Occupy Dunkle

By William Covington

The “Occupy Wallstreet” movement has been the source of much controversy in the media over the last few weeks and months. There are very few members of the public that don’t have an opinion on the matter, whether negative or positive. Dr. Greg Wood, a history professor at Frostburg State University, believes that the main statistic that is being used (that the people are the “99%,” and the rich are the “1%”) is inaccurate. He claims that in reality the people who should be protesting are members of the working class. These people make up about 62% of the population, while the middle class makes up about 12%. The rest of the population is the infamous “1%,” but in reality this chunk of the population is approximately 16%. When asked whether or not he believes the movement will have an effect Dr. Wood was unsure. However he was of the opinion that the police reaction to the movement was to be expected. Throughout history police have acted violently towards public demonstrations/demonstrators. Dr. Gerald Snelson, the assistant chair of the English department at FSU, was of the same opinion (at least in regards to the police action). He believes that their reaction to the situation is only to be expected. He is also of the opinion that the movement is our best hope for change. Dr. Jill Morris, an English professor at FSU, is of the opinion that the true magnitude of this countries problems aren’t accurately represented by the protestors. She claims that the majority of the protestors are white middle class kids who couldn’t find employment right out of college. Minorities (in her opinion) are not being adequately represented. Despite their contrasting opinions on the details, all three professors believe the movement to be a good thing.