Here are some reasons to ‘Occupy’
Why Occupy? Does it seem silly that a grown man living a comfortable lifestyle would be seen standing at a busy intersection in an upscale neighborhood holding a sign saying, “Tax Wall St. — Build Peace?”
Evidently reporters and photographers thought it was sufficiently newsworthy to include in local newspapers, along with other pictures and stories about the Occupy Naperville movement. But the question remains. Why? Is this just a silly exercise to gain attention? Or is it serious? Can it possibly change anything? Are the occupiers merely modern day Don Quixote’s tilting at windmills?
Such are the questions that invade my consciousness as I prepare my signs, join the group, and establish my unique role in standing, marching, chanting, and discussing with strangers our quest.
Why? Passion. I have a passion for peace — the loving struggle for justice. And I wage peace at every opportunity. In recent years I’ve witnessed a great assault on our government, our environment and the middle class by the super rich and the corporations they pilot for profit. Their political agenda is simple: finance the elections of those who support minimal regulations, minimal corporate taxes and minimal welfare for all but the rich. And finance negative campaigns against their political opponents.
America was the beacon of democracy for the world. We were born with a declaration that all men are created equal. We fought a Civil War so that a government of the people, by the people, and for the people could long endure.
Some of us experienced the Great Depression brought about by greed but survived by installing judicious bank regulation. The regulations are gone. We crashed again. We bailed out the banks. Now a gridlocked government is powerless to regulate, and a Supreme Court majority has proclaimed: Corporations are people and money is speech. End of story.
Frank Goetz
Wheaton