We oversimplify in talking about these protests.  We really need to separate the event itself from its participants.  There are some very sincere people in the “occupy” movement who believe that they are making the world a better place by their participation.  When it comes down to it, I don’t think too many people have evil intents.  Of course, sometimes the sincerest efforts lead to bad results.

As I look at this movement as a whole, it seems more destructive than productive.  Some of their grievances are valid; hey, I’d like to make more money, too.  But their methods seem to take the childish “if I can’t have it, you shouldn’t either” approach.  It doesn’t work on the playground, and it doesn’t work on Wall Street.

As far as the underlying issues, it’s all about supply and demand.  Corporations will continue doing what they are currently doing (for good or for evil) if we keep paying them to do it.  But most American consumers buy based on price, not principle.  If a shirt is cheaper at a store that uses financial or labor practices you oppose, do you go and buy a more expensive shirt across the street?  Most Americans don’t.

As a people, we have basically decided that our primary values as consumers are convenience and price.  We have followed those values at the expense of other noble ideas, like the desire to buy domestic goods to support our own economy.

If I go to the store and buy primarily foreign-made goods and then local factories begin to close, is that the fault of the store, the factory owner, or the consumer?  If I buy an imported car and my local Ford dealer closes, is it the Toyota dealer’s fault?

Occupy Wall Street is really just a symptom of a country that has its priorities misaligned.  Instead of solving the priority problem, the “occupiers” are fighting against those to whom we have willingly given our money, based on the values we have followed.

To summarize, America will not become stronger by knocking down those who succeed.  We will become stronger by fixing the root causes of our failures.  Perhaps the first step is simply to remember who we are.  May God bless us to live up to our individual and collective potential.