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Brent and I are confused
Aug. 11th, 2009 09:39 pmMy lord, what is going on with this country?
Since when are the disruptive tactics being employed to shut down discussion on health care reform - which should, in theory, make treatment available to more people and keep more from getting ill or curing them if they do get ill - in any way comparable to the anti-war protests in the past seven years? It is not the same thing. At all. I don't believe you can make them an apples-apples comparison and get away with it.
Some of the TEA Party people earlier this year were crazy, too, but at least they were relatively peaceful in their demonstrations. They were concerned about tax money going to large businesses, which is acceptable enough, even if I don't entirely agree with them. But this isn't big business - this is about your friend being able to go to the doctor and get treated for a bad cold or still be able to get his blood pressure medication even if he loses his job.
I've worked as a journalist for 15 years. In that time I have covered hundreds of public meetings of all moods, types, sizes, and outcomes. Believe me when I tell you that the extreme behavior you're seeing from these "town hall meetings" is just that: Extreme. I went to meetings about toxic waste dumping, with hordes of actual concerned residents violently opposed to it being near their homes, that were less loud and unruly than what I'm seeing and reading about.
I cannot believe there are adults who need to be told this, but - when you're inside, use your indoor voice and demeanor. This does not translate to "wimp." This means, if your argument is worth making, you don't have to shove and push and scream and name-call to make it especially if nearly everyone sitting around you is of the same mind. Just get in front of a microphone and you'll be heard. Look at the guy elected as president last fall - whatever you personally think about him or his beliefs, you can't say he's strident or mean-spirited or a name-caller (note: "stupidly" is an adverb that describes behavior, not an adjective describing a person; just getting that in before someone leans on that for an argument) - in fact, he was about the calmest of the lot, which sort of made me think THAT is the tone people wanted again after so many years of discord and polarization.
(And yes, I'm well aware of just how uncomfortable my "I judge you" post from the other day made some people. While it's not my express intention to personally insult anyone, it was one of the few ways I could think to SHOW just how uncomfortable I and others feel in a debate of absolute black and white, that doesn't seem to recognize a gray area, or a need for compromise.)
Since when are the disruptive tactics being employed to shut down discussion on health care reform - which should, in theory, make treatment available to more people and keep more from getting ill or curing them if they do get ill - in any way comparable to the anti-war protests in the past seven years? It is not the same thing. At all. I don't believe you can make them an apples-apples comparison and get away with it.
Some of the TEA Party people earlier this year were crazy, too, but at least they were relatively peaceful in their demonstrations. They were concerned about tax money going to large businesses, which is acceptable enough, even if I don't entirely agree with them. But this isn't big business - this is about your friend being able to go to the doctor and get treated for a bad cold or still be able to get his blood pressure medication even if he loses his job.
I've worked as a journalist for 15 years. In that time I have covered hundreds of public meetings of all moods, types, sizes, and outcomes. Believe me when I tell you that the extreme behavior you're seeing from these "town hall meetings" is just that: Extreme. I went to meetings about toxic waste dumping, with hordes of actual concerned residents violently opposed to it being near their homes, that were less loud and unruly than what I'm seeing and reading about.
I cannot believe there are adults who need to be told this, but - when you're inside, use your indoor voice and demeanor. This does not translate to "wimp." This means, if your argument is worth making, you don't have to shove and push and scream and name-call to make it especially if nearly everyone sitting around you is of the same mind. Just get in front of a microphone and you'll be heard. Look at the guy elected as president last fall - whatever you personally think about him or his beliefs, you can't say he's strident or mean-spirited or a name-caller (note: "stupidly" is an adverb that describes behavior, not an adjective describing a person; just getting that in before someone leans on that for an argument) - in fact, he was about the calmest of the lot, which sort of made me think THAT is the tone people wanted again after so many years of discord and polarization.
(And yes, I'm well aware of just how uncomfortable my "I judge you" post from the other day made some people. While it's not my express intention to personally insult anyone, it was one of the few ways I could think to SHOW just how uncomfortable I and others feel in a debate of absolute black and white, that doesn't seem to recognize a gray area, or a need for compromise.)
