Op-Ed

Kristian Stipe

3/11/12

Mackenzie

Write 101

#Occupy Logic

Since The Occupy Wall Street movement got starred in September 2011 the movement has gained a very large following and have had many goals. To raise awareness about the lengthening gap of economic imbalance our nation is facing, leading to the ever so trend setting “We are the 99%.” The main way they decided they were going to make themselves heard was no ordinary protest. They organized a long term protest to sit outside on Wall Street in hopes of slowing down the people working at the stock market and make them wonder what they were really doing to our economy. It was Widely successful and televised and reported on a great deal, and with the increase in popularity the #Occupy Movement spread across the nation, even branching into our own backyard of Missoula, MT. Once it reached the smaller cities like Missoula, people started camping outside of city halls and libraries to protest, since they didn’t have anything so consequential as Wall Street, and show their support.

 

Looking back on it a lot of people were very gung ho about it, but after a while it died out. Instead of making a statement about how there is a large social and economic gap in our society, it is now just a bunch of people camping outside of town halls all across the Nation. When was the last time you heard anything about the Occupy Wall Street? Personally, it has been a while. It took a long time to even figure out if the original Occupy Wall Street in New York was even still happening. They have just become background noise that no one is listening to or cares about any more.

When searching for more news about the Occupy movement, the only thing that came up was that the Occupy Wall Street is ruing out of money. “The group had $44,828 for the week ending of March 2nd in their general fund; and an additional $90,000 set aside strictly to bail out protestors during their planned 'American Spring' protests. The group only raised about $1,500 in the same week while spending about $45,000 on the group's kitchen, street medics, New York bus and subway passes, and printing costs.” (1) I believe their process was all wrong. Whether you agree with the movement or not I believe we call all say that it was not as big of a success as people originally hoped it would become.

I believe that instead of staying there indefinably, and just making our city hall look like a hobo hut, the entire movement should have protested for a short amount of time. Even if it was a week long protest, finish the protest, but promise to return next month and the month after that, until things have been changed. That way the news and social medias could actually do a story about in every now and then instead of just letting it die. A news report loses interest if it is always the same. “Sure enough Bob, they are still here, and they still support the same causes. Now back to you in the studio.”

If the movement would have done this they could have avoided a lot of problems that they have faced. They would have not faced the financial issues they are aright now. They would not have to pay for food, or the kitchen, because there would not be protestors living there constantly. They would also not run into the much more important issue of loosing steam with the public, the media, and other protestors. Along with the loss of support the movement also lost a lot of financial backing from donors.

(1) Cabrera, Claudio E. "Is Occupy Wall Street Running Out of Money?" The Root. 11 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.theroot.com/occupy-wall-street-no-money-left>.