By Bill Shein
October 4, 2011
Those bewildered by the absence of so-called “demands” from the young people at the heart of the “Occupy Wall Street” protest movement – now sweeping the nation with welcome speed – should pay closer attention. Because we’ve never seen anything like this.
Listen to what is being discussed in their egalitarian, consensus-based general assemblies, which are broadcast online twice a day. (Everything about Occupy Wall Street is open, public, and transparent – as democracy should be.)
Understand the commitment of those sleeping in the cold and rain under plastic tarps by reading what they’re posting on their websites, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.
Appreciate the diversity of those in the streets, whether they are anti-corporate campaigners, unemployed construction workers, laid-off teachers, debt-laden students, or grandmothers speaking out against permanent war.
And then join them for an hour or a day or a week, in New York or Boston or on your town’s Main Street. You’ll discover that this is not about passing a few laws, tweaking some Wall Street regulations, or even, at this point, attempting to change anything by reaching for the levers of our political system. Because for now, at least, those levers are only accessible for a fee, payable in advance, please, with $2,500 checks made out to the re-election committee, thank you very much.
What we’re witnessing, and many are participating in, is the beginning of a revolution for true democracy. Those in power who drove our country off the rails, as well as those whose response has been weak and ineffectual, focus on “demands” because that’s what they’re used to: Demands from those who write checks and send lobbyists.
The Occupy Wall Street movement is not about a single issue or policy prescription, though surely some specifics will emerge in its wake. Yes, we need to re-balance the tax code to properly and fairly fund the shared infrastructure of our society and guarantee the well-being of our citizens. Of course we need to remove the boot of unregulated campaign money that’s standing on the windpipe of democracy. And of course we need to amend the Constitution so that living human beings, and not corporations, have the exclusive right to participate in our democratic processes.
But are the protesters “uninformed,” as some suggest, because they’re not offering up five-point plans or specific legislative language? The question misses the point.
The young people in New York’s Liberty Square are informed with the knowledge that unemployment among their peers is at least double the national rate, with no relief in sight. They’re informed by the painful reality of mountains of student-loan debt. They know that prior generations have warmed the planet, but their generation will suffer the consequences if nothing is done. They know that millions have lost homes and jobs and retirement savings while an elite few were bailed out to return to business-as-usual. What more do they need to know?
Under the banner of “The Other 99 Percent,” these nonviolent activists, increasingly accompanied by Americans of all colors and ages and incomes, are showing us what love of country – and love of our fellow citizens – should look like.
Not coincidentally, these young people are among those most affected by new photo-ID requirements for voting that were fast-tracked through many state legislatures this year. Thus, those most likely to vote against the unacceptable status quo are being systematically excluded from democratic participation. Without money, and without a meaningful voice in elections, they’ve instead taken to the streets, their bodies and voices standing in for empty wallets and blocked ballots.
How many of today’s elected officials would be at home alongside protesters calling for broad democratic reforms, an end to militarism, and an economy that works for all of us? Not many. Standing in front of these growing crowds, what would they say? “I wish I could help, but I’m only willing to consider marginal changes. But have fun with your little protest!”
There’s nothing little, though, about this burgeoning movement. The tens of thousands already participating in Occupy Wall Street actions across the country are shining a bright light on many things we need to see, discuss, and then address.
So walk toward the light, America. Because the time for illumination has arrived.
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Bill Shein believes the light from Occupy Wall Street is so bright that Americans will have to wear shades.
