Occupy Wall Street PROTESTERS Not Letting Up - Nationwide

[Alan]

Alan it was a used Yacht and it did not provide any US jobs. It was built in Italy!!!! I was wrong on the price it was only 70 million dollars. Class warfare what a bunch of talking head garbage. Remember the French Revolution a few of the upper class got their heads cut off.

Will it be maintained and staffed in the United States?

That reminds me, do you remember what happened when the state of Massachusetts implemented a yacht tax in order to force the rich to pay more and more taxes, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry docked his yacht in Rhode Island. Even good liberals try to keep as much of their wives money as they can. It's human nature.

You may also recall that during the French Revolution a few of the upper class did indeed get their heads cut off, and then some of the original anarchists who started the revolution got their's cut off as well. Popular rebellions against the rich and powerful are messy affairs since once you start, it's hard to determine when to stop.

[Catwoman]

From CBSNewYork:

The cramped and noisy protesters in Zuccotti Park does not appear to be going anywhere soon. To date, the occupation has cost the city an extra $2 million in police overtime alone.

The owners of the private park, Brookfield Office Properties, cannot simply eject the demonstrators because the charter for the park allows 24-hour public access. But the owners never counted on this and appear to be getting fed up.

In a statement they said “because the protestors refuse to cooperate…the park has not been cleaned since Friday, September 16th and as a result, sanitary conditions have reached unacceptable levels.”

[Lainey]

If cost is the main concern, how much did the Tea Party's 9/12/2009 protest march in Washington D.C. cost?
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tea-p...ory?id=8557120

How much police overtime costs are there during the annual January anti-abortion protests in front of the U.S.Supreme Court? Who really cares?

Democracy is messy. Protesting may cause inconvenience. But you can't claim to value American's freedom of speech and then say it's only okay if you agree with how protestors are dressed, their hairstyle, their tone of voice, and their perceived income.

I don't agree with the Tea Party, but I would never, ever, disagree with their right to demonstrate on Wall Street as long and loud as they wanted, tri-corner hats and all.

[Zigzagman]

I find it amazing when anyone criticizes someone for protesting anything. For someone to take the time, the effort, to go to a public gathering place and simply express their feelings is what I think that a democracy is all about?

I went to Vietnam (not by choice) and then returned to join the protests against that stupid war. I saw the same outrage with the Iraq war which was poo-poo'ed off as unpatriotic by the same people that seem to believe that the only way to influence change is the ballot box. BTW - how's that working out for ya?

Unless someone can stop this takeover by corporate America and their influence by way of money then our nation is ripe for some very ugly times ahead. When wealth distribution gets this out-of-whack then strange things are subject to happen.

Peace

[iris lily]

Oh for heaven's sake 24 hours access to the public, that's ridiculous. I certainly DO think they can move the group out for the specific purpose to clean up a public health hazard.

[Zoebird]

My 22 year old recent college grad daughter found a job, not in her field, low-paying but she knows it is better to be productive and moving forward than sleeping in the street, chanting, hollering and making mess for the rest of us.

Foremost, I don't get why you think protest is an unproductive mess that "the rest of us" are cleaning up. I look it as they are trying to clean up the apathetic mess that you seem to be rather complacent about.

Secondarily, About 50 of my friends are participating in the NYC protests, and about 35 or 40 more are involved in protests throughout the country. All of them have jobs, many of them in their fields or small business owners, and others with part time work (in their fields or related), and one voluntarily cut her job in 1/3 (and her pay) so that two of her fellow employees could retain employment.

So, they are clearly "being productive and moving forward" while also protesting corporate greed and it's hold on our government.

While she was looking for a job, she did odd jobs and pinched every penny. She also volunteered because she knows it is better to be productive and giving back than sitting around whining and complaining.

Yes, all of my friends who are unemployed or underemployed do this too. Many of them are doing time banking to get essential needs met (eg, doing odd jobs in exchange for time/odd jobs from other people who are donating time/odd jobs -- it's a barter system), and doing whatever work they can cobble together (from etsy styled businesses to yard work to whatever they can do or find for cash), as well as pinching every penny. Likewise, nearly everyone I know -- employed or unemployed right now -- volunteers at least one hour a week to a charitable cause in their area. Most of them it's far more than one hour per week.

The only one "sitting around and complaining" really is you. You are complaining about people protesting something that they feel is wrong and unjust (and quite frankly, they are right), and characterizing them as lazy and careless.

Instead, you might want to know what the demographic actually is. If I were in the US, I would be there. As it is, I simply have an american flag, a sign supporting OWS, and a description of why we support it underneath, hanging in our front window.

I work over 60 hours a week running my own profitable business, raise my 3 yr old child without government aid (from here or in the US) with my partner with no day care or nanny, and I also volunteer with a local organization helping local migrant mothers (refugee and other immigrants) find resources and support in their family needs. I mostly visit with different mothers at a meeting once a week -- where we practice english, talk about child rearing practices and approaches (as well as legal implications in some cases -- eg, there are anti-smacking laws here), and also how to access both government and NGO services for them. THey also have 24-7 email and phone support from us.

So, the next time you call us "backward looking complainers who leave a mess for the rest of us" perhaps take a look at the four fingers pointing back at yourself, rather than the one you are pointing at me.

[Catwoman]

so the question is: Do the protestors know why they are there? What are they protesting? All forms of protest are not wrong - however, this pointless, squalid mess is. I'm complaining about Obama attempting to legitimize this and again - these protestors are being USED by the left, they are accomplishing nothing.

What do they want? Handouts? Political change? What? The endeavor is pointless and silly.

The tea party has become a force in politics...united in message. I don't see that happening here.

[Zoebird]

Catwoman: i wrote about it in the MEDIA section of what the point is for MANY of these protestors.

What is being reported is that there is a rag-tag bunch of complainers who have no point.

But the reality -- is what is present in the NYT article (which is linked earlier in the thread) and also what I wrote. Now, I grant you, there are people who are ignorant, who don't know why they are there, BUT there are a lot of people in the movement who are ORGANIZED and do have ideas, even if they are non-specific.

The tea party was also a mess for many months, and in my opinion is still quite incoherent, and this has only been going on for a few weeks. So give it time to coalesce, as more and more people are stepping up, and more people "get" what is going on.

And here's an example of a grown up politician actually telling you what it is about: Alan Grayson.

People are starting to listen, and something IS starting to coalesce.

And don't buy it, Catwoman, the tea party IS being used by the republican party. It was it's own, interesting movement, until it got purchased.

[Zigzagman]

I'm complaining about Obama attempting to legitimize this

I'm thinking that is your problem? What does Obama have to do with this other than the fact that he represents change from the status quo?

I would much prefer cleaning up after those nasty hippies than clean up after the financial district.

Peace

[Zoebird]

also, i'm not sure what "squalor" people are talking about. The whole thing is very organized in the park. Here are pictures from the park in question, and I don't see squalor. I see organized sleeping areas, areas where signs are being made (out of recycled cardboard), and where that cardboard is being collected. I also see a recycling center for bottles and such.

but, every time i type in "squalor and occupy wall st" i dont' find any pictures -- just media descriptions of the conditions being that -- and instead, when i look at pictures taken by the protestors themselves, the whole thing seems organized.

here is a blog that has some nice ones. Here is the unofficial, de facto web site that has become a helpful tool and rallying site regarding the movement. there is a forum, where people put in their ideas for a "list of demands" so that the organization can coalesce.