#firstworldproblems

I am not a fan of the Occupy Toronto, and fellow Occupy Canada movements, basically because I feel that the message has lost its meaning at this point, and are undermining the worse problems out there. Specifically not in the First World Countries. I think the main argument has long since been lost in the muddled rantings of people who have now taken advantage of parks, found themselves a home they won’t get evicted from (in some cases, Toronto being one of them) and even got donations for food, generators, and hygienic products to get through the winter. Um, how about you send that to the orphaned kids living on the streets around the world at the age of 6 who would just be happy to get a warm home, and a hot meal. Or even for our own homeless people here in Toronto who struggle to get into a shelter, whose health is so degraded that they actually cannot get a job due to their mental/physical health from years of living on the streets. Who wish they had a job, or a school that they could leave to protest the corporations! I bet some of these people wish they had a real toilet to use.
Why in the world do these adults need these things? I am sorry to sound un-empathetic but when you live in countries where there is even a small possibility for a homeless person to get into a shelter, or a place where kids who are orphaned have places to go no matter what, how can you be that ignorant and selfish!? No, these things are not perfect in out First World Country, but they are available and a work in progress. These things, should be what we should protest for more of. It may not be easy, or what one wants to have to go through but at least there is a way, unlike for all those families living naked in the more economically challenged countries in the world. Where protesting gets you shot, or being homeless means that you are left to die in the streets cause you are worthless.

Yes, there is no doubt there are problems with our economics, and for the rights of many of our citizens. Things are not easy for us in some respects. Many might say “Our rights as human beings are being belittled! They don’t care about the 99%”, and while I understand your frustration, I don’t see how we have it so bad. There are people all over the world that have no rights because they are poor, female, or of the wrong
religion of the country they live in. For these people there is no minimum wage, welfare, pensions, food banks, Goodwills, healthcare, or even a right to an education.

We may not be perfect here in our country, but we have a hell of a lot more than most. We try. In Canada, we don’t have to start working as children because they have a place for those who do not have homes. They may not be the nicest places, but as I have stated before: It’s a work in progress. This is what we should work together towards to make better. Not moan that it takes us 2-3 incomes to have a decent apartment/home (at
 least you have an income!). Not yell at others walking by these movements who are trying their best to get by.

A friend of mine was recently yelled at by men at Occupy Toronto as she walked to the subway; “Hey! Can I occupy your vagina if you come join the fight?" and some female Occupants laughed at her. I’m sorry but really?! You want respect as human beings, but you can’t even give respect to a fellow human being yourself? You want people to take you seriously then be grown ups, and be respectful to others. You want to be treated properly, but you treat a female as if she is a sexual object? You want her to join your movement so you can screw her? I’m sorry but that is not your right. Her right in this country is to walk proud as a woman, and yet these people who have joined the movement can’t even give her that.

So, until you people can show respect for the rest of the world, and at the very least respect for those you say that you are fighting for, (because yes she is just like you, she deals with being paid low amounts in order to keep her home) you don’t have anything to be whining about. When you too can peacefully make your point without being disgusting pigs, when you can understand what you have compared to those in third world countries, when you don’t take for granted the many things Canada does have to help those in need then maybe the majority will listen to what you have to say about the problems that need to be fixed. While your movement does have a point, the majority that Occupy are ruining it, by all the things stated above being taken for granted, or ignored.

We all know there is a problem in this country. We just need to figure out what it is specifically, and target that. Not people.
Find your message, find a solution, find your ground, then come talk to the rest of us. We are happy to listen. We are all in this together.



-Says Marli.