The current state of OWS

I agree with some of the over-arching principles of the Occupy Wall Street movement, most importantly that banks and big corporations have been unfairly prioritized above common citizens. I think it is admirable that people have expressed their feelings through peaceful demonstration.

However, at this point it seems to me that OWS encampments are doing more harm than good, both for the movement's goals and for society in general. Continuing to camp in Zuccotti Park as these conditions worsen can only turn community sentiment against OWS and, by extension, their higher goals. The encampments are an unnecessary drain on public resources and pose a threat to general health and sanitation.

There are more constructive methods to get the OWS message across: organized media campaigns, direct contact with government entities, even day protests. Such efforts would show that OWS has not given up on its aims, while showing respect for the community at large.

At this point, it's hard not to view continued encampments as people putting their own agenda above everyone's well-being, at the cost of both the community and their very own message. These citizens may not have been fairly served by the government, but two wrongs do not make a right.