Our Congressmen have obligated our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to a staggering debt load of over $11,000,000,000,000, and they are doing their level best to add to it every day. This has caused a severe reaction amongst many opponents of the current health care bill (in its myriad forms) and its associated cost, who have lashed out at their politicians, mostly through local town hall events. While the conduct of some of the individuals at these events cannot be described as polite or exemplary, the public has a right to be enraged at the profligate and reckless spending occurring in Washington.
But it seems the politicians aren’t taking the disrespect lying down. In fact, “the smartest man in Congress,” Barney Frank, is just plain not having it. Here are some snippets of Congressman Frank’s disgust toward the crowd assembled at his town hall event this week:
“On what planet do you spend most of your time?”
“Trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it.”
“Do you really think that's thoughtful conversation? I thought you were thoughtful people who were here to have a conversation. I guess I don't understand.”
“What's the matter with you all? I don't understand your mentality.”
Thank you for putting us down, Congressman Frank. Thank you for putting us in our place. But I digress.
Democrats say these shows of anger are staged. (I guess that means the Republicans are the most organized party in America right now.) The Republicans say people are just upset, and none of the outbursts have been staged. (That’s probably a bit disingenuous.) The truth is somewhere in the middle, most likely, but that’s not the real point. The point is some citizens are finally taking the initiative to say what needs to be said, as the government continues to do everything conceivable to foul up the economy.
So to Barney Frank and the other politicians who have to go slumming at these town halls with the common folk, I’d say this: it’s one thing to steal $11,000,000,000,000 (and counting) from our generation and those to come; it’s another to insult us while doing it.
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While I encourage the debate on health care, using the example of Barney Frank to make your point isn't right.
Barney Frank was responding to a woman who was comparing the Health Care effort underway to a Nazi policy. It's very unlikely this is a person who was not interested in having a true debate re: the host of issues surrounding the health care effort.
Now, Barney Frank was condescending and should have taken her outburst/question as an opportunity to really address the question/outburst intellectually head one.
Now, to your point that "some citizens are finally taking the initiative to say what needs to be said, as the government continues to do everything conceivable to foul up the economy," -- I don't think many of the more vocal, completely off the map folks disrupting these town halls are motivated by the same things that drive your blog (proper economics/fiscal responsibility)...instead, based on what many of them are saying and their signs, they are coming across racist, looking for the cameras, wild in temperament, and loose cannons. It's a shame because their antics take away from the real people -- the particular citizens you may be referring to -- in the room who really want to express themselves re: their opposition to the HC plan in a civilized, intellectual way. However, I guess that wouldn't make for good television. Sigh...
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