Occupy Wall Street: An Employed Perspective

Thus far, the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement has:

• Blocked and shut down transit bridges in Portland, Chicago and Seattle.
• Injured dozens of police officers.
• Littered the lawns of universities, public parks and churches with trash, abandoned tents, drug paraphernalia and blocked countless roads and byways.
• Interrupted the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of everyday employed people.

What have they accomplished? Better yet, what are their goals? Are they united or are they a group of people whining about their lives without doing anything to actually change that direction? Thus far, all I have seen is the interruption of regular, everyday hardworking people’s lives in OWS’s attempts to make somebody pay. These employed people have to leave home hours early and arrive home hours late, taking away from valuable time with their families, just to get through the crowds.

Believe me, I want a full-time job that provides for my needs, with a little extra to put away for rainy day. I want affordable healthcare. I want affordable rates for home and student loans. I want to be able to provide for myself and (someday) a family.

But what satisfaction would come in life if all of that were handed to me on a silver platter? If I have learned one thing from reading about my family history (Mormon and proud!), it is that my ancestors worked hard; they labored hard all day, every day to provide a roof and food for eachother. They didn’t have much, but they appreciated and loved what they had. Some of them worked two and three jobs to make ends meet.

Am I frustrated with how the banks have been operated by their boards? Yes, absolutely. Do I want, hope for and welcome a change? Yes, absolutely. Does their “movement” have any chance of making positive change in a good direction? No, I don’t believe it does. If they want to change the way the banks operate, they get to VOTE their current elected officials out of Congress! The existing laws that can help the situation aren’t enforced and any new laws that might help willl not be passed by those in office now.

These OWS people want jobs? McDonalds in North Dakota has a starting wage of $15 and hour. They want healthcare? They want an education? Go work hard. Don’t expect somebody else to pay for it, and don’t punish everyone in the town or city you live in who is trying to work just as hard as you claim to be.