Perspectives

“Hell no, we won’t go!” It would be hard not to understand what protestors (men, in this case, or the women who loved them) wanted when they marched against the Vietnam War in the 1960s. There was no confusion as to the public message. I’ve watched with interest the Occupy Wall Street movement and have listened to the criticism by some that the people involved are unwashed, unruly and unsavory. Who says history doesn’t repeat itself? But mostly I’ve listened for the message. What specifically do “they” want? For themselves, for America?

The following is an attempt at capturing what I believe the protest is about, what is at stake and what needs to be done first.

Another criticism of OWS is that its message is unclear. That it is a nebulous criticism of capitalism run amok, about economic injustice.

I unequivocally believe special interests have their finger on the scale and their hand in the till. That we’re being slipped a very real shiv in our backs by “smiling faces.” That America is being betrayed — tragically — while betraying itself.

Let me explain that last sentence. I write this at 3:24 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15. My stomach is upset from cancer treatments and my sleeping is fitful. I’ll be fine long-term, but I use my specific life as an example of who is participating in the betrayal of America. People exactly like me. People who are busy. Who have “things” on their plate. Other things to do, life to enjoy. People who are living the good life — the educated, advantaged, the relatively well off — people who know better while “Rome” burns.

America is being looted not by invading Huns (or al-Qaida) but by our fellow Americans. We witness it every day. We read about it in our newspapers. We have it shoved in our faces on TV’s “60 Minutes” (see Nov. 13 show on congressional insider-trading — just another congressional perk). We witness it in our closing factories and in our unemployed and laid off.

We witness it in our rising poverty numbers and our shrinking middle class. We see it as our progressive tax code becomes less so. We see it when banks and Wall Street are beneficiaries of socialism, yet people are reduced by the harsh realities of unfettered capitalism. We see it when corporations have the same rights as people.

We see it when we privatize our government, roads and prisons. Prisons full of black men. We experience it when we forsake our environment by deregulating our air/water standards. We do that for whom exactly?

We witness it when our elected officials are outed doing sweetheart deals (legislation/regulation) for their donors/lobbyists. Or, when they personally benefit from their “public” service. (See Wekiva Parkway leg of Orlando Expressway.) We see it when 1 percent of the population owns 40 percent (and growing) of the pie.

We see it when our age is justly compared to the Gilded Age of robber barons. We see it when we elect crooks to office. We see it when unions and collective bargaining are characterized as un-American. We see it in our decaying infrastructure. Such a metaphor for America.

We are culpable when we blame everyone but ourselves. If America were a woman, she’s being relentlessly, repeatedly raped. We hear her screams. “Can you hear me now?”

We continue to turn our backs at our own peril.