Occupy Wall Street #2

The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement is working and I hope they don’t give up. The 1% can’t attack them directly so they are using politicians (they paid for them so they may as well use them) to try to break them up. Politicians can’t force anyone to do anything but they can have the police do it for them. These cops, for whatever reason, appear to have a huge chip on their shoulders. If you look at the footage of the government’s response to crowds in the Middle East and northern Africa to that of the government’s response to the OWS movement there is not much difference. The police are brutal to unarmed and peaceful protesters because they know they can get away with it. Not all police act this way but when they don’t speak out against those that do, nothing will change. My point is they are acting just like the governments in countries that we say need to be changed. The excessive use of force doesn’t seem to be working. So far it only seems to be making more people come out.

I was talking to a guy on Saturday night and he said he was against OWS because they want something for nothing and they are just lazy. He went on to say that they are nasty, stinky, disrupting business and not spending any money. I didn’t even bother to disagree with him because I felt it would be a waste of time because his mind was already made up. I just walked away from him laughing to myself. He is allowing himself to be caught up in the little things and not seeing the bigger picture. If you do the opposite of the things he complained about then it would not be much of a movement. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion and that is what I write, my opinion.

The OWS movement is about fairness and that is subjective. They feel that over the past few decades’ workers have been asked to do more work with less people for the same pay and that is not fair. The 1% feels that is fair because they take the risk at starting a business. What is fair depends on how you look at it.

When I hear The Newt say that children should be janitors at school to save the school money and hear people agree with him tells me that I see the world through different glasses. The sad thing is there are people that would vote for him and complain when their child has to work at school. What is fair depends on how you look at it.

Veterans Day

Veteran’s Day is a holiday to honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces. Having served and retired from the military I know the sacrifices are large and the rewards are small. These people do an OUTSTANDING job and this country should show more appreciation.

I was ashamed to see Senator Jim DeMint from South Carolina say "We're pandering to different political groups with programs that have proven to be ineffective," DeMint said on the Senate floor. "All Americans deserve the same opportunity to get hired. I cannot support this tax credit because I do not believe the government should privilege one American over another when it comes to work." This is the same guy that complained in 2007 about Democratic legislation to pull the troops out of Iraq. He is all for using troops but against rewarding them for their efforts. To be fair he did end the end vote for the veteran jobs bill.

If there is a group that should be pandered to it is Veterans. Without them there would be no US. I say that not because I am one of them but because it is FACT. We can disagree about deserved compensation for their service to this country but not about their worth to our freedom. Having a military is not an option that we get to debate. Those who serve in our military are people with lives just as complex as yours and comments like Mr. DeMint’s is an insult to their patriotism.

As I sit here I would like to explain what it is like to serve in the military but I can’t. I don’t know how to put it into words, if it is even possible. Knowing that you are a part of something that is essential to the wellbeing of those you love and those seeking to profit from your labor. Knowing you are a part of a group of people that would give their life to save yours and also knowing that you may be asked to do the same. It is a sense of being that I don’t think you can find anywhere else. It’s a beautiful thing. That is why the military call themselves family. If you have a close family then you may be able to understand that it is a closeness that only those inside can truly comprehend.

Also know that many of those veterans you see have been put in situations they don’t talk about. If they choose to share any of them with you, don’t judge them just listen. They wear scars that you cannot see. They wear them for you.

This Veteran’s Day show some love to those who wear the military uniform, both past and present. Give them (not me) a thank you from your heart. They work and worked for you.