This two minute video from Senator Aren Specters town hall meeting yesterday shows the high emotions that are surfacing at these events.
I found this AP article that reports on yesterday's disruptions at Specters' meeting in Pennsylvania and Senator Claire McCaskill's in Missouri. Here are a few excerpts:
Sen. Arlen Specter said Wednesday he thinks people who have been angrily disrupting town hall meetings on overhauling the health care system are "not necessarily representative of America," but should be heard.Interesting that each senator had different reactions. Specter seems to get it and McCaskill doesn't. He seemed to focus on and understand the "anger" and she chose to focus on and not understand the "rudeness".
"It's more than health care," said Specter, 79, who earlier this year left the Republican Party and became a Democrat. "I think there is a mood in America of anger with so many people unemployed, with so much bickering in Washington ... with the fear of losing their health care. It all boils over."
...
Specter, who had another such forum scheduled Wednesday at State College, Pa., said he had been "impressed with the fact that people have been very well prepared." He said many have come to meetings with copies of the legislation and have cited specific provisions in their arguments.
...
"If they don't let us vent our frustrations out, they will have a revolution," Mary Ann Fieser of Hillsboro, Mo., told McCaskill at her Missouri health care forum. McCaskill admonished the rowdy crowd, saying "I don't understand this rudeness. I honestly don't get it."
These "town halls" have been an interesting phenomenon.. at first I wasn't sure if I liked what was going on at these venues.. I am warming up to them though. People are coming out and putting a voice to the unrest in America. They may not be representative of America but they are representative of a part of it.
I think that our governmental leaders would do well to get past their own issues about rudeness and engage with those who disagree with them.
Though I disagree with these people, civil disobedience is an honorable way to get one's point across.
ReplyDeleteFree speech. It's a good thing. I'm glad there is some passion in the US right now.
ReplyDeleteFor someone who wasn't being allowed to speak he sure said an awful lot.
ReplyDeleteListen, I get that people are angry. Part of it has to do with the anger that Sen. Specter talked about, the anger at how crappy everything seems lately. However, doesn't some of that same anger come from the half-truths and outright lies being told by the people that these Americans trust?
Also on CNN (I think it was CNN) I saw a lady who said she was 35 and never been involved in politics before. Now she was getting involved. Bravo for her, but perhaps if all of these folks (and all the folks in other bits of the political spectrum) had been involved and stayed involved we might be in a better place? Just a thought.
Passion and free speech and civil disobedience are a wonderful thing. None of that is excuse for bad behavior (and yes I'm looking at you too Code Pink).
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ReplyDeleteI'm no Spector fan, but I think he at least tried to listen. I think people are outraged and speaking out in such loud ways because they need to... Our government is trying to ram this healthcare legislation through alarmingly fast. It is the government that is causing citizens to respond so loudly. We have no other choice!
ReplyDelete...and when people like Pelosi to use the words "thug" and "Nazi" to describe these American citizens, it makes me downright angry. "You work for us," seems like a good chant in such a situation.
ReplyDelete"You work for us".. lol.. are you a lobbyist Matt?
ReplyDeleteOften everyone gets lumped in the same camp, which does not provide an accurate reflection of what I have seen.
ReplyDeletePeople coming to town halls angry, protesting and providing their opinions in sometimes loud and raw manner -- very patriotic.
People coming to town halls with the purpose of disrupting dialogue and screaming on and on so that no one can express their opions or ask questions -- very rude.
Often the pundits take reaction out of context. They translate "people who come only to disrupt events are not participating in the American discouse" into "people who are opposed to health care reform are un-American" -- very sad.
Great point Ed.. the town hall response is a bit of a mixed bag.
ReplyDeleteHow can the representatives give intelligent answers when they haven't even read the bill?
ReplyDeleteThese people (representatives) are supposed to be some of the brightest in the country, they had better figure it out or they're soon going to be in the unemployment lines with 10% of the people they represent.
How can the representatives give intelligent answers when they haven't even read the bill?
ReplyDeleteThese people (representatives) are supposed to be some of the brightest in the country, they had better figure it out or they're soon going to be in the unemployment lines with 10% of the people they represent.
Ken, the same cold be said for those people who are protesting who have read nothing but the talking points.
ReplyDeleteBy now though I'd say most senators and a good number of the protesters have read at least the pertinent bits. Unless you have proof to the contrary?
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ReplyDeleteWhen people like Limbaugh and his minions use the words "Nazi" and "Hitler" to describe the president, and carry signs with swastikas and pictures of Obama with a Hitler mustache, it makes me disgusted. It takes the level of discussion down to the gutter. And then when Pelosi responds to such provocation she is blamed for the whole thing. The right is quick to decry the "liberal mainstream media." But the MSM are far more interested in ratings and profits than they are in any political agenda. Look at the continued coverage of the birthers even though most elected Republican leaders denounce the whole conspiracy theory as being completely wacko.
ReplyDeleteI think our Senators and Representatives are reading the reform proposals. I think most of them discuss the proposals responsibly and are working together to write the best legislation. I think too many of the members of Congress who disagree in general with healthcare reform are misrepresenting the contents of the reform proposal and I think they are representing interests other than the people's.
ReplyDeleteThey probably are reading it NOW ... now that they weren't able to ram it through BEFORE reading it. Fortunately, it IS giving opponents opportunity to either read it, or to find articulate synopsis' of it.
ReplyDeleteMy question is: What are 'Town Hall Meetings' for? To answer the questions of the people they represent? Or to provide a platform for reps to tell the people what to think? And, if it's to listen to their constituency and answer their questions, then what's wrong with the folks getting a bit noisey when their questions aren't being answered? Don't tell me it's not American to get angry. Americans are a passionate people when it comes to their freedoms.
"They probably are reading it NOW ... now that they weren't able to ram it through BEFORE reading it."
ReplyDeleteWhy would they ram through something they didn't read. That makes no sense. (I'm not saying it hasn't happened cough Patriot Act, cough, but it's always stupid when it does.) I'm just saying you make it sound conspiratorial.
The Town Hall meetings should be about answering questions. The questions should be smart. No one should be threatening anyone or using words and or images that indicate that the other side is fascist/communist/socialist.
Of course I should also be recognized for my incredible skills as a novelist. Don't see that happening anytime soon either.
And like I said above, Americans should have been passionate decades ago. We're only passionate (generally) when someone rouses us by appealing to our fears and insecurities. Otherwise we're widely known for being complacent and ignorant.
"I think that our governmental leaders would do well to get past their own issues about rudeness and engage with those who disagree with them."
ReplyDeleteBob, I totally agree with you here. I had to laugh while watching Bill O. on FOX this evening and the clips that he was showing of the people getting angry and shouting out. I am so glad that people are getting angry and speaking out and our legislators don't know what to do about it. Maybe, I am praying that they hear us.
I am disturbed by the rudeness and the meanness and wonder if these people even know what they are "for and against" half the time...they just are passionate about disagreeing.
ReplyDeleteThe Dems have not tried to ram the reform legislation through Congress. But they are not interested in letting the GOP members delay the process as long as they can. Most of the Democrats and a few Republicans are trying to pass bipartisan reform legislation. I think it is a waste of time since the GOP leadership is stuck on NO and is pressurizing the few responsible Republicans to stop working on reform.
ReplyDeleteLegislators are holding townhall meetings to answer constituents questions. The Thugs attend the townhall meetings to make sure that no good questions can be asked and answered.
Even the networks (as opposed to FNC) are having trouble with coming up with credible evidence of 'Thugs' disrupting the meetings. They are, by a large majority, just ignorant, complacent, middle-class Americans (many of whom risked their lives and shed their blood on foreign soil for the right) letting their voices be heard. Most fiscal conservatives I know have been angry for quite awhile - even against Bush. It's just that nobody was listening to them. Maybe they will be now ...
ReplyDeleteI am rather tired of either/both sides trying to make the argument that two wrongs make a right. "They did it (cough, Patriot Act, cough) ... so why can't we?" BTW Joe, and I am not trying to pick any kind of fight with you, but do you really believe that the Dems didn't try very hard to get this bill passed before congress adjourned?
Oops, Ken...you forgot to mention these "thugs" are racists, too. Gotta play the race card. Always.
ReplyDeleteI liked the obama town hall where he did 90% of the talking.
ReplyDeleteKen, no offense taken, however, I meant that the Democrats have not, in general, tried to ram the legislation through Congress. I think that they have wasted time trying to be bipartisan which gave their opposition, which includes most but not all of the Republicans, enough time to mount a campaign of outrageous lies and misinformation. The window of opportunity to pass reform legislation now seems all but closed. If so, the Greedy will have won again.
ReplyDeletePoll numbers are showing that the Dems were not acting upon a favorable bill (particularly with the nonpartisan center). Perhaps it's a good thing to put together something that is bipartisan and more agreeable with the populace. Who knows, maybe the Republicans ans Blue Dogs did Obama a favor by stopping a bill that would have eventually become his Waterloo.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that the People will embrace reasonable healthcare reform when they have had a chance to realize its benefit, if it passes.
ReplyDelete