Letter to the Editor

OWS Misrepresented

Fact - 14 million Americans are unemployed.

Fact - 10 million more Americans are under-employed or no longer looking for a job.

 Fact - 46% of Americans live below the poverty level of $22,314 for a family of four.

Fact - 1% of Americans control 42% of the wealth

Fact - 10% of Americans control 93% of the wealth.

Fact - Since 1979, the average pre-tax income for the 1% rose by over $700,000 - the 99% dropped by $900.

A recent letter writer described the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) demonstrators as "hygienically challenged, ignorant kids" who have left home to camp out near Wall Street to protest the richest 1%. If the writer took the time to attend an OWS demonstration or view the hundreds of videos of the demonstrations, he would find that the OWS demonstrators are from all walks of life, and represent every age, race, color, and creed.

The writer tries to blame President Obama for "leading the charge" of the OWS protestors, when if fact, these protests are not politically partisan, but in fact against all politicians who are in the pocket of big business for campaign funds, President Obama included.

The writer says that OWS is nothing more than the birth of a new kind of tea party. The writer says that the tea party wants less government, but the tea party wants the government to prohibit abortion, birth control, and planned parenthood. The writer says the tea party wants less regulation, when in fact less regulation of Wall Street allowed the greed that has depressed our economy. The writer says the tea party wants less government spending, but aren't afraid to spend millions on wars,and millions more to bail out the big banks.

Finally the writer says, "the Wall Street Mob wants more - more government and more of other people's money." The OWS demonstrators seek a wide variety of changes in the status quo. Some want a job and the opportunity to provide for their families. Some want "big money" out of politics. Some want politicians to keep their hands off of medicare and social security. Some want politicians to keep their hands off of their long fought for workers rights. Some want the U.S. out of the war business. Some want universal health care. Some want the 1% to pay their fair share of taxes. Some want the 1% to stop outsourcing jobs to other countries to increase their profits. Some want Wall Street prosecuted for their part in the collapse of the economy. The list goes on and on. "More of other people's money" isn't on the list.

The OWS is democracy in action. People are hurting. People are unemployed. Many are moving in with relatives. Many don't have medical insurance. Innocent children suffer. The average person don't see their representative government representing them and their concerns. So the only resort is to protest. And they are being heard. Bank of America has chosen not to start to charge for ATM card usage. Politicians from both sides are now talking about it. The 1%ers in Chicago dropped McDonalds applications on demonstrators. Get involved. Join in. Return true representative government to America.