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Friday, August 07, 2009

Chaos Erupts At Town Hall Meeting

(Aug. 7) -- Emotions boiled over at a town hall meeting on health care reform in Tampa, Fla., Thursday.

Local news reports say a larger-than-expected crowd of more than 1,000 converged on the Hillsborough County Children's Board building. Shouting matches and scuffles broke out when organizers closed the doors of the packed auditorium. Police moved in as some protesters chanted and banged on windows.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Town hall meetings are an American tradition - we should allow everyone to express their views without disruption - even if we disagree!"
-John McCain

I did not vote for him (and I still would vote for Obama, given the chance), but I couldn't agree with him more now. We need to sit down as adults, stop screaming like toddlers and hanging our congressman in effigy, and finally come up with a solution for healthcare that the majority of us can agree on.

I can understand why many people are concerned over this change in our system, but have some decency and allow both sides to get their opinions in without intimidation.

Anonymous said...

10:06, I hear you. What I think is happening is the result of the "pressure" that middle class America finds itself in. They feel under siege from a lot of different directions and they don't sense any "relief" for those problems. Immigration, housing/mortgage crises, auto crises, Wall Street crises, and now Health Care crises.

One only has to look how the "feds" have handled things during our recent past from Katrina to Gitmo to AIG to "bailouts" to Cash-for-Clunkers, and now comes the ONE topic most dear to all of us - our health. There is NO confidence at all in people who just will not speak in plain English and acknowledge that THE PEOPLE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT want a say in this instead of automatically voting for something because Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi gives orders to do so.

Party line be damned, these people are supposed to REPRESENT us. We did NOT vote for Reid or Pelosi. They do not represent us. When someone like Kratovil fails to man up and admit he doesn't have the answers but will work to find them and instead gives pre-packaged comments from "Politics for Dummies", NONE of us are going to get help.

So what you are seeing is basically a grassroots level rebellion against the status quo. It is purely middle class, white American behind it and it is NOT going to go away any time soon.

Anonymous said...

I think people are just really really ticked off at this point. We keep telling the Gov to stop doing things and they have ignored us at every stop. People are tired of beating their heads against the wall and they want to be heard. I dont agree with getting violent but people are feeling desperate to get their voices heard.

Anonymous said...

Is it a common thread here that all the town hall meetings are being held in little rooms suited for about 30 people, or are there some bigger venues being used. Kratovil sure used some small rooms here.

Anonymous said...

Politicians are still serving their own best interests. That is never going to change. The anger of the American people will only be quelled for so long. It could get very scary in this country over the coming years if Main Street continues to be ignored.

Anonymous said...

Meanwhile we're still in Iraq.

Anonymous said...

This happened because Union members were paid to attend and stop ordinary citizens from speaking out. It is what will happen from now on when ordinary taxpaying citizens try and have their questions answered and their voices heard, ACORN and SEIU will send their brownshirts to stop any dissent.