Another health care town hall, which will doubtless be visited by the teabaggers — and the merely grievously misinformed.
To quote Kate from her D-Dem Dispatch:
On Saturday I attended the Town Hall Meeting on Health Care Reform hosted by Congresswoman Niki Tsongas. What I saw was concerning. There were numbers of people in attendance who were disrespectful to the Congresswoman and people with differing opinions. Whatever your feeling is on health care reform, consider coming to the Town Hall meeting on Tuesday. Come ready to listen and learn and to share your thoughts. We need a strong presence so that there can be civil discourse.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT DEMOCRATS WHO SUPPORT HEALTH CARE REFORM COME TO THIS EVENT IN LARGE NUMBERS.
Tuesday, August 11
Town Hall Forum with Rep. Niki Tsongas
Hudson High School, 69 Brigham Street, Hudson
Suggested Arrival Time: 2 PM.
The forum is from 5-7 p.m.OFA-MA is organizing sign making and gathering, beginning at 2 PM. This should be a fun, social event with an opportunity to meet with other Democrats.
liveandletlive says
MSNBC is going to carry it live. Hopefully he’ll be able to squash all of the inaccurate rumors and fears that are getting a lot of media coverage.
christopher says
Are there any BMGers driving across the border to attend?
liveandletlive says
It’s more of a rally and there are no dissenters that I can tell.
billxi says
are so very informative. Afraid to discuss the issues? I’m pretty sure no one opposing got in the door.
christopher says
Though if I were the President and had seen how members of Congress were being treated I’d be tempted to just do a rally too. If I were a member of Congress I wouldn’t put up with this nonsense either. I would limit my forum to constituents only (check IDs) and set up microphones for people to take 30 seconds to ask a question or make a comment. I wouldn’t have questions written on index cards because that would open me up to accusations of only picking friendly questions. Anybody who’s disruptive would be thrown out by security before they knew what hit them. I welcome dissent, but not disorder.
johnd says
Think about the Democratic convention in Chicago during Viet Nam…
billxi says
The “protest cage” in Boston in 2004. Or the “protest zone” in Denver, 10 miles out of town, in 2008.
kirth says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…
kirth says
http://www.foxnews.com/printer…
christopher says
Keep in mind I’m only talking about inside the meeting. Protesters can line the sidewalks approaching the venue and scream themselves hoarse as far as I’m concerned. I’m not sure which angle you’re going with regarding the Chicago convention. Inside it seems things did get a bit out of hand; outside it was the police who overreacted.
johnd says
<
p>This is called “stacking the deck” like Obama did in NH yesterday. I was puking listening to the cherry plum questions. Even he must have been a little embarrassed when he had to search out the crowd for some tough questions. Exactly what “ID” would you be checking at the door… for Dems, for libs, for US citizens, Union members… what? Are you insinuating that dissenters are from outside? I’d be curious how many SUPPORTERS are from outside which nobody ever seems to question!
<
p>
<
p>Like the famous “don’t taze me bro” person who disrupted Kerry’s speech? I don’t like disruptive people either so I agree but isn’t it funny how people have disrupted (and thrown pies at) conservatives for 8 years with a full pardon being issued from the left. The supportive comments back then came out typically quoting Gandhi or Lewis Van Dusen,
<
p>I think Obama should remember this quote from Alexander Hamilton…
<
p>
<
p>We do need reform but Obama and the left are going too far and too fast on this reform.
christopher says
To answer one of your questions, yes I do get the sense that in at least some cases the obnoxious people are coming from the outside. I DID say limit to constituents, not limit to Democrats, liberals, union members, or citizens. I just want a drivers license or anything that proves you live in the district based on your address. I also wouldn’t bother being picky about which precinct someone lives in for towns split into more than 1 CD. Don’t worry, if I were your Congressman you would be more than welcome to attend my forum and make your comments.
<
p>Any defense of people being rude to conservatives has not come from me. The more I think about it the more I realize I’m not even sure what the people in this case are seeking to accomplish. Say things got so out of hand that the Congressman just threw up his hands and walked out. Then what? He’ll go back to the Capitol after recess and vote however he’s going to vote without the benefit of constructive engagement with his constituents and people will continue to complain that they weren’t heard.
<
p>I completely reject your notion of going too far too fast. If I know anything about it universal health care has been part of the Democratic platform since 1948 and we all remember that it was tried 15 years ago. My question is what’s taking so long.
shiltone says
Meanwhile, Bush/Cheney impeachment rallies were open to all.
<
p>By the way, when the right-wing “revolution” comes to America, do you really think it will be wheelchair-accessible?
liveandletlive says
It would be great to see pro-reform people shouting back at the anti’s and shutting them up.
billxi says
Can shout… freedom of speech. Anyone else is a “thug”.
michaelbate says
But I have not seen supporters of health care reform shouting people down and engaging in thugish behavior. Perhaps there are a few isolated instances, but the overwhelming number of cases of this come from the Right, with, as has been documented here repeatedly, assistance by unsavory and well-funded organizations who have sent out instructions on how to disrupt and intimidate.
<
p>The hecklers and the howlers have repeatedly displayed their ignorance, and their unwillingness to listen to any other point of view (or to let anyone else hear it). They have no alternate plan to address our health insurance crisis. It is pretty clear, if they are not paid to come, that they get their “information” from the likes of Fox “News” and Rush Limbaugh.
christopher says
…that these people complain that the members of Congress are not explaining the proposals or their views, but then drown them out and not let them get a word in edgewise?
annem says
shiltone says
…and I’m sure our teabagger friends upthread can elaborate, but here goes:
<
p>
kirth says
was carrying a sign that referred to a Jefferson quote. Here’s a longer version:
That evidence tag down at the right corner? Timothy McVeigh was wearing the shirt when he was arrested.
john-from-lowell says
Here is the link: http://www.law.umkc.edu/facult…
<
p>From:
liveandletlive says
you can be damn sure that I would be shouting YES! to health care reform right back at them. Sitting there quietly may seem the more appropriate and respectful thing to do, but, it would only make them the winners(or at least appear to be). Sometimes you just have to rise to the occasion. Of course, if it came to violence, I would leave. I would not participate in violence.
alanf says
One hypothesis is that the potential disruptors were focusing on the Obama event, so not many of them showed up.
<
p>I was pleased by how well Congresswoman Tsongas answered the questions, too.
kate says
As Alan mentioned, the Hudson event had a very different feel from the event in Chelmsford. People were allowed to speak and I did not see people being shouted down or interrupted.
<
p>If you want to get the information that Charley reported directly, sign up for the D Dem Dispatch by sending an e-mail to DDemDispatch-subscribe@yahoogroups.ocm or by contacting me directly at KateDonaghue AT aol DOT com.