Forum Post: Why Occupy Wall Street?
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 16, 2011, 4:36 a.m. EST by proter9001
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Hello so I haven’t been able to find out what Occupy Wall Street is about by doing some research. So if you don’t mind I have a few questions for you. Why? I mostly want to know what it’s about, that and if I agree with what you guys are about I would like to join and help you. So here goes.
Why are you protesting/ joining this movement?
Who or what are you protesting? (E.g. Wall Street and what they are doing.)
What do you want to change about it?
How do you plan to change it?
Do you think this is the best way to protest it?
Any other thoughts or comments on the subject?
My reason to protest is that I feel that America as a whole places too much value on wealth. This becomes particularly damaging when those that are in control of our major industries focus more on maximizing this quarters profits, so that they get a bigger bonus, instead of focusing on growing a company that provides a good service and creates meaning ful jobs. Yes corporations have a responsibility to shareholders, and their customers but they also have a responsibility to create jobs that pay well for americans.
I think I will personally protest my current employer. That would be Walmart,
For a start I would like for the company I work for to simply hire more people. I work in a store that makes over $100 million dollars a year. taking an extra 1% of that (that's 1 million dollars) and placing it into jobs, would create 40 new jobs at $25,000 a year. Now if every store in the walmart chain did that... it would take a big bite out of unemployment, and when unemployment decreases wages begin to increase. My second demand would be for a system that limits the bonus of the individual store directors based on their approval ratings from their yearly emplyee evaluations. If they are sacrificing the well being of their employees to boost profits then maybe they shouldn't keep their extra earnings.
I think I will start by writing letters to the board of directors of my employer. Already I have3 started discourses with my supervisors at multiple levels. I know it's a longshot at actually effecting any change... but just maybe the protests in New York and around the world will encourage the walmart execs to think about spending a little more money on the salaries of the people working for them.
At this stage its important that we start doing SOMETHING. Even if things look rather mixed up and confused, it's a defenite improvement over the apathy thats pevaded the lives of so many Americans.
When it comes down to it this movement is about changing the WORLDS values system. This is such a huge issue that you can't just sum it up as a dinky list of demands. There are so many issues with so many components that we realistically need to each choose our pet projects and accept that not everyone has the exact same issues as us. Each of us needs to look at our own personal world and figure out what we can actually effect.
1) I believe that people are more important than profits and that we should all have a fair shot at having a life worth living and not just worrying about "getting by" or "making ends meet"
2) I'm protesting the unfair influence that the 1% has over the rest of our lives
3) I want my voice to be bigger than the checks written to politicians
4) Occupation
5) It is the most visible. We are the 99%.
6) #5 kinda sounded like the borg from star trek... :-\