Occupy THIS

So we have the Occupy Movement.  I must admit, I remember this during the 60's in the campus unrest days.  You had the Berrigans bombing ROTC offices on campus, sit-ins, love-ins, some destruction and wanton rioting, you know.  But during all that unrest, the idea was to tell the government to keep their hands off freedoms.  The 60's were about reminding the "powers that be" that the real power was with the people.

Now, point one, I applaud peaceful protest, and even violent protest depending on the situation.  I applaud those excercising their rights as Americans and freedom to assemble and protest.  I think the concept of  this protest iteself is great.  The part of the Occupy Movement (or OM as I'll call it) that bothers me is that it seems this band of protesters, funded and backed by some big money (from big industry, I might add...George Soros anyone?) seem to WANT the government to take over banks, regulate industry and decide how to allocate wealth.  THAT' S scarier than Abbey Hoffman and the Chicago Six (or was it 7?).  It's scarier than the Black Panthers, the John Birch Society and Jehovah's Witnesses....

I fear that these people who would take from the rich and give to the not-so-rich forget, as they surf on their MacBook, update facebook status ("sitting in the rain smoking hookah") on their iPhones, listening to music on their iPods and tweeting such deep thoughts as ("some of the people are urinating out in the open") forget that corporate greed is in direct response to the need of the public to have all this cool stuff, them included.  AND, if you let the government spread the wealth, there won't be any except in the government (and the big businesses supporting those in power).

I'd like all the people in the OM to think a bit about how talented our senators, representatives, the President and his cabinet are at balancing a budget....Now you're thinking.  You really think they can spread the wealth to lift everybody up, or will most of us be taking a big step back?

Maybe instead of trying to bring down big business and big banking, we can switch money to credit unions, sure, fine.  Maybe instead of bringing down big corporations we will invest in those who, rather than squeeze every nickel out of their company to inflate stock prices and fill the pockets of big investors, they will invest in the neighborhoods where they operate, take a bit of a dividend loss to enrich the lives of their employees and others in ways other than financially. 

WE can stop buying stock and products in "evil companies".  Go ahead.  But don't think it's cool to buy goods from foreign companies because we've seen the sweatshops, melamine in formula and other examples by those companies.

Maybe it's time we the people took back our government.  Don't vote for the usual suspects.  Real grass roots involvment would be to find that person who is all about what's right versus who's right.  Hey!  Everyone should run for office for something somewhere.  Get actively involved.  Occupying a spot and spouting rhetoric (blogging) is fine, I give you points for some involvement.  But let's all get really involved and do the hard work to roust all the Republicans and Democrats and put Americans into offices.  Maybe one of those people will be you.  I announce now that I will run for something next time around.  Maybe I can still get some play for President this time around, you never know.  I challenge each of you to do it, too.

And, as always my friends, May God Bless you and keep you.  Know that beyond corporate bail-outs, partisan politics and just crazy-ass stuff in this world, there is One who you can count on.  When this stuff gets you down, cry out to Jesus, let him know you're scared or hurting or worried.  Wait on His Presence quietly.  And let Him lead you through the hard work it takes to make a world better.  See 'ya.