Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Interpretation

Perception: is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information.

Interpret: To explain the meaning of. To conceive the significance of. ie; interpreted his smile to be an agreement; interpreted the open door as an invitation.

Perception and interpretation. Subjective stuff. The news shows images of people protesting. A movement happening around our nation, and so many varying opinions. I saw a picture on Facebook, posted by someone I know. It was a photo of Zuccotti Park, at daybreak on Tuesday, completely empty, after the protesters were evicted. Above the photo he wrote, "My favorite picture of the day".

I thought, how sad, when I read that. What is that position? So if you are frustrated, and angry about something, you should  do nothing about it? It is a good thing for protesters to be told to go away? To stop what they are doing? The message that I perceived from the eviction, was that some people were having a problem with what was happening in the park, and didn't want to see it anymore, (read; the most influential people)  That is OK? 

The image of the empty park, seemed to me, an image of America hitting rock bottom. People gathered together, standing up for a belief, forced away. Did that empty park photograph make some feel better. We can't see them now, so the problem is gone? My 2 year old closes her eyes when she is being scolded, in an attempt to disappear, and not see what is happening. But I don't go away. She just can't see me for a few seconds. But she can hear me, and I stand there, before her, until she opens her eyes. And so too, have the Occupants. They returned.

In the last 75 years, do you know what has happened each time thousands come together, for a cause that they believe in, and want to change? They get arrested, and pushed away. Told to go home. Tear gassed, and beaten. And you know what happens? They come back stronger than ever. It has never worked to try and silence beliefs, and frustrations, and in my opinion, injustice. NEVER. People only get louder.

There are people who say that the Occupy Wall Street movement has no leader. It has no clear message. It seems all over the place. That is their perception of it. Their interpretation. Funny, I feel the same about our government. There doesn't seem to be anyone doing anything about what is really necessary. No clear message. Everyone is all over the place. Sadly, no clear leader.

After our President stated that this country was in a near state of emergency, you know what was tossed around for an entire day on the floor of Congress? Some crazy bill about hospitals possibly being able to deny health care to a woman having a miscarriage.

I keep hearing many Presidential candidates talking about family values, and the defining nano-second of the beginning of life. What programs they are going to cut, which funny enough are all programs that the neediest of the needy, NEED. Protecting citizens that are not even zygotes yet, is actually on their agenda.

How about protecting the ones already here? The born. How about not even considering cutting necessary social programs? How about not making cuts that will effect education in any way, thus insuring the successful future of our children. How about not trying to put your hands over your ears, and squeezing your eyes shut tight, to avoid having to see what is happening in our nation. With so much money being dumped into our political system, and politicians votes being purchased, protecting our rights to assemble, and protest has never been more important, than this very moment in history.

The time we are living in is historical. Like any other time, when change was necessary, and people got so fed up they finally took to the streets, you can't ignore it. There are some who make fun of it. Look down their noses at it. Their interpretation or perception of what is happening is different from your own. But that is what America is. Agreeing, and disagreeing. Being able to open your mouth, or write, or petition,or gather, for a change. That is, after all, what our troops, past, present, and future, fight for? Right?

Or am I misinterpreting something?

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