Regardless if the protestors of the worldwide Occupy movement fizzle out in the coming months, Occupy Wall Street has planted a seed in the open minds of people across the globe. With the right amount of nourishment that seed will grow into a reminder for our generation of something long forgotten: You have a voice.
This country took root when people realized their interests were not being properly represented. Today, not just Americans, but people everywhere are recognizing this repeated truth.
Despite political affiliation, your interests are not priority to the figure heads promising change or freedom. Their interests align with the large corporations and private donors who fund their campaigns. And why wouldn’t they be? If an actual whistle-blower blew, they would run the risk of losing their jobs.
The economic policies of this country are in the interest of profit. Not profit for you and me, but a select few faceless corporations who hold no regard for the health and vitality of this planet. And no matter what a candidate seeking election promises, there will be no change until either a candidate comes forward and says, “I will not stand for the corruption in this system” followed by the booting out of every overpaid politician, or until you, the people, take the power back.
Those of you not concerned with this nation’s debt crisis, the longevity of the planet and the well-being of other people may skip ahead to the Sudoku section. The horoscopes are like, really fun.
For those of you who believe in yourself enough to recognize that you too have a voice, there are many things you can do which don’t involve sleeping at the Statehouse.
Though I do encourage you to stop by and share support, there is one action you could undertake that truly shows your commitment: You should stop buying junk. I know they say our generation is materialistic, but they also said our generation can do anything we set our minds to. Every time you walk into a corporately owned chain store, you support the corruption.
Instead, support your local businesses when you buy things you actually need, and ask them if they support fair trade, because then you’d be ensuring fair treatment of citizens everywhere. Also, close your accounts if you bank with a corporation.
Thomas Jefferson never liked the idea of unregulated national banks and neither should you. Take your money, and put it into a credit union. Credit unions are concerned about you and building your credit.
Finally, educate yourself. Learn everything you can about Occupy, but be weary which media outlet you get it from. Remember, the major media outlets are owned by corporations too. The best resources are user created content. YouTube is a great place to start.
Alone the voices of the compassionate and concerned will go unheard. This is our opportunity to reclaim the American identity as something other than fat and happy. And remember, Rome wasn’t destroyed in a day.
— Aaron Gadbury, Fourth-year English student
