On Sunday the boy and I, for want of more exciting activities, check out the Occupy Calgary encampment in Olympic Plaza.
Now it's pretty much as been described, mostly hippies and granola's living free off the publicity and trying to bring awareness to Calgary's issues with inequality - read - their inequality. Most of them are unemployed, not particularly searching, how they heard about the Occupy Wall Street movement is the biggest mystery.
As much as I'm for social change and redressing the gross inequalities that a capitalistic society creates, this isn't the way to go about it. Peaceable demonstrations and protests only invite the abuse and scorn of the police and media - to think that any change will be wrought by these small publicity stunts is naive. The rich will continue to get richer, the police, for reasons unknown even to themselves, will continue to use whatever tactics they deem necessary (read brute and abusive use of force) to ensure the status quo remains unshaken, nothing will change.
It's sporting of the 99% to give notice of their dissatisfaction like this, but don't expect the wealthy and ruling 1% to give up their share of the pie so easily. Revolution always involves bloodshed, and until the heads of the greedy, the corrupt and the unjust are raised upon pikes the cycle will continue.
Still, the boy and I wander around, look at the tents, read the feeble protest signs, take some photos, it's good at least for him to come to some awareness of these issues, although I'd protest these aren't the demonstrators I'd want bringing it to his attention. Maybe I need to make my own sign?