Open Letter to the 99%

I am one of you, except that for being old enough I have had the chance to live most of my working life in a more stable economic environment. Now, I am worried and frustrated for the younger generations who have to struggle daily just to figure out which door to knock on while having almost no hope that when they find that door, someone will open it. rnIt is a good effort to hit the streets, Financial Districts, Government Offices and all the places suspected to house those who are either responsible for the status quo or those who have the power to change it. Making a concerted effort to get a maximum of voices out there in a single wave is sure to attract the attention required to get people thinking – and, some public comments by some unexpected voices is evidence that the movement is making an impact. I do have some comments to make. When the day is over those whose attention we want to get, go home to their cozy environment to have a good expensive dinner while watching you on TV. Those who are willing and able will give it some thought before they fall asleep in their warm and comfortable bed. Others may think nothing of it – just some unhappy people making noise. Others, yet, are dead-set against you trying to change anything of the status quo and will spend the night in the comfort of their home trying to find ways and allies to undermine the movement. It occurred to me that while you are on the right track to awaken people about what’s going on and demand real changes, camping in a park or street all night in inclement weather is like adding insult to injury. On top of all your problems you are adding discomfort and maybe sickness that you are unable to afford to have treated by a doctor because you have no insurance. To keep the focus on the primary matters, you need your strength, good health and lucidity. There are plenty of grievances out there. It’s easy to be distracted and get carried away in directions that are not the primary focuses. The current problems cannot be solved with a stroke of a pen by some law-maker. We have a systemic problem that requires a conscientious and courageous effort by well intentioned and knowledgeable law-makers bent on changing the rules to bring us to a better ruled society. While it is good to keep the noise going and keep the momentum, it is even better to find ways to educate people about the roots of the illness and suggest some ways to begin curing it. Patronizing small neighborhood banks (making sure they are not a subsidiary of a big offending one), putting forward the full resumes of political candidates so that the public can make an informed voting decision are among the array of actions that can begin to reshape our society into a more equitable one. I would suggest sharing the time between scheduled gathering at hours when a majority of the targeted audience can take notice, and organizing at local levels to help the population take appropriate actions and choose the political leaders that can bring about the changes needed Odette Murat