Once in awhile, I read about someone stating what is so painfully obvious to me, that I have to say, "yeah, I agree completely." Such was the case at a town hall meeting with Barney Frank. Said to those who continue to yell and boo when he tried to answer:
"Disruption never helps your cause," he said more than once. "It just looks like you're afraid to have rational discussion."
See a few more gems here:
Barney Frank goes toe to toe
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Latest Rant
I thought that I would find less to be outraged about during an Obama administration. And for the most part, I am not even unhappy, let alone outraged about the administration. No the source of my consternation is the usual--extreme conservatives and right-wing hate mongers who wish to scare the largely uninformed, ignorant public into their narrow viewpoints. Silly me for thinking that the conservative attack machine would stop once the people spoke to elect a progressive, Democratic President and put a solid Democratic majority in the Senate.
True silliness indeed.
Nope the attack machine is alive and well. And it's taking people down with it.
In the insane health care debate, I watch the tape of people yelling at each other. I watch the liberal pundits playing it over and over and over again (hey--it's not easy to fill 24 hours of news.) The liberals say it is caused by large corporations who have hired meeting organizing
companies to purposely disrupt the meetings. If I get morbidly curious, I may watch the conservatives (very briefly--I do not have a strong stomach) and see them say the yelling is simply everyday people voicing their concern over a government that is becoming too much like Europe.
But my chagrin is complicated. I'm upset that the media would rather play the yelling tapes continuously (and interview more pundits who agree with them) instead of interviewing the lawmakers and asking to have the versions of the health care bills explained.
Oh, now and again they will get a sound byte from a Democratic legislator who will give a 20 second summary of what their version of the bill is or is not. Then before the lawmaker (you know, the people who can actually pass or defeat the bill) can say more, they say, let's take another look at another town hall.
And of course the viewing audience loves it. It satisfies their desire to see a commotion, to watch the pain of other people. It's an escape. But even there I exaggerate--because most Americans are not watching even the 24 hour news channels regularly. They're watching whatever reality crap the networks are feeding them. Heaven forbid they would go to bed wondering if Jon and Kate actually blew up at each other (like the entertainment reporters predicted they would.) Now that's real drama.
Unless, of course, it isn't. It's more controlled than the corporate-sponsored shouting at the town-hall meetings.
I'm upset at the childish, insecure, right-wing power freaks who would rather scare the idiotic masses into many more decades of financial ruin on a broken health care system than actually do the job they were elected to do, which is to provide security and the promise of prosperity for all Americans.
But what I am really angry about is that we are being manipulated by powerful people. These people have very little concern for the average person.
I do not feel that way about all elected officials. I have hope for the President and many progressive members of Congress. However, we are in need of an extremely strong, powerful leadership to stand in the face of a wall of adversity and rise above the shouting to guide the masses into something that is actually good for all. I hope we discover that person is in office and is up to the task. I am not positive he or she is there yet.
True silliness indeed.
Nope the attack machine is alive and well. And it's taking people down with it.
In the insane health care debate, I watch the tape of people yelling at each other. I watch the liberal pundits playing it over and over and over again (hey--it's not easy to fill 24 hours of news.) The liberals say it is caused by large corporations who have hired meeting organizing
companies to purposely disrupt the meetings. If I get morbidly curious, I may watch the conservatives (very briefly--I do not have a strong stomach) and see them say the yelling is simply everyday people voicing their concern over a government that is becoming too much like Europe.
But my chagrin is complicated. I'm upset that the media would rather play the yelling tapes continuously (and interview more pundits who agree with them) instead of interviewing the lawmakers and asking to have the versions of the health care bills explained.
Oh, now and again they will get a sound byte from a Democratic legislator who will give a 20 second summary of what their version of the bill is or is not. Then before the lawmaker (you know, the people who can actually pass or defeat the bill) can say more, they say, let's take another look at another town hall.
And of course the viewing audience loves it. It satisfies their desire to see a commotion, to watch the pain of other people. It's an escape. But even there I exaggerate--because most Americans are not watching even the 24 hour news channels regularly. They're watching whatever reality crap the networks are feeding them. Heaven forbid they would go to bed wondering if Jon and Kate actually blew up at each other (like the entertainment reporters predicted they would.) Now that's real drama.
Unless, of course, it isn't. It's more controlled than the corporate-sponsored shouting at the town-hall meetings.
I'm upset at the childish, insecure, right-wing power freaks who would rather scare the idiotic masses into many more decades of financial ruin on a broken health care system than actually do the job they were elected to do, which is to provide security and the promise of prosperity for all Americans.
But what I am really angry about is that we are being manipulated by powerful people. These people have very little concern for the average person.
I do not feel that way about all elected officials. I have hope for the President and many progressive members of Congress. However, we are in need of an extremely strong, powerful leadership to stand in the face of a wall of adversity and rise above the shouting to guide the masses into something that is actually good for all. I hope we discover that person is in office and is up to the task. I am not positive he or she is there yet.
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