OCCUPY WALL STREET: MY OPINION

OCCUPY WALL STREET MOVEMENT: MY THOUGHTS

My opinion.

If you've been following the news for the last month, chances are that you've probably caught a glimpse of the "Occupy Wall Street" movement that has caught fire across the country. The protester's message, according to their website, focuses on protesting corporate greed, equality for everyone, and corruption. They say they represent the 99% of the people in America as they believe that all the privileges, opportunities, and wealth, has stayed and risen to the top 1% in America.

On the surface, their message would seem as though it would be very easy to stand by. Why, who wouldn't be against equality and corruption? And what about those greedy corporations who favor making money over giving more jobs to the middle class? Profit is evil. Businessmen are evil. Bankers and CEO's are at the top of the list when it comes to people to hate. After all, in the movies, the bad guy is always some wealthy businessman who must have more than just money. He must have power, control over society, and must pollute the world!

Really?

I'm a businessman. And I've been one since I was 19 years old. I love making a profit and hate losing money. When it comes to taxes, I fall pretty close to that top margin that pays close to 50% of their income to the government. I own stocks, silver, and other commodities. I am whom they consider "wealthy." The bad guy. The evil businessman who trades stocks, speculates on real estate, and cares about profits....

I'm evil.... Really?

The truth behind it all is that the protesters of Occupy Wall Street stand united behind a message that is given to the public, out of context. On the surface, they may very well seem to share the same message as the Tea Party, as they are against Corporate Bailouts. But they are not telling us the full story. The Tea Party stands against all forms of excessive government spending. They don't want the government to spend money on corporations, nationalized health care, subsidies, or any form of government handouts. The "Occupy Wall Street Movement" doesn't want Corporations to get bailed out, but instead, they, the protesters, want to get bailed out by the government, businessmen, and corporations. They want to tax the wealthy because they can afford it, and they want that money in forms of handouts.

The protesters have had a very hard life. Many have lost jobs and have mounds of debt. But these people point the finger at everyone else except themselves. They claim they can't find a job that pays well because corporations only care about money. Now, maybe companies won't hire them because they don't have the skills needed for that position. Or maybe, they won't hire a modern day hippy that doesn't care about making that company money.

Some protesters are in debt. Now whose fault is that? The wealthy? It's not my fault those people borrowed too much and overspent on their credit card. I don't even own a credit card because I know that cash is king. I don't want over reach myself when I go shopping.

The protesters say Wall Street is "stealing the American Dream." How exactly does one steal a dream? Is that even possible? And hasn't Wall Street given the American Dream to many Americans? Wall Street has turned more ordinary people into millionaires and billionaires in America. Wall Street turned home based garage built businesses such as Microsoft and Apple, into companies that changed the world. They provided the capital to turn small car companies like Ford, into what they are today. Without Wall Street, there would be no America.

Unfortunately, the Occupy Wall Street movement doesn't seem anywhere close to ending because they don't know how to succeed in life. I wish that these kids, these protesters, would just get a clue. Anyone can attain the American Dream. Despite what the government does, what Wall Street does, all it takes to attain the American dream is hard work, skills, and the ability to problem solve.

I graduated at the bottom of my class in High School. I went to one semester of college then dropped out. I went into business for myself at the age of 19 and lost a lot of money for years. I stuck though the hard times, learned from my mistakes, and now I'm a successful businessman. No one stole my dream when I failed, and no one gave it to me when I succeeded.

As the protest grows, and each day passes, it becomes more obvious to me that those who occupy Wall Street don't have much gray matter occupying the space between their ears. They are trying to attain the American Dream by protesting instead of learning a skill, getting a job, spending within their means, or saving and investing their money.

It's been four weeks hippies. Four weeks. Stop pounding on that drum. Pull up your pants, comb your hair, and get a job.


Steve Young