For those who think Occupy Wall Street is ineffective

[JDPriestly]

35. A lot of those who marched in the Occupy the Rose Bowl Parade are now or

have in the past done precisely what you are doing. I'm a good example of that.

What you are doing helps individual families. It does not change the political consciousness of Americans.

So while what you are doing is great, it does not achieve what the Occupy movement is doing which is to engage Americans in a thought process -- about the questions that Occupy is raising. What can we do to promote more economic justice? Why should corporations be given unabridged speech rights while real people have to get time, place and manner permits?

Sometimes raising questions is more important than anything else.

This is one of those times.

Over the course of our history, we relied on the independent media to raise questions and alert us to injustices. Sometimes they did that well. Sometimes they did a lousy job of it.

Right now, the vast majority of the media, the journalists, etc. are in the pay of big business. Most of the media spokespeople are poorly educated and have little ability to think analytically or critically. Because we Americans are relying on these beautiful, but in many cases, ignorant people for our information, we are dreadfully misinformed.

A lot of the people in the Occupy movement are questioning the basic premises on which our media and our society work. Occupy is suggesting that not the media, not the business CEOs, and not just politicians, but citizens at large need to ask more questions, discuss issues among themselves and lead rather than wait to be lead.

That is what the direct democracy of Occupy is about.

The great thing about Occupy, what is in a sense "revolutionary," (not meaning a violent revolution but something really new) is the process of direct democracy. It empowers everyone who participates, the homeless, the traditional leaders, everyone who wishes to say something at the General Assemblies of Occupy to speak with equal authority. All who speak receive the respectful attention of others in the group.

Assisting families with aid including financial aid takes care of their bodies. But accepting them as equals into a group of organized, loving people helps and heals everyone who participates. And that is the process that I have seen and appreciated in the Occupy movement when I visited their encampment in LA or walked with them.

Occupy is about changing the processes that have become so corrupt.

The Teabagger movement was corrupt in its inception and therefore failed to do a thing about the corruption in government and business. Occupy is trying a different approach. I don't have crystal ball and cannot predict the future of Occupy, but it is offering Americans an opportunity to improve our democratic processes. I hope that more Americans will participate in it, visit its events and talk to people who are active in it before judging it.