To all those who oppose the Occupy movement...

First off, before I get bombarded with "Get a job!" posts I would like to say that I do have a job that I work very hard at. My employers like me and in return I like my job. I work between 40-50 hours a week and am also in the process of starting a self-employed business in my spare time.

That being said, I've seen a lot of posts over the past year or so from people who HATE the "Occupy" movement using names like "dirty hippies", "bums", "lazy punks" etc. It seems to me that the people behind these posts really dislike protesters and protests in general.

Well, in America there is something called the "First Amendment" and it clearly states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; OR THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE, AND TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.

Still don't like protesters? Then go and live in Saudi Arabia, Syria, China, North Korea or any other country where protesting is REALLY looked down upon.

Now for a quick history lesson. These historical figures were all a part of a protest movement against "The Establishment" of there times. If you don't like protests then you are against what these people stood for.


1962 A.D. - Nelson Mandela

Mandela went on to serve 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island. Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela led his party in the negotiations that led to the establishment of democracy in 1994. As President, he frequently gave priority to reconciliation, while introducing policies aimed at combating poverty and inequality in South Africa.

Outcome: The end of apartheid and the birth of Democracy in South Africa
Legacy: The 18th of July, is an annual international day adopted by the United Nations. Individuals, communities and organizations are asked to donate 67 minutes to doing something for others, commemorating the 67 years that Nelson Mandela gave to the struggle for social justice. Still alive today.


1955 A.D. - Martin Luther King Jr.

A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career.[4] He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. King's efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.

Outcome: De-segregation in schools and the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1968
Legacy: Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15. Was killed for his beliefs.


1930 A.D. - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Gandhi led Indians in protesting the national salt tax with the 400 km (250 mi) Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in demanding the British to immediately Quit India in 1942, during World War II. He was imprisoned for that and for numerous other political offenses over the years.

Outcome: A free and independent India from the British colony.
Legacy: He invented a completely new and humane means for the liberation war of an oppressed country, and practiced it with greatest energy and devotion. The moral influence he had on the consciously thinking human being of the entire civilized world will probably be much more lasting than it seems in our time with its overestimation of brutal violent forces. Was killed for his beliefs.


1775 A.D. - George Washington

Helped start an open rebellion against the British Crown. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of the Constitution in 1787

Outcome: Successful in the rebellion, helped create a whole new country called The United States of America.
Legacy: Washington set many precedents for the national government, and the presidency in particular, and was called the "Father of His Country" as early as 1778. Washington's Birthday (celebrated on Presidents' Day), is a federal holiday in the United States. Died of fever.


0 B.C. - Jesus Christ

A Jewish teacher from Galilee in Roman Judaea, who was baptized by John the Baptist. Spoke openly against the Roman laws of the time and during the week of his "final ministry in Jerusalem", Jesus visits the Temple, and has a conflict with the money changers about their use of the Temple for commercial purposes.

Outcome: Became a martyr when crucified. His followers then took his teachings and spread them throughout the known world.
Legacy: Started a movement that lead to the founding of a new religion that would change the course of history for the next 2000+ years. Killed for his beliefs.

These are just some of the examples of people who were involved in protest movements of the past. There are many more. Just try to imagine the world and the people in it if none of these people stood up against the authority of the times in which they lived in. This is my rant of the day.

Peace.

Don't forget Rosa Parks for saying no I wont move, Harriett Tubman for leading slaves to freedom, just to name a couple

Next protest needs to be in Washington

reply to post by morningeagle


Aaah! Well said. Hopefuly this wil stike a chord with a couple of those nay sayers. We need protest. Let's encourage in every way we can.
S & F

Not against the movement...Against the way it's done.
A bunch of people trying to push many different views. No cohesiveness. just a bunch of people accross the country S***ing in parks. Get it together if your going to do anything at all!!
How about occupy DC? Sit outside the whitehouse till you see the Oboma's moving truck!!

reply to post by morningeagle


As stated in your post "Well, in America there is something called the "First Amendment"". Why do you care if people dislike the protestors? Just as it is your right to protest and argue issues so is it the right of folks on here or anywhere else to disagree with the protestors...regardless how debatable this is it is simply a moot point.

What they started out to be was a good idea,all though I think there target was off. If you want to effect changed start in Washington, not wall street.
Where they lost alot of people was when two things happened. Once they got the bad element in there, breaking store fronts with innocent people inside and crapping on police cars.Things of that nature took away from there message. I know you'll have the idiots at any movement but it got out of hand.
And what turned me off the most was the students who were protesting 40000 and 50000 thousand dollars of student loans but no jobs,Only to be interviewed and find out they had liberal arts degrees and history degrees. Wondering where there 80000 dollar a year job was. This turned off alot of people. At that point and time it went from protesting to whinning.

I don't think anybody is against the idea of occupy, however I think people are weary of who is funding occupy and what kind of movement it's being turned into.

Take the Tea Party for example, that was hijacked by the GOP in the last election. That was a legitimate force of grass roots politics that was taken over by career politicians who wanted their hands in the cookie jar.

OWS is no different. All kinds of big money names are involved which are lobbyists, corporations, people of questionable morals and ethics.

It's ENTIRELY normal and REQUIRED even, for people to question these movements and make sure they are legitimate ones before jumping on the bandwagon.

Otherwise, you're just another blind sheep jumping on the next thing that will be used to control you. Critical thinking means thinking about both sides, not jsut the one you "hope" is the one that will win.

~Tenth

reply to post by mytheroy


Not the same...a good portion of these protestors who are in college are in college for one reason..to make lots of money...really got a kick out of the Harvard kids protesting when many of them would take a job in a second making a six figure income with little or no worry about anyone else. Unlike the black people who had little to no rights and were quite simply treated as slaves at one time in our history we on the other hand created this mess through greed, taking advantage of handouts and a lack of caring for one and other. If there was not crash these protests would have never happened..still their would be suffering, hunger and destitution but a lot less. So what has changed other than more of us in bad space...we created this..it was simply supply and demand and we were too stupid to think that this would never end so we blame others because we feel we are entitled to have it all. We use credit cards when we know we shouldn't, we eat foods that we know we shouldn't, we want people to go to college to get their degree to make a lot of money but when it's too much we get mad, we want companies to succeed but only so much because we don't want other companies to get pushed aside. Competiveness is all but gone in middle schools and kids are taught at a young age that you shouldn't brag about winning or doing better than the kid next to you...our highschools are pushing out kids that are in know way ready academically but don't want to keep kids back or hold teachers accountable so we end up with a sub par workforce that is limited...we made this mess because we do not know how to live within our means. Funny how a football player can make millions a year for a sport and some emt/paramedic gets around fourty grand a year...is it the PTB that allows this or do we put certain things above other for our own personal gratification. You ever watch that old show on MTV called Cribs? Do some people really need a mouth full of gold and diamonds and six cars? Apparently some of us think so...

reply to post by morningeagle


The problem with your example of leaders who protested is that all you listed had a clear message.

OWS doesn't. There is no clear message being put forth by OWS and as such are like a leaf in the wind. Ignored and irrelevant for the most part, at least until they start to destroy private businesses anyways.

Once OWS has ONE clear leader with a message, they will then be a force to be reckoned with. But I think that window of opportunity has passed.

reply to post by KeylessChuck


Yeah with a big megaphone yelling "Let the our people go" lmao wonder what would happen if it was done peacefully?

I'll be armed legally of course lol

I don't oppose legal and peaceful protests of just about any sort.

But I don't support people camping out on lawns in order to intimidate people. That's a transgression of private property, and is also an infringement upon Constitutional rights. We do, or at least are supposed to, have protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.

I also don't want to see them with socialists. They have legitimize grievances against Wall street's immoral and fraudulent practices. Allowing Socialists to protest with them muddies their claims and discredits them.

Originally posted by morningeagle
1775 A.D. - George Washington

Helped start an open rebellion against the British Crown. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of the Constitution in 1787

Outcome: Successful in the rebellion, helped create a whole new country called The United States of America.
Legacy: Washington set many precedents for the national government, and the presidency in particular, and was called the "Father of His Country" as early as 1778. Washington's Birthday (celebrated on Presidents' Day), is a federal holiday in the United States. Died of fever.

You left out probably Washington's single greatest achievement; that he masterminded and also participated in the genocide of the Native Americans.

Washington doesn't belong in your stereotypical pantheon of Leftist superheroes, I'm afraid.