“Occupy Wall Street,” the movement against corporate greed in America, has swept the nation, with protests popping up all around the nation.
Oregon cities, such as Portland, Salem and even McMinnville, have been holding protests. However, some of these protests have been shut down for apparently overstaying their welcome.
According to the Associated Press, eight protesters in Portland were arrested for staying overnight in parks, which is technically illegal. While no protesters in Salem were arrested, they got a warning and were told to vacate the parks at night.
This raises the question of should protesters be arrested for staying in city parks?
“If they’re non-violent protesters, they have the right to march,” freshman Ariana Lipkind said.
While camping in a park overnight is technically illegal, these protesters are trying to raise awareness for a good cause. Unless they are physically harming people or damaging their community, it doesn’t seem that they should be arrested.
While these protesters are trying to overcome corporate greed, it is hard to defeat something that not all citizens understand. Lipkind, while stating that protesters shouldn’t be arrested as long as they aren’t being violent, admitted that she hadn’t heard of these protests before.
“I haven’t had time to look at the news,” said Lipkind. American voters need to be aware of the issues at hand in order to ensure that the government is being run in a way that is favorable to its people.
College students, as young voters and future leaders of America, should stay up to date in current issues in politics. After all, we are the ones who are going to be dealing with the repercussions of today’s decisions.
If a country’s people don’t stay involved in politics, it is easier for politicians to get away with doing whatever they want to do.
Maybe this is why big corporations have become such a big problem. People have let them do whatever they please for too long, allowing them to gain too much power.
This isn’t to say that all Americans aren’t up to date on politics and issues in our society. The protesters for “Occupy Wall Street” all around the country are obviously informed voters who want to change how the government is run.
The bottom line is that non-violent protesters deserve to make their voice heard, and in order to have orderly protests, we need to have informed citizens.
If this issue isn’t taken care of soon, we are the ones who are going to be suffering at the hands of corporate greed. Be proactive, and learn about what is going on in politics. And if you find that you have strong feelings, take part in the protest and make your voice heard.
-The Review Editorial Board
