Occupy Denver: Future Middle-Class Calls for Help

Corporate America is finally getting treated to its Arab Spring. Will it listen?

"Occupy Wall Street" is an informal movement of young people (college graduates without jobs commensurate to their education; activists without any other cause to jump on; victims of a Wall Street-induced financial crisis in 2008 for which no one has been held accountable but foreclosed home owners) gathering in a Manhattan park over the past two weeks to protest everything in their lives that makes them miserable.

And the movement is spreading as it should across the nation. The Denver Post wrote a short story about a demonstration held here yesterday that gathered 50 people at Broadway and Colfax, and then marched to the Federal Reserve building on the 16th Street Mall.

I've written about the growing efficacy of peaceful demonstrations around the world. And I've written about how the American poor and lower middle class gained nothing from the boom times that preceded the 2008-2009 Great Recession, but were the first to be punished for it by banks that recklessly lent them starter-home money just to collect the fees charged during a home purchase.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is a reflection of young peoples' dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama's cautionary approach to fulfilling his campaign promise of "hope and change."

If we're lucky, it may spread and grow through Election Day 2012, but unlike the Tea Party, set the country on a correct path out of our economic problems: taxing Wall Street millionaires who ripped off the country during the boom; passing a jobs act that puts more middle-class tradesmen and women to work and keeps teachers in their classrooms, and firefighters, policemen and other first-responders on the job; and offers small businesses tax credits to stimulate hiring.

America deserves the Occupy Wall Street movement on so many levels; it should only be happy its young citizens are taking to the streets to speak to power. If it accomplishes its amorphous ends, the movement will have provided the X and Y and Z-generations of Americans their own versions of the Peace and Civil Rights movements of the 1960s youth rebellion in these United States.

Have at it kids. It's your time.

 

 

 

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Comments

[Crystal Sulik]

09:55 AM on 10/09/2011

The crowd yesterday was more like 600 (about 550 more than reported), with police support because they are also part of the 99%. Bull horns, fog horns and car horns with crowd chants could be heard at 7am this Sunday 38 degree morning, and it's still going strong. This is a message that cannot be ignored. The talking heads and corporate news suits are only addressing and placating the 1%, and the 1% don't spend money like the 99% used to. The real story is the voice of the people, by the people and for the people. Congress, the President and the media no longer hear or speak for us.

[Robert Schwab]

12:45 PM on 10/09/2011

Thanks Crystal, you are absolutely correct. And so are the police. And firefighters and EMTs, teachers and carpenters and electricians and hair dressers, and waiters and actors and everybody else among us who struggle to survive financially in this unfairly skewed world. But the 1% don't see that. They think the world is supposed to be skewed in their favor because that's what the free market does to the world.

[1Harleymcb]

09:49 AM on 10/06/2011

The current state of our economy isn't only affecting the young people, we all need to get involved in this movement. I'm 64 and have watched the middle class shrink and the corporations and our government sending us down the "crapper" for the last 40 years. I was an avid protester in the 60's and 70's and am happy to see people finally getting out from in front of the tv and organizing! Keep it up!

[aicequeen36]

01:38 AM on 10/05/2011

I feel strongly that we should follow in Egypt's footsteps. I am sick of the non productive and indecisive government that our tax dollars are paying for.The problem is that when you fire the government the entire country stops.We should be aware that things will get a lot worse before they get better. We need to have two presidents..every election..one to handle our countrys social economic and infrastructure issues and one to handle war and foreign relations and import and export issues ect.. Then we need to down size congress..let them collect unemployment..and see if they can keep their houses cars and families going on that.Again..just sick of the way things have gotten so bad so fast and the government not having any balls to make a decision and unify as a team for the people they work for!

[Michael J Simmons]

01:57 PM on 10/05/2011

They have a team, it is for them and those who have supported them financially. But I do agree with you! We do need to step forth and get the attention of Corporate America and also Political America that we as a people are to be recognized not as numbers to be crunched and codified but as people as human beings.

[Robert Schwab]

03:06 PM on 10/05/2011

Hey , aicequeen36,
thanks for the comment. I especially like the part about firing Congress and letting them go on unemployment, or seek a mortgage modification. Think about that!