Columnist Takes to the Streets of Pleasanton for Enlightenment on All Things “Occupy”

Enough, already, with time spent on accusations and admissions of childlike .

It’s time to refocus our attention on a serious issue: The Occupy movement, that is.

“Say WHAT?”

Now I’ve gone and done it.

I’ve brought up politics and economics, both of which cause me to break out in hives. Throw in religion or sex and I’ll need an EpiPen.

Meanwhile, 25 miles from our suburban oasis, the Port of Oakland was shut down Wednesday because of a strike aimed at getting the attention of government and corporate leaders.

And a portion of every Pleasanton resident’s county tax dollars was spent beefing up security and public services for a group of people who have yet to offer an articulate description of what, in specific terms, the end game of “Occupy Whatever” actually is.

Note to the rally-crazed: It’s time to occupy inarticulate messages and draw up a definitive business plan. It's time to move beyond the description of the problem; time to define the realistic goal and outline the steps needed to reach that end.

In an attempt to be better informed, this week I conducted an unscientific survey around town seeking information on residents’ opinions and understanding of the Occupy movements. I asked:

1. Do you agree with the Occupy movements?
2. To the best of your knowledge, what is the end goal of the Occupy movements?

My quest for better understanding began after I couldn't clearly define the movement to my children one evening last week.

The next morning, Wed., Oct. 26, a story appearing in local newspapers left me with hope that a specific call to action was about to be announced.

The front-page story by Oakland Tribune reporter Kristin J. Bender included the following partial paragraph near the bottom the page:

“Protesters said the proposed strike is the next step in the global Occupy Wall Street movement. They want to move their anger and dissatisfaction from the tent city encampment to a strike because they believe it will force government and corporate leaders … (continued on page #...)

[Reader’s heart rate increases before turning the page to read the end of this promising sentence. Would a protestor finally explain a specific action that the Occupy group hopes to inspire? Reader eagerly turns the page to find the revealing end of the sentence] 

…to take them seriously.”

[Reader's rebuff: Huh? "Take them seriously" about what? Do what?]

I didn't question the anecdotal reporting of the Occupy Oakland protest.

The mainstream media, however, seems to be enjoying bandwagon-style reporting on the movements, the rallies, the police action, the public outcries, the strikes, and the woeful tales of weary individuals who suffered fallouts from mortgage-backed securities or who were victims of banks that enjoyed government bailouts while CEOs received high pay.

And we've covered it all without demanding a lucid description of how, in specific terms, the Occupy folks believe change can occur.

On a whim, I polled a several fellow residents of educated, articulate Pleasanton.

About a third of respondents agreed with the Occupy movements. About a third disagreed. And the other third both agreed and disagreed.

But of the first 30 or so people I contacted by email, through social media or in Pleasanton cafes and stores, none — even those who agree with the movement — described a detailed, realistic or immediate action that members of the movement hope government and corporate leaders will take.

It was telling that I had to travel 6,000 miles to find a friend from Pleasanton who both supports the Occupy movement and whose description, when combined with that of someone who doesn’t support the movements, offered a more balanced definition of the goals of Occupy groups.

Shelley Twarowski, who lived in Pleasanton for 11 years before moving to Italy last August with her family, elucidated on the topic through email.

“To my knowledge the primary mission of the OWS movement is to stop the corporate greed, corruption and influence existing in the US government today,” she said, adding that it’s a non-partisan movement.

“They are blaming the system,” she said. “Both sides are tied into the system, but it is not working for the majority of Americans anymore (the 99%). They are tired of a corrupt government system that is being run by corporations.”

The day before, my friend Bill McCracken of Pleasanton explained why he does not support the Occupy protests.

“We (live in) an entitled society,” Bill said, adding that he believes it takes hard work, dedication, determination and desire for a person to achieve his or her objective.

“Most people possess one or two of these traits,” he said. “But most don't have them all or don't follow through."

Bill admitted that while he’s not sure of the solutions to the problems, he does believe that radical change is needed and that staging protests in plazas is not the solution, nor is raising taxes on U.S. corporations. Doing so, he said, will only drive jobs further from these shores.

As for me, I'm grateful to have friends on both sides of the argument who are more intelligent than I am.

I’m not willing to waste time protesting, however.

I’d rather focus on the difficult but rewarding work of raising a family, contributing to the community, and growing a small business funded only by sweat equity and verve.

I’d elaborate further. But at this particular moment I have a more pressing movement to finish.