Protests Are Based on Disturbing Numbers

In the late 1960s, it took me longer than some people to understand the Vietnam protest movement. The protests seemed so disrespectful, loosely coupled and unpatriotic.  

Eventually, however, I realized that our young soldiers - almost all men in those days - were in a far-flung corner of the globe, dying and sacrificing over what amounted to a civil war, protecting little except their service brethren and the honor of our national policy.

I vowed never again to look at protest in purely ideological terms.  So, recent protests have reminded me of my vow.  

The showed the documentary, Inside Job, last weekend.  It's a thought-provoking look at the unhealthy relationship between government policy and corporate choices in the financial industry. The film is worth watching.  

I recently heard the co-owner of a respected local company named McKinstry state that he thinks United States business and society need a "moral and ethical re-boot."  I agree.

Here are some charts I came across, numbers for your reflection. Current protests may lack clear expression or group cohesiveness, but clearly protesters are aware that real change needs to occur in business and in society in general.  

We don't need less freedom, but we need a lot more personal, corporate and government responsibility because we need to cause the numbers on these charts to change.