Occupy Wall Street

For the last two months the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement has dominated the national spotlight. I find the goals of the movement to be somewhat nebulous, however. Some say they are hoping to make America a more equitable place to live, others say they are protesting just for the sake of protesting.

The OWS phenomenon is interesting. I agree that our society has become fragmented. Some pundits say that President Obama created this “class warfare” dissension. He repeatedly says that one percent of Americans are rich, and the other 99 percent are not. And many of “the 99 percent” are hurting. The rich, they say, are getting richer; while the poor are getting poorer. The demonstrators say that Big Business (BB) is the major cause of this discrepancy – and the human suffering that goes with it.

The OWS demonstrators say that business executives make too much money; corporate greed is excessive; corruption is prevalent; the unemployment rate is too high; our standard of living is declining; and the “Common Man” no longer has a chance to get ahead in life. The American Dream, they say, is dead.

It is a known fact that many large companies are sitting on large amounts of cash. They could and should be reinvesting that money. While private industry does account for 75% of the jobs in this country, they could be doing more. They should start hiring again. Those who side with BB say that these companies aren’t hiring because of government policies. They don’t want to pay for expensive mandates (like National Health Care) or be burdened with excess regulations. Some experts say that BB is waiting for a change in government. They want the next president to be a conservative. They want the current “unfriendly business climate” to come to an end.

The OWS movement brings up some important points. BB should be doing more to help the Common Man. I think that the demonstrators are voicing their concerns in the wrong way, however. Vandalizing our public parks and committing violent crimes is not a good way to get the general public to agree with your viewpoint. The demonstrators should be voicing their opinion in a more peaceful manner. Freedom of speech should not be taken for granted. It is also ironic that these people are demonstrating in parks and public venues that have been paid for by taxes, most of which have been collected from BB and the “rich” people that they criticize. While the Common Man does face obstacles in times of economic hardship, America still has more personal success stories than any other country in the world. “Rags to riches” stories do occur, but only in people who make the most of their opportunities.

The OWS versus BB debate is probably a good thing. Like other contentious debates in our history, America’s position on these issues will be clarified, and our management of these problems will almost certainly improve.

Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Most people are grateful for their blessings. It is equally important, I think, to give thanks for our difficulties. As the Bible says, we should rejoice in our sufferings because suffering produces perseverance; perseverance builds character; and character brings hope. This hope doesn’t disappoint us; it leads to an outpouring of God’s love for us. (Paraphrased from Romans 5:3-5) And thank God we live in a country that has provided so many people with so many blessings – and also gives those who are not happy the right to complain.