Unions To Take On Conservative Groups Health Care Town Halls

White House to Democrats: 'Punch back twice as hard'
www.politico.com...
Read more: www.politico.com...

Six people, including P-D reporter, arrested at Carnahan meeting
www.stltoday.com...

newsbusters.org...



Pelosi's visit a lightning rod
www.denverpost.com...

What can i say, is speaks for itself. It is what it is.

Thank you for this post.

The more exposure this madness gets, the better.

Star and flag.

Originally posted by Clark Savage Jr.
Thank you for this post.

The more exposure this madness gets, the better.

Star and flag.

You are welcome.

[edit on 123131p://bFriday2009 by Stormdancer777]

If government is supposed to totally control healthcare and our lives, our founding fathers with all their wisdom would have put this provision into the Constitution. Or this would have been mentioned in the Bill of Rights or even in one of the Amendments to the Constitution.

It would have fit nicely next to the right of free speech and religion and the right to bear arms. But for some reason I don't see the right to free nationalized healthcare. Hmm.....

But the Bill of Rights and Constitution only mentions the rights of the people to have individual freedom and the right to NOT have the government involved in our business. How problematic for all you socialists out there.

Just thought I would like to remind you all that mob rule does not equal democracy.

The insurance, pharma lobbyists instructed their GOP operatives to disrupt townhall meetings designed for civil discourse.

The "protesters" were instructed on how to shut down the debate. That is not democracy.

The goal of the "protesters" is to hijack the townhall meeting and shut down the discussion. This is well documented. That IS NOT democracy.

So incredibly people on the other side of the debate decided to retaliate. Now who will be responsible when something bad happens???

This cynical GOP tactic is designed to "turn off" average people from politics and debate and keep them as spectators rather than an informed and engaged populace.

reply to post by Leo Strauss


I don't know what to tell you leo, there are also people, hard working honest citizens who obeyed the law of the land and are now unhappy with the way they see this country going

You cannot lump everyone into the same category.



[edit on 013131p://bFriday2009 by Stormdancer777]

reply to post by Stormdancer777


Well Storm they should join the debate in a civilized manner and express their opinion.

An example...You started this thread. Now let's say that I Leo had the power to shut down your thread or I decided to intimidate and stifle discussion by being a real pain in the a**. My actions were then responsible for limiting or ending your thread and denying people of their right to read and participate.

That is not free speech or democracy.

Originally posted by Leo Strauss
reply to post by Stormdancer777

 

Well Storm they should join the debate in a civilized manner and express their opinion.

An example...You started this thread. Now let's say that I Leo had the power to shut down your thread or I decided to intimidate and stifle discussion by being a real pain in the a**. My actions were then responsible for limiting or ending your thread and denying people of their right to read and participate.

That is not free speech or democracy.

Your correct that would make you not part of democracy. What I find funny and very telling is when people on the left do it it's democracy but when little old ladies do it they must be paid shills for big corporations and secret spys for the republicans. If the politician refuses to answer questions or refuses to allow anyone not "pre-approved" to speak then you bet the grannies are going to get mad and loud.

Originally posted by Leo Strauss
reply to post by Stormdancer777

 

Well Storm they should join the debate in a civilized manner and express their opinion.

An example...You started this thread. Now let's say that I Leo had the power to shut down your thread or I decided to intimidate and stifle discussion by being a real pain in the a**. My actions were then responsible for limiting or ending your thread and denying people of their right to read and participate.

That is not free speech or democracy.

I understand, and I have been attacked unfairly on the forum because of how I feel, and have felt intimidated, and no one spoke up.

God give me a voice.

I am not the kinda of person to argue, if you read my post you know I avoid confrontation.

I can't speak for all people, but perhaps they feel they have to yell to be heard,

It does seem like our government isn't listening,

We employ them, they are public servants, but somewhere along the line they rose to the role of master,

We both know I am totally wrong.

I have always been a slave to my government.

There is only one government that will bring peace.

Originally posted by Leo Strauss
Just thought I would like to remind you all that mob rule does not equal democracy.

The insurance, pharma lobbyists instructed their GOP operatives to disrupt townhall meetings designed for civil discourse.

The "protesters" were instructed on how to shut down the debate. That is not democracy.

The goal of the "protesters" is to hijack the townhall meeting and shut down the discussion. This is well documented. That IS NOT democracy.

So incredibly people on the other side of the debate decided to retaliate. Now who will be responsible when something bad happens???

This cynical GOP tactic is designed to "turn off" average people from politics and debate and keep them as spectators rather than an informed and engaged populace.

I agree, but I can only find evidence of the left wing doing it.

Fight back against the right!

We are closer to passing health care reform than we've ever been in the history of this country, and the opposition knows it. The small, lobbyist-funded right-wing is trying to scare Members of Congress and the American public away from supporting health care reform. We can't let fear win - America has been at the mercy of the insurance industry from too long. We need health care reform now, and we can't wait any longer.

You can help fight back against these right-wing disrupters. Follow the steps below to attend events in your area and get trained on how to deal with disruptions, intimidation, and name-calling at the events.

With a little energy, planning, and knowledge, we can fight back against the right-wing and win health care for all!

What can we expect them to do?
•They will be loud: They will “Yell, stand up and shout out, and rattle” the Members of Congress. They will be disruptive and not follow the agenda. They won’t wait for an opening to speak. They will just interrupt and shout from the minute the event opens until it ends.
•They will paint a picture: They will carry a lot of signs. They will have gimmicks and props to get attention from the MOCs and from the media.
•They will look bigger than they are: They will spread out and distribute their signs widely. They will also get in front of any TV camera or press people in order to make sure the story that is reported is their story.
•They will seek confrontation: The right-wing protesters will foster confrontation at every turn because that’s what draws media and distracts the public. They will use any means to do this including abusive language, arrests, props, and physical violence. Be prepared.
How should we prepare to encounter the right wing protesters at MOC events?
1.Contact friendly MOCs and let them know you are coming to make sure our side is heard and that the event is positive. Provide constructive support for Members of Congress who are holding public events to promote health care reform by turning out constituents and anticipating problems ahead of time. Ask the Member’s staff what would be most helpful and talk through a strategy for making sure the right messages don’t get drowned out by chaotic protesters.
2.Inoculate your staff and your volunteers by telling them what to expect and what purpose lies behind the right-wing demonstrations. The more that the attendees know what to expect; the less startled they will be by the irrational tone and militancy of the protesters.
3.Bring more people than the other side has. Their side will be smaller but noisier. You must bring enough people to drown them out and to cover all our bases so as to marginalize their disruptive tactics. You don’t want to get into a screaming match, but it must be obvious to everyone—including press—that you represent the majority.
4.Arrive earlier than the other side does. We need to stack our folks in the front to create a wall around the Member, and we need to stake out the best spots for visibility and signs. Reconnaissance on the venue and an understanding of the staging will be important here. Make sure you do your homework so you can position your folks most effectively.
5.Be more visible than the other side. Bring more signs and leaflets, and whenever possible, post your signs all over the place so that you visually out-perform the other side. Make sure you have people holding signs in every place where a TV camera is likely to be and that next to every right wing sign, there’s one of your signs with your message.
6.Have a real plan for the media. Remember, this is a communications strategy that the right wing is using and our goal is to stop them from hijacking and changing the message and tone of these events. Assign 3-5 people to speak with the reporters who attend and make sure the reporters understand the scope and message of the event. If you let the media just report on what they see, they will invariably focus on the mayhem. That is a far juicer story than affordability and the public health insurance option. Don’t wait for the reporter to approach you. You must approach the reporters and be assertive in shaping the narrative that they write. Have someone assigned to greeting the media or checking in media as they arrive. That way you will know who they are and be able to work with them both during the event and afterwards. Also, plan to record both the events you attend and the events you organize. TV stations will use amateur footage to round out their stories, and the other side is recording and posting video online. We need to be able to give the press video of successful events too.

How should we interact/what do we say to the other side?
1.Do not debate on their “policy” points. Remember, they are seeking a platform to distort the truth about reform by making health care about abortion, rationing, euthanasia, etc. Rather than try to reply with the truth (which won’t move them anyway) we should respond with our message and at every turn re-focus the agenda on communicating with the Member of Congress.
2.Interrupt them when they get disruptive and refocus the meeting: Line up a number of people who feel comfortable interrupting and prepare them with statements like:
••Excuse me, I came today to listen to Representative XXX explain how this bill is going to make health care more affordable for me and my family. We’re being gouged by insurance companies that just want ...

healthcareforamericanow.org...

Well, let's be honest here.

To be fair, the right (and the interests that bankroll them) are only adopting and extending the tactics that the creative types on the left developed over the last eight years.

Turnabout is fair play

On this point I happen to be on the other side.

Bring on the evil hideous Mengele government healthcare - I've learned the hard way it beats the hell out of no health care at all

Originally posted by Leo Strauss
. . .
The "protesters" were instructed on how to shut down the debate. That is not democracy.

The goal of the "protesters" is to hijack the townhall meeting and shut down the discussion. This is well documented. That IS NOT democracy.

. . .

Do you have proof?

Can I please see the documentation?

Originally posted by xmotex
Well, let's be honest here.

To be fair, the right (and the interests that bankroll them) are only adopting and extending the tactics that the creative types on the left developed over the last eight years.

The only extending going on is the left telling their sheep to not only express their opinion, but also informing them what the content of their opinion should be.

Expressing your opinion is freedom, but only if your allowed to form it on your own, otherwise I think the term sheep applies.

Are you telling me that the right does not do the exact same thing?

Both sides have learned to play the "talking points" game.

Both sides have leaned to manipulate people's emotional responses.

Both sides are expert at stoking and channeling hysteria and fear and rage and tribal loyalties.

Politics is a business, and both sides have people who get good at it.

The right and the left are merely playing different styles of the same game.

reply to post by xmotex


I am only saying that the evidence has shown both are organizing to voice their opinions, but the dems are also telling their constituents what opinion they should be voicing, there is no evidence of the reps doing this.

reply to post by Lemon.Fresh


Here is the link to a copy of the document.

Here is the front page...


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1f477ab0d050.jpg[/atsimg]



[edit on 8-8-2009 by Leo Strauss]

reply to post by Leo Strauss


Oh noes the "evil right wing" is organizing protest.

Yea straight from the the liberal propaganda machine.

I get it protest are only for the left. Well welcome to having to hear the opposition state their position and loudly at that.

The attempts to deflect this back on the "right wing" when the dems clearly bused union jackboots in to stifle debate at a town hall and it ended up in violence, which none of them ended up in violence before the Union jackboots showed up.

You are going to have to do better than providing "evidence" from extreme left wing sources to prove your point.

Obama organized people through out his whole campaign, I remember him collecting e-mail addresses and telling people to "get in there faces".

Here's the Acorn playbook regarding healthcare meetings

www.freerepublic.com...

reply to post by Leo Strauss


There are no instructions for shutting down debate in that document.

There are instructions on how to get the best visibility and make your voice heard.

Originally posted by Kords21
Here's the Acorn playbook regarding healthcare meetings

www.freerepublic.com...

1st they label the opposers.

2nd they discribe how opposers act.

3rd they tell you how to spread the propaganda.

4th they tell you to interupt, which is a form of shutting the debate down.

5. We should demonstrate that we are the majority by chanting: When the other side gets too loud, we should shut them down with chants that counter their message like “Health Care Can’t Wait!” and “Health Care Delayed is Health Care Denied” and prep people to chant at key points when the other side gets most disruptive.

[edit on 8-8-2009 by mhc_70]