MIC CHECK!!!

I went to see the protesters with a friend Friday night. Walking through the crowd someone suddenly screamed "Mic check!" at the top of his lungs and the whole crowd in unison screamed back "Mic check!" It seems the NYPD has banned the use of any amplifying devices such as megaphones or the use of speakers. Therefore, when someone has something to say to the masses, they yell out "Mic check!" The crowd then quiets down momentarily, followed by loudly repeating whatever the speaker says in spurts of a few words for all to hear.

Speaker: "Mic check"

Crowd: "Mic check"

Speaker: "The general assembly..."

Crowd: "The general assembly..."

Speaker: "Needs to address..."

Crowd: "Needs to address..."

Speaker: "The issue of..."

Crowd: "The issue of..."

Speaker: "Dirty laundry."

Crowd: "Dirty laundry."

This incredibly annoying procedure went on for an hour to get out what seemed like 5 full sentences. There must be a better way to communicate, like an LED message board. The subject in this case was that there is a ton of dirty laundry that "needs to be taken care of." They were asking for $3000 in donations to do all the protesters' laundry. Here's a suggestion: Have everyone do their own laundry. Brilliant solution!!

I have to say that after watching these people attempt to conduct an orderly meeting and seeing their obvious inability to show any trace of organization, I realized that most of them have no clue how to run a protest, how to organize one or even what they are protesting. They're dancing, playing drums, holding misspelled signs, chanting, sleeping, arguing, handing out fliers and eating free donated food and supposedly "hooking up" with one another. Many of the participants appear to be homeless, or very close to it, and only there for the food and camaraderie. Granted, there is a percentage of concerned citizens like myself who want to see some sort of banking reform. But, camping out under tarps and stinking up a small park in lower Manhattan is not going to convince anyone in power to change anything. Do you think the execs at Goldman Sachs or Chase give a rat's ass about some dirty hippie with $38 to his name protesting about Wall Street's policies and corporate greed? Not a chance.

Good intention, piss poor execution.

The weather is getting cold... I think this protest will fizzle out soon.

Me: "MIC CHECK!"

Losers: "MIC CHECK!"

Me: "People, Please, Get a Life..."

Losers: "People, Please, Get a Life..."

Me: "Go Home."

Losers: "Go... what? Home?"

My thoughts on this matter? You want to affect the banking industry and make a statement? Encourage everyone you know to take ALL of their money out of the banks. Tell everyone to purchase as much as possible using cash and make any other payments with Postal Service money orders. Don't buy anything on credit. If you don't have the money for something, don't buy it.

See how the banking industry likes that. Then maybe there won't be a branch on every corner and America will get off its materialistic path of self destruction.