The Occupy Wall Street movement is coming to Milwaukee this weekend, likely setting up camp for the long haul like its sister camps across the U.S. and parts of Europe.
I have well-meaning, intelligent friends that are very much behind the cause and actively rallying others to Zeidler Union Square for the demonstrations, which start Oct. 15. I also have well-meaning, intelligent friends that think the Occupy (insert city here) protests are an exercise in futility without any direction.
I like to think I'm well-meaning, and on my better days, I like to think I'm intelligent, but I'm finding it difficult to decide which side of the fence I'll come down on. I like the idea of the 99 percent, and I think it's ridiculous when people with the general public's trust and money in their hands get slaps on the wrist for their corruption.
On the other hand, I still think the Occupy movement is too broad in their sweep to really enact change about something that we can really only control - at best - with the public vote. And even then, who's to say that will fix an entire system laced with debt and lobbyists?
Maybe my sympathetic side is too idealistic. Or maybe I'm being too cynical and am underestimating it all. In either case, I have no problem with sticking it out on the fence awhile longer.
Contrary to her natural state of being, Renee Lorenz is a total optimist when it comes to Milwaukee. Since beginning her career with OnMilwaukee.com, her occasional forays into the awesomeness that is the Brew City have turned into an overwhelming desire to discover anything and everything that's new, fun or just ... "different."
Expect her random musings to cover both the new and "new-to-her" aspects of Miltown goings-on, in addition to periodically straying completely off-topic, which usually manifests itself in the form of an obscure movie reference.
