At the onset of their August recess, members of the House and Senate dispersed across the country feeling like gods descending from Olympus to hold court with the acolytes from their respective districts and states. In town hall meetings where these so called leaders expected to be viewed as statuesque and sage they found instead they were more figures of disdain to be burned, symbolically of course, in effigy.
The mainstream media, along with the now fringe MSNBC and their big brother NBC, would have us believe the crowds filling these meetings halls to beyond capacity are akin to the torch and ax wielding mobs of a Frankenstein movie whose uncontrolled outbursts are interrupting the monster’s soft shoe rendition of “Putting on the Ritz”. They would also have us believe these antagonists are without free will and are there at the bidding of a right wing and, probably, right handed puppet master who is pulling the string of discontent to try and stop any progress being made by this administration. Oh yeah, they are racist, un-American and Nazi sympathizing “birthers” as well.
The horror movie crowd analogy has some merit. The collective that is our congress has enough Botox, hair plugs and plastic surgery scars to create an army of soulless, mind dead zombies large enough to put two in every state and around 325 more in districts throughout the country. Hmm, now there’s a thought.
I believe the racist and Nazi accusations to be nothing more than amateurish political posturing and a play on easy stereotypes that are often used when stronger arguments are not available. Both left and right of our political spectrum pull these aging rabbits of out long ago soiled top hats when they’ve no other trick up their sleeve. The fact they are being used now instead of arguments being countered with facts and figures leads me to believe some of the accusations of so called death councils and rationing might not be a far off the mark as the media would have us believe.
With regard to the claims that the opposition to health care reform is organized by a power higher than the lowly average American citizen doesn’t hold water. Why is it so hard to believe that this, one of the most important and potentially life changing pieces of legislation to ever be somewhat debated, could cause a ground swell of concern that manifests itself in protest? The handwritten signs I see against this proposal seem amateurish compared with the printed signs being held by uniformly distributed groups in matching shirts that somehow get in to these town meetings early. Which side seems to be the organized one here?
Finally, why is it that town hall meetings held by Senators and Congress folk have loud and, in my opinion, informed dissent on display but the one held by the first African American President of the United States is more of a love fest with softball questions being read by teenage Julia whose moms are the coordinators for Massachusetts Women for Obama? Could it be the free tickets were distributed carefully to ensure a more receptive crowd?
Media is now reporting the support for health care reform at the top of news broadcasts and are providing the impression that there is equanimity between the two side’s strength. Don’t let them fool you. Every pole is the same. More people in our country are opposed to this than are for it and, for that I am glad.
I am not going to tell you what to believe or what you should think. That seems to be the job of pundits and talking heads. My only comment is for you to take a look deeper than the vacant eyes of Katie Couric or Brian Williams and to read what you can of these proposed bills. If you can find specifics, remember them.
The rhetoric is loud and cantankerous and is clouding the real arguments and proposals. Let’s discuss this as adults and make sure everyone is heard.
S2
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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2 comments:
I agree with your comment: "Both left and right of our political spectrum pull these aging rabbits of out long ago soiled top hats when they’ve no other trick up their sleeve." So true.
I believe that no president these days is willing to face a truly open audience. There are lots of reasons. Some about security are potentially valid. And passing through a security checkpoint gives profilers a chance to filter the masses. Many of these town ahll meetings are by invitation, to reduce the chance of heckling. And I think most questions are asked by plants or shills. But I'm being cynical.
I am opposed to most of the ideas in the health care reforms proposed by the Dems. That puts me in the one group with which our august president says he will have nothing to do. No point in my ever going to a meeting, if one comes near. I oppose many of the proposed changes and innovations on fiscal grounds, but more importantly, I believe that the whole business is and has been so far un- or extra-constitutional. It would be worth impeaching or prosecuting the Prez and those senators and representatives who vote for these reforms, if they pass, but to be consistent we would have had to impeach or prosecute lots of people well before this, too.
I've said before that the guys in power should read the COTUS, do what it says, and do nothing else.
I haven't heard much about bills from the Reps. I think that's part of the bias and soft-balling that's going on in the media.
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