I was very disappointed with Joe Reisert’s recent column about the Occupy movement.

Reisert began by comparing the Occupiers to a child throwing a tantrum. This fallacy of argument is covered in high school English classes.

Second, he extrapolates from the individual to the whole, a fallacy Reisert understands. For example, in our current economic condition, it is best for a family to conserve and save.

However, because we are all saving and conserving our economy is in the tank: notice the great interest after Black Friday in the question, “Did we start spending again?”

After this, Reisert covered the demonstrators as a second-rate Rush Limbaugh might. What a shame.

I know that freedom of assembly is guaranteed by our Constitution. However, I also know this is not synonymous with the rght to protest. I know over my lifetime these issues have been in the Supreme Court multiple times.

But I do not understand the subtleties of what will happen in the streets and in our courts as the Occupy movement continues. Reisert is an expert; he could have helped us. Instead, he took the low road and threw gasoline on the flames.

Tom Berger

Oakland

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