Through my work on Patriot247, I have some reach into a national network because people in other states have signed up.
One of them, Jo, from Tampa, Florida, wrote in today and gave me a report from the ground:
Well 1500 people got locked out of our town hall meeting,in Tampa, people were going in the back door, but the people who were at the front door were locked out. The reporter, thank God had a camera inside before even he got locked out. He repeatedly stated there were no bus loads, all of the cars were local Florida tags, and he asked people at random who they were and why they were there. Of course our kind of people were locked out, but a few made it in. They made themselves heard and the reps were not to happy, They were also stating into the cameras, that they were not idiots and nut jobs, they were people with concerns and no explanations. people are pissed here, especially when the rep said that in Florida with so many seniors and kids, it is vital they pass the bill for them, got a big boo..loved it.
Evidently, this story is getting national play because it featured some level of physical interaction.
Here are pictures from the event, as reported by the St. Petersburg Times. The second picture in the article shows an anti-ObamaCare guy getting a little shove from a woman who is for the Obama plan.
TalkingPointsMemo is Josh Marshall's liberal web site. He says, "apparently a mob of teabaggers began to riot after some were not able to get into a townhall meeting in Tampa."
Mob. Riot. Loaded words... accurate?
Look at that picture from the event again. Barry Osteen is the picture of composure. And in the first picture from the event, while crowded, it's no riot. It's no mob.
Unfortunately, many people use TPM as a news source. It puts itself out there as a news source. But it's not pushing for accuracy. TPM pats itself on the back for the praise it receives from NYT, Columbia Journalism Review, Bill Moyers Journal, NPR, the LA Times, and others. Birds of a feather... which explains why these media outlets continue to have diminished audiences. They don't bother to acquaint themselves with the truth, or even try to do so.
ETC: The picture of this event becomes more clear. This, from Tampa Bay Online:
The meeting was organized by Reed plus the Service Employees International Union, other unions and Organizing for America, a liberal group that grew out of the Obama presidential campaign.
Some opponents accused the organizers of trying to stack the crowd by allowing early admission to those on their side. Reed denied that, saying those admitted early were organizers setting up the room.
Cute.
Here's video from the event:
The shoving at the start of the video takes place because the "organizers" are shoving people back to close the doors of the meeting.
Here's the issue: as Congress moves aggressively to bankrupt our kids, there are some selfish assholes who want all the health care they can get on the backs of our kids. Heaven forbid that they might actually pay for their own health care. Of course, we loving parents naturally oppose their push for generational theft.
Politicians today love the idea of stewarding society. Health care is 1/7 of the nation's economy. Oh the cosmic power.
My opinion about this: I'm going to show up at their events. I'm going to be civil, but firm. They might ignore me, and they might ignore every other person standing with me on this issue. But I guarantee that 2010 will see more passion than any election in history. Record turnouts. Droves. I fight for my kids, and I will go down swinging if I am to lose this fight. The White House can punch back all they'd like. The Left's passion for health care they didn't pay for themselves will not be equal to the Right's passion to protect their children.
And then in a separate incident, a union member with a "Health Care 09" t-shirt is arrested in St. Louis for attacking a black man selling "Don't Tread on Me" flags.
Isn't this exactly how public policy should emerge? Way to go, Mr. President. I suppose he would probably say that the guy selling flags acted stupidly.
