Focusing particularly on the voters within audible (and olfactory) range of Zuccotti Park, which is currently the somewhat squalid epicenter for the protesters: I am given to understand that increasing numbers of them are tired of the noise, the disruption of local business and residential life, and, of course, the defecation*. I am also given to understand that those voters are not really getting any sort of real response to their concerns, mostly because the authorities tacitly accept the notion that a bunch of squatters get to have a say in this discussion:
“We really, really want to be good neighbors. We want to be involved with the community here,” said Tyler Combelic, an “Occupy Wall Street” protester.
Let me just drill down on this: the Occupy Wall Street movement has no right to the term ‘neighbor’ in this context. The movement does not own any real estate in the area. It does not rent any real estate in the area. It certainly does not pay municipal taxes in the area. Occupy Wall Street protesters are squatters. The best upgrade to that status that they can hope to achieve would be that of guests. And for the record: when a host asks a guest to keep it down, the polite – and prudent – guest does not give his or her host an argument about it. The guest instead keeps it down. Continue reading An #OWS PSA for the voters in NY-08.