression and mass unemployment.  Veterans were not exempt from these hardships in spite of their service to the country.  They needed their bonus money in order to survive and provide for their families.  Tired of individually appealing to the government for some action, they banded together, set up a tent city in the nation’s capital that was dubbed “Hooverville” in response to the president’s veto of that bill.  For all their efforts, they were rousted out by federal troops led by Douglas MacArthur, their tent city dismantled and burned.  Bonuses were ultimately paid out in 1936…four years later.


Now, in October of 2011, we are seeing not only Americans, but thousands of people in 87 countries gathering together in and around their individual financial institutions in support of others who are gathering in Washington to publicly blame Wall Street and Corporate America for the economic downfall resulting in hundreds if not thousands of home foreclosures, employment layoffs, etc.

Demonstrators all over the world have set up tents in municipal parks and marched along major city streets thus blocking rush hour commuter traffic for hours.  Additional police in riot gear were assigned to try and keep the peace, several protestors were arrested, and in some areas, things got a little out of hand.





There really is very little difference between these two protests.  Modern technology has allowed us to witness today’s events even as they are happening; whereas, in 1932 it took the news a little longer to reach the bulk of the nation.  But the purpose of each originated in Wall Street and corporate greed.

The question is what effect do these protests have in ultimately solving the problem?  It took four years, but WWI vets eventually did get their bonuses.  Vietnam protests did finally bring the war to an end.  Maybe a major, global, march on government and financial institutions will send a message to our lawmakers that we need those “changes” our present leader promised during his campaign.

Martin Luther King talked about “civil disobedience.”  Civil disobedience is not a bad thing if it is used to protest a bad law and shoddy leadership.  And shoddy leadership, both political and corporate, is what we have now.  People in this nation are beginning to take the stand from the film “Network” by saying “I’m mad as [heck], and I’m not gonna take it anymore!”  

People are losing jobs and homes while Chicago bigwigs are collecting illegal pensions, oil companies are raking in big profits while we consumers are paying big bucks at the pump, congress traditionally votes themselves huge pay raises while their constituents struggle to put food on the table, mortgage companies duped new homeowners into taking out large mortgages on homes they did not need and could not afford…only to take them away in foreclosure.

We are coming up to another presidential election.  While I have no problem with the protests going on and I do feel they will get the lawmakers’ attention at some point, in spite of everything, the best way to effect change in this country is still at the polls.  Traditionally less than 60% (and I’m being generous here) of the voting citizens of this nation actually go to vote.  Yet it seems that those who choose NOT to vote are the ones who make the most noise about conditions in this country.  DUH!!!!!  If you don’t contribute to the voting process, you have no right to complain, so KEEPITH YOUR MOUTH SHUT!!   If you are not happy with the way your representatives are running things, let them know that you will express your disapproval at the polls.  Make your representatives aware that they are largely to blame for the economic woes this country is experiencing and you expect them to start putting the people first and not themselves…or you will contribute to voting them OUT! 

And while I am on the subject, I am one of over 12 million seniors in this country who, next November, will remember that it was THIS president who threatened to withhold social security checks if Congress didn’t agree with HIS proposals on the budget.  And…I am hoping that our service men and women will remember that he also threatened to withhold military pay.  Remember this next November.  I, personally, will remind you from time to time!!!! You can count on that!!