Comments about ‘Are 'occupiers' protesters or patriots?’

Where are the vicious police dogs? The fire hoses? The billy clubbing people? The National Guard with bayonets fixed?
This is not comparable to Civil Rights marches at all.
Those who trespass and block buildings should be arrested and prosecuted, they are nothing but criminals.

Are the 'occupiers' protesters or patriots? Both. No question.

Or...Is George Soros a traitor or a patriot?

protestors or patriots?

Neither.

They're either anarchists and thieves, or ill-informed simpletons and dupes.

Protestors or patriots? Since when are the two
Mutually exclusive?

Dektol, as one who marched in the south in the 1960's and actually faced the fire hoses, police dogs and clubs -- and bags full of feces and urine -- I can tell you that there really is a similarity between then and now.

I'm 71 years old. Retired. Never took welfare or even unemployment. But I've watched my retirement savings disappear into the clutches of greedy bankers and speculators. I have a daughter who was injured in her job as a police officer. She started a small business and then lost it when her health insurance premiums tripled because the injuries became chronic(thanks to Orrin Hatch's Healthcare Equalization Amendment) and she was forced into bankruptcy.

I watch as crooked politicians and others hand our rights and quality of life to wealthy corporations. I watch as they try to destroy the gains of the middle class and return us to the Gilded Age.

I'll be out there protesting again. This is a fight worth fighting. Just as the battle we fought in the 60's was worth it.

We HAVE to win!

No true patriot has the "gi'me, gi'me, gi'me" attitude that these so-called occupiers have. A patriot seeks to give support to his country, not take it for all it is worth.

The occupiers have failed to come up with a single constructive proposal. Indeed, their only demand so far has been: "take from others and give to me."

How is it patriotic to demand the overthrow of the country and the economic system thay made it the greatest on Earth? Of course it is not.

If these occupiers begin to actually give something to society, rather than demand to exist off the hard work of others, then they will take the first step towards being considered patriots. For now, they can only be considered parasites.

Whatever words you use for the tea party are the ones that should be used for the occupiers, if one has any sort of consistency.

cjb
"since when are they mutually exclusive?"
They are mutually exclusive when the purpose is to fundamentally transform our country. To tear it down and create chaos in its place. A patriot wouldn't do that to our country.

Come on John 99 percent have not? I fall into the income category of the 99% and I think you probably do to. I can hardly say I have not, can you? Can most of the demostrators? I can say I do not have as much as the super rich, but even the minimum amount left over- the table scraps for the 99% is more than sufficient to be considered rich by almost any standard. There is corruption at the highest levels- now and in the past. True, those that have wealth benefit, while those that don't benefit less. But, in America if we keep from stagnating social structure through government regulation, the exact solutions these protesters advocate. Change will come and new individuals will make up the 99%. Please note there have been more people added to this group during the last 40 years than by any society in history. So, it is great to protest, and some such are patriots. But, most just bleary eyed folks living in light weight tents made available inexpensively by the very system these "patriots" protest.

Florez' insight, vision and wisdom in advising an introspective look at the meaning of OWS will be completely lost by the right, who are unable to make room for anything but a rightward slant to history, to the present, and to the future.

Tea Partiers certainly had valid points to make. Their opinions on many things were different than mine, but as Americans their viewpoints are valuable and help make up the mosaic of thinking in our nation.

I don't see a similar acknowlegement from the right toward the Occupy movement. I only see disdain and condescension.

But that's the way it's always been. Civil Rights protesters were Communists, those pushing for women's voting rights were contradicting the Founding Fathers and trying to tear apart the fabric of society, etc. Pretty much the same reaction today.

atl134, Really??? If you have been paying any attention to what has really been happening during these protest you would understand that they are nothing alike. The Tea party was respectful to others and there surroundings, while the occupiers have proven themselves to the contrary, causing damage to buildings, cars, and the parks they've been camped out in. The occupiers have been nothing short of useful idiots. They have a gimme gimme attiutude, they aren't willing to put in the hard work and sacrifice that it takes to create something great. It's all about wealth distribution for the occupiers, whereas with the Tea Party it's about personal responsibility.

Thanks for this article, Mr. Florez. I appreciate and agree with your take on this current protest movement.

There will always be at least 2 viewpoints on any given movement, and that's part of the process. Let's just hope the core points aren't lost to the extremes.

Standing up to injustice can take many forms, but is always merited. I'm just glad to see the spirit of outrage against social injustice is alive and well. For a long time I had thought we'd never see it again in our country.

They're neither, they're Americans exercising their freedom of speech.

What on earth is wrong with loyal Americans standing up to protest the corruption and greed that have pushed our nation to the edge of disaster?

So many of the people posting opposition to OWS have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

That is really frightening.

For goodness sake, go out and look around you. Listen to something besides right wing radio.

But that would take effort, wouldn't it?

They're a bunch of criminals. Just look at thier rapsheets lately: Arrested for camping, 700 arrested for jay walking on a bridge, arrested for carrying a sign, arrested for tresspassing, aressted for the possesion of a camera. Oh the horror. The founding fathers would be dismayed...

I'm sure glad they're not packing and strung with assault riffles like the t-party that couldn't accept the democratic election of Obama. "you get my gun, but you'll get all my ammunition first", the t-party. Now that's patriotic huh conservatives?

One of the things OWS is about is the informing of people where they stand with respect to our economy. We are told by business, schools, and churches that we are essentially a classless society. OWS is educating the public to the real facts - we are a class ridden society with a top heavy distribution of wealth that is positively fantastic. Way to go OWS (and thanks John for your comments).

Occupy Wall Street are both - protesters and patriots.

The protesters are students, unemployed, homeless, teachers, nurses and veterans. They come from all walks of life. They are Americans who are waking up to the corrupt corporate takeover (or should I say buy out) of our government.

Another Veteran has been injured in Oakland this week. He is 32 years old and served tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He is in intensive care with a ruptured spleen after being beaten by police batons when walking home from Occupy Oakland protests.

This Veteran, Kayvan Sabehgi was arrested and left for 18 agonizing hours before being given medical aid in jail.

If anyone thinks the corruption is harmless and we have no need to protest, perhaps you should speak to Mr. Sabehgi.

In my view this brave man continues to protect his country, the constitution and the freedoms of the American people.

In my view Mr. Sabehgi is a patriot.

@Deborah

While being arrested for refusing to leave the scene of a riot, Sabehgi resisted arrest.

Deborah | 1:47 p.m. Nov. 5, 2011
Huntington, WV
Occupy Wall Street are both - protesters and patriots.

=============

Agreed.
They are both.

And as for Kayvan Sabehgi,
No truer patriot.
He swore his oath to Defend the Constitution.

His duty in Oakland
(which he nearly defended at the cost of his life)
Wa far more "Patriotic" than anything he EVER did Iraq or Afghanistan.