FrankRep
08-06-2009, 03:26 PM
Congress Becoming Afraid of Citizens (http://www.jbs.org/jbs-news-feed/5180)
Ann Shibler | John Birch Society (http://www.jbs.org/)
06 August 2009
Many town hall-style meetings and listening sessions scheduled by congressmen during the August recess have been canceled or severely limited in number, due to responses and criticisms by angry, protesting, and sometimes outright hostile constituents.
We first heard whispers about mid-July that many representatives and senators would be cutting back or eliminating altogether some listening sessions or meetings this August. Politico posted an article entitled “Town Halls gone wild (http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE56U3OV20090731),” detailing the political climate back home which has caused the cutbacks.
Congressman Steve Kagen (D-Wis.) was treated to a crowd of about 700-800 people at the central library in downtown Green Bay. As the venue was far too small to contain such a crowd, many of Kagen’s constituents who couldn’t get in milled about on the sidewalk, still voicing their opposition to the health care bill. Inside, there were some serious questions asked, with some rowdy behavior exhibited, such as shouting “read it” to Kagen concerning the health bill. But those inside related to us personally that it was not as bad as the local media portrayed it, as though all those who showed up were evil, dangerous people. The police were called in and only shut the doors keeping the overflow crowd from hearing what was going on inside the small auditorium.
YouTube - Listening Session (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1eCYdPQUtk)
In New York, Rep. Tim Bishop was faced with shouting criticisms for his position on cap and trade, health care and the bailout at a June 22 event. He called it a disruption and called for police to escort him out to his car. “I have no problem with someone disagreeing with positions I hold. But I also believe no one is served if you can’t talk through differences.”
And perhaps that is the problem. Working Americans no longer want to negotiate or debate with politicians over issues they are totally against, that promote socialism and that are unconstitutional to boot, costing them their entire future. Politicians are far to used to having their way; they’ve had it for decade upon decade. There’s been no give and take, just jam, jam, jam it down the people’s throats.
The outrage they are now experiencing, either in the public square, at meetings, or in their offices comes as a bit of a shock to these insulated elitists, which might have prompted Bishop to try and explain the new phenomenon away with, “We are trying, one by one, to deal with a set of issues that can’t be ignored, and I think that’s unsettling to a lot of people.” (People having their lives regulated to death and property taxed away are "unsettled.")
Tea party activists are taking the blame for a “disruption” in Danville, Virginia. They were “refused an opportunity” to even ask Rep. Thomas Perriello (D-Va.) a question, and were instructed by a plainclothes police officer to leave the property after they tried to hold up protest signs — the event was held on private property.
At a listening session on health care in Syracuse, New York, police were called in to remove a heckler, and in Panama City, Florida, Rep. Allen Boyd (D. Fla.) was treated to 100 sign-carrying voters, mad as could be.
The recommendation by Rep. Dan Maffei (D. N.Y.) is that other options of communication should be used now: email, phone conferencing, and making sure appearances are before small groups.
To be fair, at least one representative, Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) isn’t backing down or retreating in any way. He seems to enjoy the give and take: “It’s what I do. It’s what I will continue to do.”
Anthony Martin at the Columbia Conservative Examiner labels the new movement as “peasants with pitchforks.” (http://www.examiner.com/x-3704-Columbia-Conservative-Examiner~y2009m8d1-Peasants-with-pitchforks-and-torches) He says “Congress and the President need to realize that they cannot continue their relentless assault on the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, capitalism, and all that made this nation great, without a fight. There are still multi-millions of citizens in this country who are more than willing to fight against their government if they become convinced that the government is a threat to the country.”
The electorate is awakening like that sleeping dragon, at first groggily gurgling and snorting, and finally coming to the point of being fully awake, breathing real fire and bellowing to the top of its lungs.
SOURCE:
http://www.jbs.org/jbs-news-feed/5180
Ann Shibler | John Birch Society (http://www.jbs.org/)
06 August 2009
Many town hall-style meetings and listening sessions scheduled by congressmen during the August recess have been canceled or severely limited in number, due to responses and criticisms by angry, protesting, and sometimes outright hostile constituents.
We first heard whispers about mid-July that many representatives and senators would be cutting back or eliminating altogether some listening sessions or meetings this August. Politico posted an article entitled “Town Halls gone wild (http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE56U3OV20090731),” detailing the political climate back home which has caused the cutbacks.
Congressman Steve Kagen (D-Wis.) was treated to a crowd of about 700-800 people at the central library in downtown Green Bay. As the venue was far too small to contain such a crowd, many of Kagen’s constituents who couldn’t get in milled about on the sidewalk, still voicing their opposition to the health care bill. Inside, there were some serious questions asked, with some rowdy behavior exhibited, such as shouting “read it” to Kagen concerning the health bill. But those inside related to us personally that it was not as bad as the local media portrayed it, as though all those who showed up were evil, dangerous people. The police were called in and only shut the doors keeping the overflow crowd from hearing what was going on inside the small auditorium.
YouTube - Listening Session (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1eCYdPQUtk)
In New York, Rep. Tim Bishop was faced with shouting criticisms for his position on cap and trade, health care and the bailout at a June 22 event. He called it a disruption and called for police to escort him out to his car. “I have no problem with someone disagreeing with positions I hold. But I also believe no one is served if you can’t talk through differences.”
And perhaps that is the problem. Working Americans no longer want to negotiate or debate with politicians over issues they are totally against, that promote socialism and that are unconstitutional to boot, costing them their entire future. Politicians are far to used to having their way; they’ve had it for decade upon decade. There’s been no give and take, just jam, jam, jam it down the people’s throats.
The outrage they are now experiencing, either in the public square, at meetings, or in their offices comes as a bit of a shock to these insulated elitists, which might have prompted Bishop to try and explain the new phenomenon away with, “We are trying, one by one, to deal with a set of issues that can’t be ignored, and I think that’s unsettling to a lot of people.” (People having their lives regulated to death and property taxed away are "unsettled.")
Tea party activists are taking the blame for a “disruption” in Danville, Virginia. They were “refused an opportunity” to even ask Rep. Thomas Perriello (D-Va.) a question, and were instructed by a plainclothes police officer to leave the property after they tried to hold up protest signs — the event was held on private property.
At a listening session on health care in Syracuse, New York, police were called in to remove a heckler, and in Panama City, Florida, Rep. Allen Boyd (D. Fla.) was treated to 100 sign-carrying voters, mad as could be.
The recommendation by Rep. Dan Maffei (D. N.Y.) is that other options of communication should be used now: email, phone conferencing, and making sure appearances are before small groups.
To be fair, at least one representative, Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) isn’t backing down or retreating in any way. He seems to enjoy the give and take: “It’s what I do. It’s what I will continue to do.”
Anthony Martin at the Columbia Conservative Examiner labels the new movement as “peasants with pitchforks.” (http://www.examiner.com/x-3704-Columbia-Conservative-Examiner~y2009m8d1-Peasants-with-pitchforks-and-torches) He says “Congress and the President need to realize that they cannot continue their relentless assault on the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, capitalism, and all that made this nation great, without a fight. There are still multi-millions of citizens in this country who are more than willing to fight against their government if they become convinced that the government is a threat to the country.”
The electorate is awakening like that sleeping dragon, at first groggily gurgling and snorting, and finally coming to the point of being fully awake, breathing real fire and bellowing to the top of its lungs.
SOURCE:
http://www.jbs.org/jbs-news-feed/5180