Wednesday, October 26, 2011

An Australian's note on the Occupy protests

Occupy Oakland*
I haven't been following the protests on the news, or through regular internet channels, all of my knowledge and information has come straight out of tumblr and twitter. As a result I probably don't know much about the who, what, when, where, why and how but what I do get is the raw passion, emotion and determination that is surrounding most of these protests in the US. Speaking as an Australian who has never been to the States, and knows only a handful of you guys in the flesh, one of the problems in recent years is that all that seemed to come out of the US, (on the tv, in the news etc) was endless greed, stupidity, consumerism, hate and every kind of ism you could imagine. I'm not saying the whole country is that way, of course it isn't, but thanks to your last president, the majority of news coverage showed a massive world power who seemed like a two year old on a sugar rush. I've read a few news articles where people have called the protesters "hippies" (seriously, still?) or "bored trust-fund kids," but twitter and tumblr show a different story. Instead I see men and women, old and young, straight and gay, liberal and conservative, people of all races and and education levels and backgrounds standing up and demanding the right for a voice in a country which has been drowned out for far too long by a minority of people who believe they're the only ones who deserve the right to speak, or to act. Historically, America was always the country that refused to take it lying down. The most inspiring Americans are those who stood up for what they believed in, the Rosa Parks and Martin Luther Kings, it's in your blood to fight for your rights, and to fight for equality. It's a beautiful thing to see that coming back after so many years of almost zombie-like apathy, to see you all unified, emotional and believing in something. I've spent hours on Tumblr utterly inspired by the pictures and quotes coming out of the Occupy movements. Keep it up America, you're amazing my pants off right now.

*Navyman, copy of the US constitution in hand, stands and faces riot police after they fire tear gas.



5 comments:

  1. I loved reading this post. Thank you. It is often overwhelming (in a good way) to see my friends and neighbors and coworkers talking about and participating in the Occupy movement.

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  2. Hippies as an insult? Really? My main wish in life is to have been a teen in the sixties so I could be a proper hippy! Also, go America (and the English people occupying the London Stock Exchange!)

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  3. Thanks Crowe, it's something that's been running through my head lately and I felt like I really needed to put it down on paper...err, digital blog space. It's really blowing my mind to see all the pictures and quotes coming out of the various protests.

    Laura, I know right! I always thought I'd been born into the wrong decade, the 60s were always my ideal era, and while I have no desire to live on one of those hippie communes, I'd rather be called a hippie than a US banker!

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  4. I loved your blurb on this! To be perfectly honest, even living in America, I have not paid much attention to this, because I figured it was just a bunch of whack-jobs out protesting. You have definitely put this in another light for me, and I might have to throw off my apathy and check this out a bit more! Thank you! Hope you don't mind, but sharing your post!

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  5. I definitely don't mind, share away Kate! I'm glad I was able to show a different perspective :)

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