walkingman

I support some of the goals and ideals of the Occupy Movement but I d o not condone the wanton destruction of private property. It is too easy to identify the opposition as The Man or Big Business and use this as an excuse to rob and loot. Instead of taking political action against corporate America criminal types take advantage of the situation to commit criminal actions against often Mom and Pop stores. The flash mob does not hurt the Man as much as it puts the corporate employees and the innocent shoppers in peril. If the mob is going to rip off the store who is going to stop a mob member from robbing or hurting a store employee or shopper? And while the corporate store may have insurance to cover such a loss, what about a Mom and Pop store? They may be the only store which operates in certain neighborhoods and if they are ransacked, there goes the store from the neighborhood. We also have to learn that not all downtown landlords are corporations with deep pockets. When store fronts are either defaced or smashed someone has to pay to have them repaired. If the landlord is teetering on the brink we may just end up with another boarded up storefront which does nothing for the downtowns viability. It is so easy to tear down and destroy in a night of partying or getting back at the Man but the destruction can have a long term impact. I believe in fighting for social justice but doing it within the system first. And if you take to the streets do so with a peaceful purpose and never hurt the people or cause for whom you are fighting. It is too easy for agitators to get involved and derail the movement. Then you end up with bad publicity and damage to your cause. I anger some of my friends because I do not support revolutionary tactics. I piss off others because I oppose anarchy. And my conservative friends hate me because they think I am a socialist nut. But in reality I believe in this ideal of social justice where government leaves people alone and people do right by each other.