OCCUPY THE BLOGOSHPERE

"The weight of the world is heavy on my mind, foggy thick, heavy as bricks.

The way that I feel, it's gotta be our time 'cause all of this, it can't persist."

Looking back on the Occupy movement, it's really hard for me to believe that the shit was all going down almost three years ago now. It seems like it was just yesterday that a real revolution was on the verge of happening.

I had been married for only about two months and me and my wife were expecting our first daughter, so needless to say, I was going through some serious transition in my life. I was made aware of the Occupy Wall Street movement by my older brother and a friend of mine who was living in Tennessee. Those two conspiracy theorists really got me thinking about this one...

I've always been one that was down for a social movement, social change and really just being a little shitheaded rebel. But this was different. It wasn't about being latino, polynesian, black, white, gay, straight, urban, suburban, country or whatever other classification you want to use to separate people, it was about the 99% and that includes a shit load of people.

On October 18, 2011 I made this post on Facebook:

"I'm not a controversial person. I don't like to force my beliefs onto anyone. I don't like to talk about certain issues when another person feels uncomfortable about it. I do believe in certain things others don't. I do believe in some "conspiracy" theories, if you want to call them that. I don't believe in the "wars" this country chooses to fight. Not only the wars in the Middle East but also the "war on drugs" or "war on terrorism". But I do support the men and women who serve the country, and do so to protect the people of their country. I respect them.

This #occupy movement is not about any of those things. Don't be fooled by what the media tells you. Don't brush protestors off as homeless hippies or conspiracy theorists or anarchists. Don't ignore this. It will not go away. This #occupy thing effects everyone in the 99%. Everyone leads different lives. Some may be better off than others. But that doesn't mean it doesn't effect you. I have a comfortable job, make good money, my family are working class people who have done well for themselves. My parents came from different countries and provided me and my brother with a good life. I want to take what they've done for me and do better for my kids. I want better for my child, my children, my nephews, my nieces, my younger cousins, myself. But in order for that to happen, things need to change. 

We need hospitals, schools, (as much as I dislike them) police, firefighters, libraries, after school programs, sports and music in school, jobs, health care, OPPORTUNITIES. We need tuition and fees for college lowered or more financial help for people trying to better their "situation" but with that, as a society, we need to not "screw" the system over if its willing to help us. We need the working class taxes lowered and we need to tax the "super rich". The "American Dream" is being lost for all of us. There are multiple events over the last few decades that have increased the wealth and power of the "super rich" (1%) and decreased the oppurtunities for everyone else (99%). 

Be aware. Be smart. Be honest with yourselves. Treat people right. Support Occupy Together. #OccupyWallStreet"

The movement may not have went away, but in some sense it ended.

While watching the videos in class, I was overcome with a healthy amount of anxiety. Where it comes from I'm not exactly sure. I guess it's because I bailed on the movement before it ever really started. I stayed at home with my pregnant wife, watched it happen on TV (at least whatever they showed) and vented on the interwebs. COWARD.

I don't know man. I remember telling my brother that I didn't feel right about leaving a pregnant wife at home while I go and fight for something bigger than any single individual. I guess the movement just wasn't bigger to me than my wife was, than my child was. I'm not really sure what that makes me. 

I asked my brother tonight what his thoughts were about the Occupy movement and he replied "The FBI killed it." I laughed. Fucking conspiracy theorist, right?

But where there's smoke, there's usually fire...

THE FUCKING FBI

I guess at the end of the day, I'm upset.

Upset that I wasn't really a part of it all.

Upset that it died.

Upset that I'm just reflecting on it now.

Upset that the world we know is crumbling.

Upset that I don't know how to help it.

The weight of the world is heavy on my mind...