What is Going On? Let's Take a Look at Recent Events

The world faces unprecedented turmoil, and the English curriculum calls for me to help create "informed citizens." Recently, many "occupy" camps in Canada have been dismantled, the authorities calling them a health hazard and citizens "losing patience," happy to see the dirty kids gone, often saying that they should "get a job!" (note that our official unemployment rate is 7.3% and higher for youth).

Earlier, the media was largely sympathetic. Vancouver mayor, Gregor Robertson, first said protesters could "stay as long as they like." Given that the movement is largely a reaction to the concentration of wealth in a few (the 1%; to be a member in B.C. requires earning more than 250 000 dollars annually), it is interesting to note how the message has changed (note the "framing" that George Lakoff warns about) from sympathy to scorn.

Since the movement started in New York City (Occupy Wall Street or OWS as it is commonly called), and the failure of banks in the U.S. and the bail out that followed took place in New York, we'll take a look at recent events in the United States. As Canadians, most of us know that our affairs are intertwined with those of Americans, and that is why I ask you to look there for insight.

The biggest story about OWS this week starts at a protest at the University of California (Davis) campus. Students were protecting a few tents of an occupy on the campus and also protesting baton attacks on students and faculty (including the former poet laureate of the United States) that had occurred the previous day. Go through each link, in turn, to inform yourself of the nature of these events.

Pepper Spraying of Students (8 minutes; watch to the end to see the whole picture)

The Moral Power of an Image (comment from Atlantic Monthly, a respected U.S. magazine, helps you to understand what you have seen)

The Chancellor of University of California (Davis) walking to her car after a news conference and being silently shamed by the students. *Note that she had said, earlier, that she felt threatened by the crowd.

Assistant Professor of English, Nathan Brown's call for the Chancellor's Resignation. Pay attention to the written description of police actions that begin with the second "What Happened Next?"

Lastly, take a moment to view the website, "We are the 99 Percent," where you can see the stories of people hurt by the current economic conditions in the United States.

ASSIGNMENT: Write a reaction to what you have seen and read here at the blog and post it here as a comment. Write in paragraphs and keep your comments to no more than 250 words at most. Bring your writing to class, word processed and double spaced next Wednesday.

 If you want to argue "it can't happen here," please do inform yourself about the largest mass arrests in Canadian history during the summer 2010 G20 meetings in Toronto (over 1118 arrested; 800 released without charges). Police there, as in California, hid their badge numbers from the public.