THOUGH the protests have lasted for almost a month, the media still struggles to form a coherent narrative about the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in New York and elsewhere. We are seeing something new, the media says, but what is it? A liberal version of the Tea Party? Anarchists marching to destroy "the system"? The Occupy movement has thus far failed to be pigeonholed so conveniently. This rapidly spreading protest expressing very serious discontent with the status quo deserves the support, and not scorn, of University students, to say nothing of all Americans concerned about their national future.
The media's initial depiction of the Occupy movement was condescending, to say the least. Originally, the protesters were identified as filthy hippies who wanted nothing more than to "bang on the bongos, smoke weed," according to a tweet by CNN's willfully ignorant Alison Kosik. Instead of remaining a Kumbaya circle, military veterans in uniform arrived to protest, and unions voted to join the protesters, putting Kosik's claim to shame.
Additionally, a vicious charge of anti-Semitism leveled by some was dispelled last weekend when a massive Yom Kippur service was held in the middle of the crowd. Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has identified the Occupy protesters engaging in civil disobedience as "growing mobs." Contrary to this brutish characterization, a variety of notable public figures, including economist and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz, have stopped by the protests to offer support.
The many protesters are issuing many different demands - ending corporate greed, removing the influence of the mega-rich from politics and auditing the Federal Reserve - but all of their grievances are connected one way or another to the national crisis of income inequality. A New York Times editorial which all but endorsed the protests stated that "income inequality is grinding down that middle class, increasing the ranks of the poor, and threatening to create a permanent underclass of able, willing but jobless people."
The protesters identify themselves as "the 99 percent" to highlight the massive disparity between themselves and the richest 1 percent of United States citizens who control almost a quarter of the nation's income. As corporations - which trickle wealth up quite a bit more than they trickle it down - report record profits, workers have less money for their necessities, as well as decreased social mobility for themselves and their children. Such inequality means deteriorated health, financial stability and job opportunities for average Americans.
It should be obvious why massive inequality ought to concern University students: According to that same Times editorial, this fatal imbalance has left college graduates younger than 25 with a jobless rate of 9.6 percent, obviously not including those who are working low-paying jobs that require no degree. Things are worse for those who do not or cannot attend college, and exceedingly bad for black Americans, who are unemployed at twice the rate of whites.
Even if you have stayed in school, avoided financial or legal trouble, and have done everything you have been told to do since you were young, making ends meet is becoming more and more difficult. Meanwhile, our nation's leaders form secretive "super committees" to decide how to slash the safety net for our poorest, perhaps in ways that do not offend the very important constituency known as "the 1 percent."
Even the compromise-for-its-own-sake class of centrists who have previously advocated removing public entitlements seem to be coming around to the stance of our disaffected youth. Thomas Friedman, a sworn centrist, has noted that the Wall Street protesters are moved by a "deep sense of injustice." President Obama has recognized the "broad-based frustration" represented by the protests. Regardless of how one is personally affected by the situation, it is clear that the problem of income inequality has harmed millions, and its continued repercussions are almost sure to degrade the quality of life in the United States for years to come.
Joking about bongos, aside from showing one's lack of creativity, completely disregards the suffering that thousands of citizens have to experience every day. Nevertheless, the easily understood message continues to spread: A small equivalent to the Wall Street protests, Occupy Charlottesville, was held on the Charlottesville Downtown Mall this past Wednesday. The people attempting to occupy Wall Street, Washington and Charlottesville are a mixed bag, but for the most part are driven by a desire to restore some sense of equality to U.S. life. University students have plenty of knowledge and capacity that could contribute greatly to these efforts.
There remains the slight risk that the Occupy movement will be wholly absorbed by the Democratic Party, as the Tea Party was by Republicans. Thus, it would become a neutered, ineffective part of the preexisting system. If, however, the Occupy movement can remain sustained and nonpartisan like the civil rights and suffragist movements, then the efforts of the 99 percent have the potential to become a massive engine for social change which stands to benefit the 100 percent.
Sam Carrigan's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at s.carrigan@cavalierdaily.com.
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