American Voices Respond To The Occupation

Oct 13th, 2011

There have been some great responses to my recent coverage of the Occupy Chicago movement.

John writes:

"I am a dedicated Tea Partier. I hate socialism. I don't know what these folks want but they are Americans who seem to be mad at the same damn things we are. 


Making fun of them and accusing them of being crazy by choosing to broadcast only their idiots on the edge aint right. I know how they feel. How was it right when we blamed the banks and the stupid bailouts but it's wrong when they do it?"

Trudy writes:

"They don't look like what I have been seeing on TV. Thank you."

Richard writes:

"I find it very interesting that people are now starting to bring up a point that I brought up weeks ago. This resembles how the Tea Party started and, at that point, there were the same sorts of negative postures and comments being made. The issue with that "movement" is that it was co-opted and annexed into the right. They sold out something that had potential and simply feathered the "conservative" nest which, I believe, wasn't what the original intent was. In doing so, I believe they alienated a lot of people, (like myself), who believed that the movement was more Libertarian and pro-democracy in nature. When they did that, and when they sold out to Faux News pundits, they lost a ton of people who, I believe, are hopeful that this movement is more representative."

Steve writes:

"This makes me so mad. I do think most of these folks are socialists. So what? They're Americans too. Like you pointed out, these aren't a bunch of "dope smoking hippies." We need to see more stuff like this."

Connie writes:

"The occupations' ongoing goal is to repair participants' democratic participation and organization skills -- to the point that financial centers will have to reckon with them or gradually lose the labor sources of their money powers."

Bob writes:

"I work at the board of trade. The drums are kind of pissing me off. But these folks are cleaning up after themselves. They're not blocking the sidewalks. They're not yelling at us or treating us like shit. Most of the people I have talked to have asked me to join them. They have been nice. Still hate the fucking drumming."

Christie writes:

"It's about "adjusting" the political "temperature" in this country."