Appeared in the Oct.20,2011 issue of the Interlake Spectator, and other Interlake Publishing weeklies…
It has been a little over a month since protesters took to Wall Street. It has been interesting to watch its evolution from what some considered an ill-defined protest in New York to a global movement that has spread to at least 150 cities, spanning dozens of countries around the globe, including Europe, Australia, India, Africa, China, South America, and others.
When protesters first marched with placards in hand, many dismissed them as mere protest-prone radicals and idealistic students. No doubt, many expected that the thousands who gathered would disperse, and their voices would fade out after a week, that is, if wanton violence did not ensue, as often occurs.
No, the world took up the cause. People from all walks of life counted themselves in. Children and the elderly held signs high. Union workers, environmentalists and community groups arrived in droves. Political and religious lines did not divide humanity. All joined hands.
We the people, members of the 99 per cent of the world population who live under the tyranny of the one per cent that owns the wealth and sets our agenda, put aside our differences. We raised our collective voice against being used and spoke with the power of truth.
Rather than an ill-defined, complain-about-everything, grass roots rage, this protest movement is arguably the most concise response to humanity’s collective woes that ever was. Everything that is wrong about our human civilization has been, correctly, summed up in this mass protest.
Finally, we the people have come together to speak loudly against social injustice, financial inequalities perpetuated by the global financial system, the global financial collapse caused by the greed of a handful of people, and the other consequences of the inequitable distribution of social power.
Enough is enough! It is time to challenge that one per cent, and hold them to account.
I agree with Canadian writer, Naomi Klein, who said, “This is not the time to be looking for ways to dismiss a nascent movement against the power of capital, but to do the opposite: to find ways to embrace it, support it and help it grow into its enormous potential. With so much at stake, cynicism is a luxury we simply cannot afford.”
The bigger issue is, “How DO we support the movement?” Do we now just nod our heads in assent? Do we gather at our local Legislatures? Do we storm the email boxes of our oppressors?
While these responses acknowledge that we “get it”, finally, we need to ensure that our collective enlightenment does not become derailed by the distractions and pressures of day-to-day living.
I believe we can support and further this movement by examining what it is in each of our lives that reflects that “one per cent”. Where does inequity and injustice exist? How can we create the ripples of change in our own communities, workplaces, and family settings?
It may be that there is something we will have to give up, or, perhaps, take back. We may need to stand up against an injustice that we witness on the street. We may have to be honest, when it is more convenient to lie. In short, we should hold each other, and ourselves to a higher standard. Only then will we retain the clarity to ensure our moral evolution as a humanity, and dislodge the one per cent that has become a weight around our necks.
