Forum Post: A message to OWS

Let me start off by saying that I agree with what you are fighting for. I support your efforts 100%. That being said, I have become increasingly frustrated with the Occupy protests. Here is why:

• I understand the whole leaderless idea but the fact of the matter is that if you want to effect real, positive change you will have to have some leaders. People that others can rally around and people that can offer direction and knowledge for accomplishing specific goals.

• Speaking of goals. You have to have them. I understand the whole idea that the movement is supposed to represent issues across the board. But in order to get anything done you have to get specific. How does one fix a problem when they can't pinpoint what the problem is? (This is just a rhetorical question focused on the issue that arises when you try to take the issues exposed by OWS and try to turn them into real change at the public policy level.) Just occupying places, like the "sit-ins" of the '60s, is just a start but cannot be the end all be all for the movement. The movement needs to show it has a presence but it also needs to show it's smart and can offer some solutions.

• Lastly, I'm frustrated because the occupy movements haven't adapted to incorporate the points I just mentioned. Occupy seems to be stuck to this ideal of a leaderless, faceless movement without specific goals or demands. The movement needs to adapt and do what is going to work best for accomplishing what it is that many people want: A new America. I understand modeling the movement after the Arab Spring but what worked for them may not work for us. We have a model that did work for us in this country: The Civil Rights movement. This movement had goals and had leaders.

The movement needs to begin to organize or I'm afraid it will peter out and begin to alienate itself from the people it's trying to empower: Middle America. Occupy has done some great things so far but moving forward it needs to evolve. Without organization a movement quickly becomes a mob. And a mob is not what this country needs to put it back together.

Some of you may enjoy watching this video. It's Van Jones not necessarily giving a lecture specifically on the OWS protests but referencing them quite a bit and giving his advice to the direction of the movement. This man would be a good person to listen to.

http://vimeo.com/33057215

Thanks for listening. Power to the movement!

Regards, Daniel