I wanted to see what all the commotion was about, so I set out to join an Occupy movement. It's a bit more violent and racist than I ever imagined! Why are these people so angry? I asked a few of them while walking amongst the tents.

One woman said (and, I'm having to paraphrase here because she spoke so loudly and fast that it was hard to decipher exactly what she was saying), "they want to destroy our republic! They want fascism and slavery! We will not be slaves! We'll not take this sitting still - we need to arm ourselves and fight! This is what our Founding Fathers wanted!"

Okay, that seemed like a bit more violent rhetoric than I was expecting from what I'd heard was a peaceful movement, so let's try the next group of people holding signs. I scanned a few of the signs, many homemade:
We've had ENOUGH! Stop rewarding failure.
We MAKE, they TAKE.
I have a RIGHT to be HEARD!
I'm Pissed off!

I walk towards a gentleman wearing lots of warm clothing, much of it looks purchased from a military surplus store, or, perhaps he is a returning vet. He is under a tent selling bumper stickers and t-shirts. I asked, "Why are you Occupying today?" He replied, "What? Do you want to buy something?" He then turned to another customer and began spewing about the Government and all the wrong-doings of those in power, something about "socialism". Maybe he's a socialist. "Right on!" I shouted, "those One percent'ers have all the power and money and we need to take BACK our country!" My outburst got some people nearby cheering when they heard me scream "take back". I felt the thrill of being part of a large army of people that want to restore this country and bring back jobs and social justice. A rush of excitement passed over me and I wanted to scream and yell and begin marching!

I was giddy with euphoria.

I looked around at my fellow 99%ers. They seemed angry and cross-eyed and white. Not what I'd pictured from the news and blogs of peaceful and diverse people. The site was littered with trash and lawn chairs. And where were the anarchists that I'd heard so much about? Why weren't we defacing a Wal-Mart or Whole Foods or camping out in front of a Bank of America? Maybe they were still tucked away in their sleeping bags from a night of rabble-rousing; these must be the day-time folks. I didn't even see any police in riot gear. In fact, no sign that police had ever been there at all! Glancing around further, I could only see 2 cops standing on the outskirts and they looked rather bored.

Then, a man dressed like Uncle Sam if Uncle Sam was an hobo who'd been train-hopping and hadn't showered since the American Revolution, handed me a flyer. It read in parts:


Ayn Rand? What did she have to do with the Occupy movement? I read on:


Uhm....


Wait... what? We are populated my "marxists, socialists and even communists" according to this? This movement is not at all what I'd heard about! I don't think that I'm part of this 99%. But I'm certainly not part of the 1%. Am I no-one? Do I belong nowhere? I feel sad and alone. What is the meaning of it all?

More signs go by me:
Cut Taxes, Not Deals
Obama Lies!
I'll keep my MONEY, GUNS and FREEDOM, you can keep the change!
Don't Tread on Me.
Drink TEA not kool-aid.

Oh, I begin to see a theme here.

Silly me, I've attended the wrong event!