The Washington Voice OWS Needs

In a time of broad public support for Occupy Wall Street amid violent attacks on OWC encampments by municipal law enforcement, I find it extremely disappointing that President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., and most every other elected official in Washington have yet to call on city authorities nationwide to stand down in their provocations against OWS protests.

OWS assemblies have been subject to weeks of violent, likely illegal, and certainly U.S. Constitution-defying strong-arm tactics by municipalities from New York City to Oakland, so far with very little comment or blowback by the usually voluble political class and commentariat in our nation's capital. This silence is deafening, considering that one Oakland OWC attendee, Iraq war veteran Scott Olsen, had his head cracked open by a flying projectile which had been launched by police under orders from Oakland's Mayor Jean Quan.

To give credit where credit is due, Quan came out later to deplore the results of police action there. Tennessee officials capitulated after protesters went to federal court to end the illegal curfew and arrests of dozens of Occupy supporters, who argued those actions violated their rights to free speech and freedom of assembly. And Oakland's Citizens' Police Review Board is launching an investigation into police action there that resulted in Olsen's fractured skull.

Also, to be fair, Manhattan federal District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., investigated on Oct. 31 after NYC Policeman Anthony Bologna pepper-sprayed some women taking part in OWS two weeks before. But apart from these few municipal reactions to uphold protestors' rights and protect their safety, our nation's political leaders have gone silent.

Mr. Obama -- and for that matter all sitting Congressional officials -- with all due respect, what are you waiting for? Stop playing politics with the lives of our citizenry and call for an end to the unjustified attacks on OWS's exercising its Constitutional First Amendment actions. Our people have every right to seek redress of economic and social injustice, and every right to expect official government action supporting and defending those First Amendment protections -- even when it means shielding them from aggressive police procedures.

Let freedom ring without the need for pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades. Wasn't that our official stance in defense of the Egyptian uprising? Didn't we support NATO action when Col. Muammar Qaddafi threatened to wipe out his own citizen protestors in Libya? What's good for Egyptian and Libyan citizens is good for Americans, no? If necessary, send in the National Guard to protect our fundamental right to peaceful assembly. What are you waiting for -- dead bodies in our streets?