The Evolution of Wall Street

Throughout the past spring and summer I kept watching, anxiously, as countries in Northern Africa, as well as others, began to rebel against the government. Granted the protests and eventual riots were acted out due the type of government in place of that particular country. Either way, I was in awe and in defense of these protestors. I believed in what they were doing and still do. I remember thinking though if I would ever be involved in protests or riots amongst other things. I wondered if I would ever have to protest here in  the United States against the massively large government that I ever so disagree with. I wondered if I would ever be able to protest against the unequal/unfair economy that this country has to offer. Well a few months later I was one of the people walking through the streets of Providence, marching up the State House steps, and voicing my true opinion about this countries major issues.

Occupy Wall Street started off small but grew into something very special. Perhaps the best part about this is the fact that it is still growing. More and more protestors began to gather at Wall Street, creating a more bigger solid force of individuals whom all believed in one thing... Greed is Bad... the exact opposite of the line, made famous by Michael Douglas in the movie Wall Street "Greed is Good." Either way Occupy Wall Street is no joke, rather a snow ball effect. It seems as if since the incident on the Brooklyn Bridge, people have finally become aware of the protests. from this point on people all over began to respond to the protests.
Social medians such as facebook, twitter, etc have served as an excellent way of spreading the word of Occupy wall Street. People have responded through writing about it on there facebook, protesting in there closest cities, as well as traveling to New York to protest.  The use of technology has helped this protest in so many ways. For example, there are certain parts of Zuccottii park that are designed by the protestors that have computers, cell phones, and other forms of technology that are devoted to streaming footage captured-not from the media- but from the protestors themselves. This then gives another perspective of the story. For example,  I saw police men, literally punching protestors, spraying women and men in the eyes with maize, a police officer kneeling on a protestors throat, a man being dragged away by his feet, leaving a trail of blood behind him, as well as much more. Its this footage that captures the other side of the protest-granted violence is wrong either way- but it shows how they were/are being treated by the police force, and this is very much indisputable.
Another topic of Occupy Wall Street that has been present in the media is how organized the protest is. Some protests have leaders or don't have leaders, yet either way end up disgruntled and barely planned. However occupy wall street-with its communal leadership- is still alive and well due to its organization. For example, there are sleeping bags, and tent donations everyday. These are divided amongst the people whom need them in order to live and stay well enough to protest. There is also a communal food bank. People arrive with food for the bank. The food is distributed throughout the camp, making sure everyone is fed. There are plenty of meanings pertaining to each protest, but also meetings in general. Perhaps dealing with non-violence and other things. This organization has spread throughout the nation to other protests and was definitely visible in the Providence Protest.
To such a massive protest that has spread throughout the country (and now world), there is of course an exact opposite perspective. Naturally people like Bill O'Reilly have these opposite perspectives. We, the protestors, are lazy, stinky, not smart, not determined, etc. and these are all reasons as to why we don't have jobs. Obviously this is the most hard headed, dim witted perspective a person could have on such a subject. With this being said, I don't understand how people can still think like this. So many people in the media, that I've watch these past few weeks have stated the same things along the lines listed above. With all these statistics and facts that exist today about the economy and the unequal distribution of wealth how can one blame it on us for not being determined? ... either way, Billy O and other people like him are wrong. Yes there are uneducated people in the protests but there are also a lot of educated people...higher education. Am I lazy, stinky, not determined, and a problem then? No. What these people need to realize is that many of the educated are protesting too. We are protesting because it is wrong, what is happening to the country, but also because we fall into the 99%. Just because we very well could get a job (whether it is high paying or not is another topic for discussion), this does not count us out of the 99%. A lot of the anti-wall street people believe it is our fault we are jobless-yet is it our fault if we have jobs, but they do not pay enough to support us?
The best part about following the news of Occupy Wall Street was watching it spread all over the nation. There was an Occupy Boston, Austin, Providence, Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, and more. These have all served to be affective and show that this is a movement spreading all over the country. This spread then led to websites such as "we are the 99%" as well as rebuttal websites "we are the 53%" and "we are the 1%." One of the best things I saw on the news was how there was an Occupy London as well as other protests held in China, Greece, and Italy. This is all an extension from the Arab Spring, to the Occupy Wall Street, to just boiling points of each countries citizens. Either way, this went from a national movement to a world-wide movement and that will always be significant.

People doubt that anything will come of these protests. They will simply whither away and die. Well, I hope the exact opposite and I feel as if this is very much a snowball affect. People just have to believe. Either way, if it dies or moves on and becomes stronger I plan on saying proudly I attended Occupy Providence. I was there, marching through the streets looking at the financial buildings, walking on the Providence Mall side, distracting people from eating, I was there chanting on the steps of the state house for equality. I plan on telling my children that during this protest I felt a stronger presence of my opinion than I ever had through voting. I protested because this is something I am passionate about. I can not come up with all these different economic ways of fixing this or doing that, simply because I hate numbers, math, and anything else that comes with it. But I am still dedicated to protesting and fixing this current economy. I am not saying there shouldn't be rich people, there sure as hell should be. But the difference between rich and poor should be way less, thats a given. I am not saying I want a check at the end of every month from the rich... I don't need there money directly. I am saying there money (through plausible, valid taxation of the rich) could trickle down into the systems, such as banking, business, road works, school systems, agricultural areas, parks and rec., etc. This money will be experienced indirectly by the 99% thus in time canceling that obscene percentage as a whole!

Either way, I am proud to say my generation is on the move and I am apart of it. I feel my voice is being heard, I feel a change coming on, no matter the time it takes, there will be a change.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15326561    Italy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15324901                     England
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UILvHyvCkAg     Bill O'Reilly knckin' the protest...not the video I was hoping to fine but the Turkish TV  does a good job commenting on Bill and his problems
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/wall-street-protests-cross-the-pond/?ref=occupywallstreet England again
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/police-department-to-examine-pepper-spray-incident/?ref=occupywallstreet    abuse of protestors
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/occupying-and-now-publishing-too/?ref=occupywallstreet   Organization of Protestors as well as the strength of Community
http://the53.tumblr.com/   "We are the 53%"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15320416    spread across the world
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/abundant-menu-at-occupy-wall-street/?scp=10&sq=occupy%20wall%20street&st=cse   food for protestors