New York Times Needs to Take Its Pulse

Today's edition of the New York Times online included Michael Kimmerman's article "In Protest, the Power of Place" along with Cara Buckley and Rachel Donadio's article "Buoyed by Wall St. Protests, Rallies Sweep the Globe" . Both articles were about the growing social movement that’s been growing out of Zuccotti Park. Occupy Wall Street has turned into an important international movement that is touching all aspects of United States politics, as shown in Nicholas Confessore and Griff Palmer’s article “Romney beating Obama, in a fight for Wall St. Cash”. Yet, the New York Times as a whole doesn't seem to have its finger on the pulse of what's really going on right here in New York City. When I visited the New York Times online, I was stunned to read little about the massive march that began in Washington Square Park and thundered on its way to Times Square. The march in and of itself was worthy of headlines. For sure, if the details are in the New York Times, they’re well hidden from interested readers.

Yesterday I took part in what organizers are calling the first New York City All-City Student Assembly held in Washington Square Park. The hundreds of students that convened here, marched to LaGuardia Place to support the 23 people who were arrested during their political action against banks. We returned to the park to be met by thousands of protestors, who we joined in a march to Times Square. I haven’t seen any articles that truly describe the power harnessed in this protest in opposition to the social injustice of corporate greed and our government’s part in it.

The march itself was spectacular and spoke to the bravery of the people who began this movement. Nearly shoulder to shoulder on some blocks, police officers lined each of the streets where protestors marched. The military style presence of the officers created an atmosphere of antagonism which I’m sure was the cause of confrontations between police and protesters at Times Square. It was my hope that the New York Times would capture the aura of the protest march and the depth of this movement which is truly a revolution.

At some point the people of this city, including officers, are going to have choices to make. The presence of the 99% is growing into a population that officers won’t be able to intimidate and the New York Times won’t be able to take lightly. The 99% isn’t made up of just young people anymore. There are people of all kinds coming to the front lines. It’s a blend of race, ethnicity, religion, age, and so on. The New York Times better get its finger on the pulse of Occupied Wall St.