The United States has always been proud of its freedom-enabling ideals and laws. Of the many rights we are given, we are entitled to freedom of speech, press and assembly. When combined for the purpose of protests, these three liberties have the ability to bring significant awareness to an issue and change our society.

Our country was created after a pretty successful protest: The American Revolution. The colonists in North America were frustrated with the unfair rulings of the British Government, and protested using both words and actions. The American Revolution is just one example of the many protests that have shaped our country. The American Labor Movement, the Women’s Rights Movement and the Civil Rights Movement are all famous protests that have affected our society. The ability of these protests to force change proves the astounding power of our freedoms.

Over the past two months, a new protest has formed and taken strength, both in the United States and around the world. This movement is known as the “Occupy Protest”.

The Occupy Protest has used the rights of speech, press and assembly to rapidly grow into a global movement. Photos of the protestors holding signs have appeared on news stations for weeks. Countless articles and reports on the movement, written both by protestors and observers, have been published both online and in newspapers. The protestors exercise their freedom of assembly by “occupying” a certain place, typically a center of economic power. They set up tents and stay at this site in protest. Many even celebrated Thanksgiving outside with their fellow protestors.

But what exactly are the Occupy Protests protesting? This question leads to confusion, as there have been a range of answers. In general, the “Occupy Protests” want to create more jobs, lower the number of foreclosures, reconstruct portions of our political system (particularly with regards to power distribution) and end the power of big banks and large corporations. They believe that 1% of our population, which “earned 17% of our nation’s income,” has too much power and control over our country.

The reasoning behind the Occupy Protests is justified. Our nation is on the wrong track: unemployment remains high and the economic situation isn’t improving to the extent we hoped. The future is unpredictable and unstable. We have centered our country on gaining power and money instead of on the ideals upon which we were founded. The United States of America was once a land of hope and opportunity, a land for new beginnings. In these respects, we are all disappointed, and hoping for improvements. Protests are a staple of our democratic values, thus, it is not surprising that the Occupy Protests resulted.

While the protestors may have legitimate goals, the movement itself is causing more problems than it is solving.

At the Occupy Protest locations, crime and health concerns have rightfully raised fears. The locations have become sites of violence and sexual assault. Homeless people are also congregating at the locations with the hopes of receiving warmth and food. Many fear that diseases will spread quickly and that safety is a major concern.

There is no clear goal or future to the movement, an important aspect of any protest. Most importantly, they lack reasonable fixes for the issues they are protesting. They have talked about adding new amendments, changing laws and altering political procedures. These actions all involve changes that are not well thought out and are not a long-term solution. The Occupy Protests lack a future direction and legitimate proposed solutions.

While they continue to simply occupy locations, they are costing us millions of dollars. It is reported that the first 2 months of the protest cost $13 million dollars in police overtime and services. Another report claims that in fact this number has exceeded $20 million dollars, including repairs to damaged land and property. This money could have gone towards creating more jobs, or preventing many more foreclosures or supporting another one of the Occupy protestors’ causes.

By merely occupying a location, the protests have little effect. They are raising awareness, but there are many problems with the protests that outweigh the advantages. They protestors need a clear goal and improved execution to bring about the change they desire.