Occupy Protests and Homelessness

It would do Americans well to set aside their biases for a moment and visit the protest camps.

Salem-News.com photo by Tim King

(EUGENE, Ore.) - People, Occupy Protests and The Face of Homeless People, including mainstream news reporters, tend to play down the significance of the protests because so many of the "protesters" are homeless, often involved with alcohol and drug abuse, used to relieve the pain. At first, I was discouraged by this scene, but kept going back to try to understand the root causes and dynamics of the protests.

My views have evolved and I ask myself, Who do we expect to meet in these camps, a bunch of attorneys, doctors, and dentists? Working people? Journalists? I am aware of those, like Chris Hedges, Michael Moore, and Naomi Wolfe who attend and provide lectures and encouragement. Homeless people are easily misunderstood, for they represent everything that is wrong with our society. I have observed and talked with many of these people. Some have good educations, but have lost jobs, homes, healthcare. Some are living what they refer to as, "ouside." Some suffer physical and mental illness. A small percentage are insane and haven't a clue where they are or what they are doing. They somehow feel they fit in with the rest of disenfranchised where they are tolerated.

Most sad is the number of homeless young people who have been ejected from their homes due to parents who are unable to care for them, or because some tough love "therapist" has advised that kicking them out of the house will cure their problems. This has become the predominant "therapy" I suspect because of Social Security's financial inability to assist any but the most severe cases.

This type neglect and homelessness does not exist in European Countries or Canada, where the wealthy class pay sufficient taxes to support fair and proper social networks. While observing the willing social neglect in the US, one must wonder about the character of the American people.

It would do Americans well to set aside their biases for a moment and visit the protest camps. Talk with these people and learn about their worlds and their difficulties. As we learn about their plight, we need to ask ourselves why we and our government representatives have neglected so many people for so long. Though the Occupy protests are focused on Wall Street, those who turned our government over to Wall Street are the men and women in Washington, DC who sold their souls to satisfy their greed.

Previous articles by Wayne Pierce on Salem-News.com

• Oct-17-2011: Crimes, Government Complicity, and Charles Schwab
• Jan-12-2010: Healthcare Costs and Billing: Health Insurance Plans - Wayne Pierce for Salem-News.com
• Jan-08-2010: American Healthcare is Becoming a Dangerous Practice - Wayne Pierce for Salem-News.com
• Dec-26-2009: Is it Too Late for the U.S. Economy? - Wayne Pierce for Salem-News.com
• Nov-08-2007: Outsourcing A Nation's Workforce - Commentary by Wayne Pierce Special to Salem-News.com

You can write to Wayne Pierce at: breeze@wrenfeather.com