Today a warm and sunny Tuesday in Arkansas, I decided to see
for myself what the Occupy ‘Wall Street’ movement was all about. I had heard
from local news sources that the local protest group would be spending the day
posted up on the steps of the Capitol building in Little Rock protesting the
inequality of the 1%, and the lack of representation they have in the political
arena. Upon arriving at the Capitol I was surprised to see only five normal
looking folks sitting in lawn chairs under a tree holding a large American
flag. The five individuals were more than willing to have a conversation about
what they were trying to accomplish.
Of course, the first question I asked was, what does your
movement hope to accomplish? The answer was not surprising, “To have our voices
heard and eventually change the country for generations to come” they said. I asked if having a voice was more of what
they are trying to accomplish, or if they really expect to change things. They
responded unanimously saying they all want change to come from their movement.
The Media and Police
The Occupy movement in Little Rock have been given an
eviction notice for May 17th, and subsequently things are heating up
with the police. Even simple symbolic acts such as moving a small tent onto the
lawn of the Capitol brought threats of arrest from the police securing the
building to the protesters. I asked the group what they expect to happen the
day of eviction, “Some of us will be arrested” said Dave, a man is his late
40s. “But we will go peacefully and let them hall us away.”
Those I spoke with today feel the media has given them fair
coverage even staying a few nights in their encampment. This is refreshing as
most national media outlets have blocked out the movement, or offered their
spin on it. Granted, this attitude of peaceful understanding between the media
and the movement is expressed only here from the local movement, and cannot
speak for the nation’s protesters as a whole.
More than Just Protesters
I learned today how the occupy movement is more than a bunch
of rebel rousers looking for a confrontation with police. They are real people
with real problems. I found it especially touching as Luke, one of the more vocal
occupiers there, took out his worn and tattered personal copy of the Declaration
of Independence and said, “Everything that is now happening is the complete opposite
of this.” How true that statement is. Towards the end of my time with occupy
Little Rock Dave, an everyday looking man who once owned a successful
construction company, wanted to tell us a story. He said, “Have you heard the
one about the man who had a heart attack and his insurance dropped him, and he
endured it? He had another heart attack and endured that one, and another one
enduring it as well. Finally, he had a quadruple bypass surgery subsequently losing
everything.” Pulling up his shirt exposing a long scar running down his chest
he said, “That guy was me”. Tears welled up in his eyes as he reflected on the
inequality of his situation, working his entire life only to lose it all due to
high medical bills. “If I had died from the first heart attack my family might
have something. My finance would still have our house, my children would be
able to go to college. It would have been better for me to die than to endure.”
How sad it is that we cannot even rely on our government to make provisions for
the sick in our communities. Is it any wonder there is growing distention in American?
In fact, it is shocking that more individuals are not speaking out against the
injustice all around us.
I will be following up with Occupy Little Rock in the weeks
ahead, planning to be there the day of their eviction. Undoubtedly, people will be arrested as the
group has no intention of moving out of the current encampment. If you want to know more about Occupy Little Rock check out their page @ http://occupylr.org/blog/
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