Occupy Wall Street: The Gift
Occupy Wall Street is movement that is spreading like a wildfire. This brief article is not meant to render a judgment on the movement itself. Rather, it is to take issue with fellow Y!CN Contributor's, Don Pennington's gift to help his friends at Occupy Wall Street.
Mr. Pennington offers his gift to help his at occupy Wall Street in this article: To My friends at Occupy Wall St; A Gift to Help You.
First of all, the piece seems over generalized. For example, it seems to imply that all active participants "these folks are bussed in by labor unions and other Communist and collectivist interests." Also, it seems to give the false implication that everyone that has more money than another "did work much smarter."
Between my initial typing and this publication, It appears that Mr. Pennington has edited his piece to include the word, many. It now reads: "many of these folks are bussed in by labor unions and other Communist and collectivist interests." For this I say thank you!
However, the greatest problem that I find with this piece is with the very gift that Mr. Pennington offers to help his friends at occupy Wall Street. His gift is a mantra of sorts. The words he uses are, "The world doesn't owe me anything." This mantra is mentioned five times in his piece. Mr. Pennington suggests to his readers and his friends at Occupy Wall Street to post these words in a variety of places in their everyday surroundings so as to promote the repeated mental recitation of allegiance to this statement.
On July 4, 1776, The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress. Its written word seems to run counter to Mr. Pennington's written opinion. The Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
This notion of freedom and equality as it pertains being endowed by a Creator with certain unalienable rights was further defined with the adoption of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution.. These Amendments proclaimed that freedom and equality were guaranteed expressly to all regardless "of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." 1 United States v. Reese, 92 U.S. 214, 218. Bell v. Maryland, 378 U.S.226 (1964).
Mr Pennington closes his article, suggesting that the world does not owe me anything mantra is "the kind of simple truth which really can set someone free, but only those who have the courage to accept it." With that in mind, I ask you to imagine such a world where everyone strictly adhered to the concept of that the world does not owe me anything. Without the right to life, without the right to liberty and without the right to the pursuit of happiness, it is hard to understand how people are set free.
In fairness to Mr. Pennington, upon publication of this article, I will email him a link to this article in order to give him the opportunity to rebuke my thoughts as he see fits. Mr. Pennington is a wise man and I expect that he will be able to find a way to counter punch my thoughts.
However you may feel about this topic, I hope that you will comment on this article and then read Mr. Pennington's piece and leave a comment as well. His article can be found here:
To My friends at Occupy Wall St; A Gift to Help You.
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_history.html
http://www.gemworld.com/USA-Unalienable.htm
Published by Han Van Meegerin
I am Professional Freelance Writer. If you are at a loss for words, I will find them for you. In addition to the Yahoo! Contributor Network, my written work is published on Wikinut and Expertscolumn.co... View profile
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35 Comments
Post a CommentSadly our country has not progressed much since the white man stole this country from beneath its Native Americans. Many of our inhabitants are still thieves and think nothing of the wealthy getting bailed out from economic destruction while the poor and middle class can't even get a break on their utility bill. I don't think it's a matter of economics – I think it's a matter of moral corruption.
Thanks for voicing this perspective. :)
As always, your articles inspire lots of intelligent comments. Great work!
Back for a second read. Very interesting! rcj
I think Don was aiming for generalization to make a point. I understand his reasoning. The world is really what you make of it.
That said, it is a bit hypocritical for people to protest corporations with one hand and then feed them with their wallets.
THAT is a big beef I have with the whole OWS thing.
If you REALLY want to protest, stop giving them your money. It's that simple. The battle will be won without a single tear gas canister.
Peace,
Annie
I posted comment to Pennington's article, and I thank you for offering an opposing viewpoint. The message coming from the OWS protesters is all over the place. There are some voicing their disgust with the Wall Street and banks bailout...and rightly so. Then there are some pushing the spread the wealth philosophy. And others want the U.S. capitalist economy taken down, and replaced with a socialist, communist, or socialist-capitalist economy. Then there are the fringe people. When the federal government bailed out Wall Street, some banking institutions, and auto corporations it opened the door to agruments for a socialist-capitalism economic system. But, the spread the wealth philosophy, in my opinion, seeks to penalize and put a cap on how much one can succeed in this country.
I'll be honest. I can't read anymore of the FOX News spoonfed hatred coming out of people who apparently do not get their information about the movement from its source. No offense to Don, but his articles on this topic could use a little investigative reporting rather than regurgitation of Tea Party points, if they can even be called such.
Thomas, my article references the Declaration of Independence.
An interesting debate! I haven't been following the Occupy news much.
I too disagree with Don's notion, but I do want to point out an important distinction. Our "right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is not part of our Constitutution or any other body of American law. It was proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, and the rights were endowed to us, not by our government, but our creator. That said, the same leaders who brought about the Declaration also gave us the Constitution, so these things were clearly. implied, even if they were not stated outright. This has been an interesting debate.