Occupy Wall Street: The Organizing Experience

As a freshman at a large private university in Upstate New York, I watched the
events of 9/11 unfold from my dorm.

Once the war began, I recall the protests that took place in the “Quad” against it.
Daily a group of students would set-up a tent and would hand out flyers with
the most up-to-date numbers of soldiers killed. I admired that this group of
protesters were so committed to raising awareness. Yet, I was not ready to join
them. Though I had graduated high school with honors, I still lacked an understanding of politics and much less about foreign policy.

We are now coming face to face with the reality that hard work cannot compete with corporate greed and their lobbying power that sabotages democracy and systems established to benefit only a few. We finally have something we can understand because we’re living it; the reality is that the majority of us are not “the select few.”

The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement is impressive. With so many bodies in one place, how can general assemblies be organized twice a day where decisions are made that are considerate of everyone’s input? That is not reflective of anything disorderly but rather a celebration of democracy. Talents of people are at work and from their skills worldwide attention has been accomplished.

The momentum is undeniable as these protests are replicated. The message is getting through. The experiences of the 99 percent are the validation of the deceptions and abuses that the one percent has originated or simply benefitted from.