The Misplaced Ire of the Anti Health Care Reform Mujaheddin

Imagine you’re at town-hall discussion on potential health care reform legislation, hosted by your congressional representative. It doesn’t particularly matter where you stand on the issue going in. Indeed, you’ll be fortunate if any proper question & answer session actually takes place. This is due to a group of poorly informed, hostile people, strategically positioned throughout the town-hall venue, who are there to see to it that no debate takes place.

Here’s just a sample of what you might see. Please view the clip and answer me this: If you’re opposed to health care reform, how does this type of behavior help your cause?

That was actually a pretty tame representation of what’s been going on; however, in reference to the above query, this can’t possibly help you at all.

I’ll refrain from arguing with the tin-foil hat crowd who are actually attending the town-hall events. You know, the folks who are comfortable shouting down a member of congress as if he or she were some hack comedian. They are an anti-health care reform mujaheddin, fighting their jihad against the public option, so steeped in right-wing propaganda that any attempt at dissuasion would be futile.

Instead, I just want to offer a word of warning for those responsible for providing these hooligans with their talking points and strategies, most of whom are listed at the bottom of the RecessRally.com page: the site that gets the thugs to the show on time.

To the organizers, lobbyists, and right-wing media mouthpieces: You’re responsible for the nonsensical propaganda that brought this mujaheddin to fight as your proxy in the battle over reform. It is only a matter of time until a few of those tin foil hats come off. It’s probable that at least some of them will be forced to declare bankruptcy as a result of illness. Some of them may even come to the realization that they already participate in a government run health care plan.

Whatever the reason, some of those hats will come off eventually, and when they do, they’re going to shift their anger onto the organizations and people responsible for manipulating them. If they can keep the tin foil off for just over ten minutes, the below clip from The Rachel Maddow Show, broadcast August 5, 2009, will help them find the proper targets for their ire.

The tactics described above and below are frustrating to watch, but if you’re inclined to support health care reform make sure you’re representatives know you’re paying attention by signing this petition from the DCCC.

Image from Flickr.com user: ProgressOhio

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Steve G.

5:58PM PDT on Sep 11, 2009

Some of you here talk as if you have a Constitutional Right to Health Care. That is completely wrong.There is nothing in the Constitution that guarantees you health insurance. We are guaranteed only the right to Freedom of Choice, and Freedom to Pursue our Dreams without being harmed,either by Government,or any other Individual. But no other real rights have been afforded by this Constitution. Government was never given the right by the Constitution to steal your money to bail out companies (it deems too large to fail)Too Large to Fail is a fallacy Government cooked up to get you to give up your hard earned Cash to Bail out their friends.No such animal exists (too Large to Fail).

And speaking of freedom of choice. this part of the health care bill that forces everyone to get insurance or be fine $3800.00 flies in the face of our freedom of choice.

Stop allowing the Theft of our hard earned money. Tell Government enough is enough already.And stop forced Health Care which is against our Constitutional Right to Freedom of Choice.

send a green star

Past Member .

7:06AM PDT on Aug 25, 2009

"“The fetus, given the opportunity to develop properly before birth, and given the essential early socializing experiences and sufficient nourishing food during the crucial early years after birth, will ultimately develop into a human being,” Holdren wrote.

Obama chose Holdren to become the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

this is our science czar, and you still think it will be run sanely?

3:22AM PDT on Aug 25, 2009

And that same poll you quote also showed that 42% thought the plan a bad idea. 22% weren't sure or could care less. Only 24% thought it would result in the quality of life getting better. 40% thought it would get worse. 54% have concern over the paln "Going too far and making the health care system worse than it is now in terms of quality of care and choice of doctor." 47% would oppose a goernment health care plan that compete with the private health care. Only 14% did not have health insurance. Then it went on to "explain" teh health care plan as they wan tyou to believe. "The plan requires that health insurance companies cover people with pre-existing medical conditions. It also requires all but the smallest employers to provide health coverage for their employees, or pay a percentage of their payroll to help fund coverage for the uninsured. Families and individuals with lower- and middle-incomes would receive tax credits to help them afford insurance coverage. Some of the funding for this plan would come from raising taxes on wealthier Americans."
Of course they don't explain wealthy Americans because they have't yet decided who is going to get strapped with this, wealthy may mean those making $75,000 a year. And define "smallet companies?" Nope, they leave that open as well and you have to be careful to understand those small companies will then go bankrupt by the 8% tax they will be forced to pay.
THEN IT ASKS ABOUT TOWN HALL MEETINGS. Is this an agenda or what?

3:05AM PDT on Aug 25, 2009

Hmm, where do you get your facts? I just checked msnbc and fouind this "just 36 percent believe that Obama’s efforts to reform the health system are a good idea, and only 24 percent think they will result in better quality of health care. " So at least 64 % think it a bad idea. This is right after teh BO blitz of town hall's to try and pass it. And of course we still hear we will not have to worry about illegal aliens on the plan, or abortions or "end of life counseling" but so far the government has only showed me that what it SAYS and what it DOES is always ttwo different things. Illegal aliens have ALWAYS been supported.
ANd Jaette, the only reason it started out "civil" is because these meeting now are being stacked by supporters of the plan and union workers, etc who get fed and let in before others are even told to show up. Many as much as four hours before. I know, I was there.

9:45PM PDT on Aug 24, 2009

Practically every word out of the mouths of opponents of Healthcare reform are damn lies. The facts are:

60% of Americans favor either a complete overhaul of the health care system or major change.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/NEWS/NBC-WSJ_Poll.pdf

None of the reform proposals suggest or legislate paying for abortions, rationing care to special needs children, or forcing anyone to undergo "end of life consuling". As a matter of fact, there have been many posts which I know Roberta and others have been privvy to that site evidence debunking these baseless claims. And yet they continue to abuse their 1st ammendment rights.

Yes lies abound, and people like Roberta are intentionally spreading them. I seriously doubt that any of the anti-health care reform opponents are actually stupid enough to believe the stupid crap they are posting. I think it is a lot more likely that it is thinly veiled racism and hatred towards anything good.

Lying with the intent to create civil unrest and prevent people from having access to a doctor and the medicine they may need is EVIL. Every last one of these tea-baggin, birther, deather, pieces of crap are behaving like pure disgusting evil scum.

Jeffrey W.

10:17AM PDT on Aug 24, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKjVEUlS2So&feature=player_embedded

Jaette C.

7:04AM PDT on Aug 24, 2009

Roberta, re. Aug. 23rd note,
80%? want their health care exactly as it is? no reform?, must be the same 'Down with the metric system' crowd.
There is no abortion jargon in the bill.
Yay - I would like to have the service that my daughter with special needs could have also. Let's work for that.
You do NOT have to undergo (interrogation-like?) an end of life Doctor talk. Your end of life(many years from now) can be a complete mystery to all. It was not a' must have' statement in the bill and I believe that it has been removed from the bill due to the fear mongering. 80% again believed this? ---must be that same 'down with metric system' group.
Yes, I suppose lies do abound, but we are only exploited if we do not seek out the truths. Actually the media spends its time now trying to make us "feel good" with cutsie non news stories. There really is no news on the news. The old 'no news is good news?' is that what the media is going for?

Shannon G.

7:05PM PDT on Aug 23, 2009

I saw on the news that a large majority of Dems do not support this bill either, and I am not talking about the bozos that make up the gov, I am talking about regular folks as well. Why isnt anyone calling them names? oh..it was CNBC that I saw the story on before everyone starts screaming about that dam FOX.

9:34AM PDT on Aug 23, 2009

And JC, is it only free speach when it agrees with what you believe?

9:29AM PDT on Aug 23, 2009

JC, you keep talking of health care monopolies, when in fact 80% of the populace do NOT want health care reform. I do NOT want to pay for abortions. I do NOT want my special needs children to not get care they need. I do NOT want to undergo "end of life consuling".
Neither does 80% of your neighbors.
Lies abound, but it is the politicians and media that are exploiting us.