Cutting through the rhetioric on both sides
The New York Times ( as it is prone to do) hit one out of the park this morning regarding the recent Occupy Wall Street movement. Basically, they appeared to randomly draw two people from each side of the battle -- a protestor and a stockbroker -- and have them meet to face-to-face.
The results were startling and yet not. The "protester" was from a more prominent and well-to-do background than the stockbroker. The protester apparently in an effort to garner a sense of camaraderie told the stockbroker he played squash -- a game for the rich. The stockbroker said he actually played hockey growing up -- a sign that he was a working man. The protester though was more happy with his life of not wearing shoes and living in a park. The stockbroker, for what it is worth, seemed a little defeated by his life.
Why is this important and what does it mean. The Occupy Wall Street campaign for the most part has divided America into two camps. There is one side that decries the protesters as lazy, good-for-nothing, political operatives with an agenda for socialism. The other side says no, the protesters represent all walks of life and represent America. They are patriots. The snark on both sides is heavy. Just watch a social media feed for a little while and that is evident. Pictures of protesters with superimposed images of the corporations they claim to hate yet are abundantly being used to protest. There are jokes about uber rich people like Kanye West throwing support. There are religious and thematic battles.
In the end, both sides are right and both sides are wrong. It is easy to make sweeping generalizations about the other side that are harsh. It keeps everyone from finding a solution to the problems are country faces. Who benefits from not finding a solution? Think about that the next time you get caught up in the rhetoric of your movement. Are you helping America or hurting it by spreading angry lies?
The results were startling and yet not. The "protester" was from a more prominent and well-to-do background than the stockbroker. The protester apparently in an effort to garner a sense of camaraderie told the stockbroker he played squash -- a game for the rich. The stockbroker said he actually played hockey growing up -- a sign that he was a working man. The protester though was more happy with his life of not wearing shoes and living in a park. The stockbroker, for what it is worth, seemed a little defeated by his life.
Why is this important and what does it mean. The Occupy Wall Street campaign for the most part has divided America into two camps. There is one side that decries the protesters as lazy, good-for-nothing, political operatives with an agenda for socialism. The other side says no, the protesters represent all walks of life and represent America. They are patriots. The snark on both sides is heavy. Just watch a social media feed for a little while and that is evident. Pictures of protesters with superimposed images of the corporations they claim to hate yet are abundantly being used to protest. There are jokes about uber rich people like Kanye West throwing support. There are religious and thematic battles.
In the end, both sides are right and both sides are wrong. It is easy to make sweeping generalizations about the other side that are harsh. It keeps everyone from finding a solution to the problems are country faces. Who benefits from not finding a solution? Think about that the next time you get caught up in the rhetoric of your movement. Are you helping America or hurting it by spreading angry lies?
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