Occupy West Virginia

Martinsburg (4.00 / 5)

We had a nice turnout in Martinsburg, too. While the Apple Harvest parade carried on, we gathered in the town square on either side of the street with our many signs. In this GM town, I believe the "Stop Exporting American Jobs" signs probably resonated with the previously undecided. Near the end of the parade, we marched against the parade flow up the sidewalks. Folks seemed a bit confused, but I did hear many people recognizing "that Wall Street thing" mostly in a neutral tone. It's amazing to me how most people don't connect how the bailout has effected their lives. Martinsburg is full of the disenfranchised, but it seems as though as long as they're getting their food stamps, Medicare, and Medicaid, they don't want to be a part of the movement. Anyway, it was a beautiful day well spent.

Beauty will save the world

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by: wvbibi @ Sun Oct 16, 2011 at 14:10:49 PM UTC

We are all disenfranchised (well, 99%) (4.00 / 3)

Most of the disenfranchised aren't on food stamps, Medicare, and Medicaid.  Let's not blame those who are for not swelling the movement.  The right wing is already doing a good job of blaming the whole thing on a bunch of whiners who don't work; let's not pile on from the other side.

And the bailout is not the major problem - it came late in 30 years of dismantling a system of democracy, capitalism, taxation, regulation, and government services that had worked well.

With current polls showing about 70% of Americans agreeing with the movement, at least on the level of the problem, we need to be focusing on building local organizations for the long haul to enact solutions.

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by: JAWVMM @ Sun Oct 16, 2011 at 16:17:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Morgantown (4.00 / 6)

We had about 60 people in Morgantown- a nice mix of students and older people. We met at the Mountain Lair on the WVU campus and marched down High Street to the county courthouse square. The street was busy and we got lots of attention. The only negative comment I heard was from a guy in a hurry who objected to having us in his way on the sidewalk. I remember the anti-Vietnam War protests where the students and the unions were on opposite sides. It seems that most people understand that they aren't part of the 1% and that they should be on our side.

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by: acockbur @ Mon Oct 17, 2011 at 01:37:13 AM UTC

Clarksburg (4.00 / 4)

had a group of about 15 total, with participants coming and going. We talked to passersby and others waiting for city busses. Most were in agreement, but some had not heard about OWS. We had a lot of good responses from people driving by.  

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by: DB @ Mon Oct 17, 2011 at 16:42:30 PM UTC