Letter: Occupiers should try volunteering

I remember being angry as a teenager ["Occupiers now occupy the discourse," Opinion, Nov. 20]. I wasn't angry at anything in particular; it was often petty concerns resulting from not being happy about my place in life. I blamed the world for my trouble, much like a few of my college students blame me for their failing grades rather than accept their own issues with attendance and handing in work on time.

A significant reason why I grew out of my misguided anger was the benefits of volunteerism while I was involved in Boy Scouts and high school student government. I realized that the "problems" I had been "suffering" from were minor compared to those of others in my community. I believe that this is what drove me to become a community college instructor in English, helping my students become better communicators, and in time, helping them improve their career prospects.

I respect the right of protest of those in the Occupy Wall Street movement -- you'd be reading this during tea time if our founding fathers never protested. However, I can't help but think that if some of the younger protesters (particularly the ones who seem downright confused about what exactly they're doing there) really wanted to make changes in the world, instead of camping out for weeks in Zuccotti Park, they could use that time to volunteer for a worthy cause.

There are likely dozens of causes in their communities that are looking for the type of passion and energy that such truly motivated people could provide. Many of these causes are political, and even volunteering to help a candidate get elected could have a profound impact toward making the type of changes these protesters seek. In fact, one of the crucial differences between the oft-compared Occupy Wall Street and the tea party is that the latter quickly figured out how to elect politicians to support its goals.

Even volunteering once a week at a soup kitchen would have more of a positive impact on the world than banging a drum and shouting all day at "the 1 percent." It also looks great on a resume.

Christopher McKittrick, Port Jefferson