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Got capitalism? They don’t
Nov. 12, 2011
The more I see the Occupy Wall Street movement, the more disappointed, confused and annoyed I become. I am at a loss for words (like most of the occupiers). They don’t seem to know why they’re occupying, so it’s no wonder we can’t figure it out. I believe their parents or friends got tired of them “occupying” the basement or their couch, so now they are simply crashing elsewhere. These misfits have no clear agenda, no real camaraderie, no respect for other people’s property and apparently no deodorant.
I’m not surprised that our very own President supports this movement. He should, he fueled the fire that created it. From day one, Obama has divided our once cohesive nation. He has pitted the poor against the rich and the Republicans against the Democrats. It no longer feels like “one nation under God” because our leader encourages us to pick a side. The Obama administration (with help from the liberal media) has successfully diverted the blame. It’s big government spending that has ruined our economy, not the private sector that employs our citizens or the banks that loan us money to purchase items we can’t afford.
To make matters worse, Obama says that he “understands” the frustrations being expressed in the protests then goes on to say, “In some ways, they’re not that different from some of the protests that we saw coming from the Tea Party.” What?
According to Ami Horowitz, a documentary filmmaker, there are three types of protestors: The communist/socialist group, the college students and the dirty, smelly hippies. Doesn’t resemble Tea Partiers so far.
Some protestors proclaim they are “following the Bible.” Last week, at Occupy Atlanta, Reverend Jesse Jackson actually compared the ongoing demonstration to the civil rights movement. How dare anyone use the Lord or the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in association with this shameful protest.
I’m really embarrassed for our country. When I see footage from Occupy Oakland, it actually looks like it could be from the uprising in Greece. I would hate for the rest of the world to think these Americans are a sampling of our population. Many protesters degrade our law enforcement by throwing rocks and calling them “fascist pigs.” A Grand Rapids protester flaunted a sign that read, “The only good cop is a dead cop.” This is considered a “grass roots” movement? Are the rapes, stealing, drug dealing, defecating on private and public property, racism and harassment considered grass roots? And in what way, Mr. President, do any of the crimes I mentioned above remind you of The Tea Party?
The Tea Party is a tried-and-true grass roots movement that was not supported by our president. The Tea Party was demonized by the liberal media although they are a well organized, peaceful group that has respected the laws of the land and acquired permits for all their rallies. The Tea Party has clear goals of limiting government, promoting fiscal responsibility and supporting the free market. The Tea Party has never been associated with abuse to local police forces and has never caused unnecessary strain on local tax payers or residents. This idiotic comparison of the two groups is typical of our President.
At my wits end, I decided to interview two intelligent Americans. My first call was to my Uncle Tom, who is a tried and true Democrat and self-proclaimed “hippie.” He worked in California most of his life as a casting director but now resides in Tampa.
I asked him if he believes “Occupy Wall Street” is a democratic movement. He didn’t believe it was. I asked him if he supported the protestors. When he told me he was part of “Occupy Tampa,” that pretty much answered my question. I asked him his opinion on capitalism, and he said the basic idea of capitalism is to take advantage to a certain degree. He believes if capitalism is not contained, it will turn us into slaves. He doesn’t believe this movement is a “we” versus “them” type of thing and admitted that “Occupy” probably won’t change anything, but it’s simply showing the dissatisfaction of the people with the status quo. He thinks Obama deserves a second term.
After collecting myself, I called my Uncle Tony and asked him the same questions. When I asked him about the movement he said it tends to be more Democratic then Republican, but he felt the protestors really have no idea what policies they support. When I asked if he supported the movement, he got a bit fired up. He explained that he would never support any movement that is violent, obstructive to our police force and wastes tax payer money. He went on to say he absolutely believes in capitalism because that’s what America is founded upon. People are trying to sneak across our borders because they want a chance to live in the land of opportunity. They don’t have an illegal immigration problem in China!
My interviews went as I had expected. I have known that Uncle Tom has been out of work this past year and is a supporter of big government so I knew he would be more in favor of a system that encouraged others to share their wealth. My Uncle Tony, on the other hand, works his normal job and part time in other clinics. He believes the sky’s the limit so I knew he’d support capitalism. Just so you know, both my uncles are well educated and were raised by single moms in a lower to middle income bracket.
The Occupy Wall Street fiasco reminds me of the book “The Little Red Hen.” The little red hen continually asked the lazy dog, the sleepy cat and the noisy yellow duck, “Who will help me?” They always replied, “Not I.” After the little red hen did all the hard work on her own, she had created a fresh loaf of bread. When she asked “Who will help me eat the bread?” The other three – like the occupiers – yelled, “I will!”
Ramsey Fowler is a senior at Lee’s Summit West High School. Write to him at government@lstribune.net.
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