It’s the end of another work week. I’ve been thinking about this Occupy Wall Street movement – the 99% and the 1%. Especially Scott Olsen. I learned more about him. In addition to being an Iraq veteran, he worked as a network engineer. He went to work every day, and then joined the protests at night. He had a nice apartment overlooking the Bay.

Right Wing pundits like to look down on the protesters as “parasites on parade” (Mark Levin’s affectionate description). It’s easy to dismiss the protesters by painting a broad brush. So what would they have to say about Scott Olsen. Lazy and on unemployment? Nope. He has a really good job. Unpatriotic and America-hating? Nope. He was a Marine with two tours in Iraq under his belt.

To the Right Wing pundits, Scott Olsen is their worst nightmare. He doesn’t fit the stereotype they love to perpetuate. Surprise! He isn’t an entitled, dirty hippie who smells like B.O. and patchouli.

And there are more just like him. A lot more. Regular people. Of course, the media and pundits won’t show and tell you that. I wonder why that is. To keep us divided? Liberal vs. Conservative. We may see and want to approach issues in a different way, but as regular Americans we have a lot more in common than they want you to believe.

I don’t know. Maybe that’s the point of my rambling Friday post. Left, Right, Center, Apolictical, Whatever. We’re Americans and just regular people trying to get through life.