EDITORIAL: Occupy Wall Street comes to Brooklyn

Whether you agree or disagree with the protesters who have takenover Zuccotti Park, the Occupy Wall Street movement is having animpact, first on Lower Manhattan and now on Brooklyn, where severalrallies have been held, most recently one called by DemocraticParty leaders on the steps of Borough Hall.

The movement, now more than a month old, has brought a host ofissues into the spotlight – not only issues of Wall Street, butalso of the overall economy, in which so many people are finding itdifficult to make ends meet.

The lack of sufficient number of jobs to keep those who want towork gainfully employed is a major focus of the movement, and it’sone that’s clearly finding resonance in Brooklyn, where theunemployment figures give one pause.

As of September, according to the New York State Department ofLabor, unemployment in the borough was at 9.5 percent,substantially higher than the state unemployment rate of 7.8percent, and the city’s rate of 8.7 percent, which means thatpeople here are hurting, and expressing their pain.

That’s what makes democracy special – the ability of individuals tobroadcast their message so it’s heard, loud and clear, by those inpower.

The protesters associated with Occupy Wall Street – both those atZuccotti Park and sympathizers not encamped there – are asking forchange that will enable them and their families both to participatein and contribute to a stable economy and society.

Freedom of speech is one of the basic rights enshrined in the U.S.Constitution, in the Bill of Rights’ first amendment. It is one ofthe touchstones of democracy. As a newspaper, whose mission is toshare information and allow discourse on a variety of issues, weembrace the right of citizens to do precisely that.