Sunday’s vote on health care reform concerns me greatly. Not because of what was in the bill. I won’t take a position on that; but, rather for the tone of the debate.
Leading up to the debate, protesters outside the US Capital screamed “n——r” at longtime representative and civil rights icon John Lewis (D-GA), who is an African American.
Another protester shouted “f——t” at Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), who’s openly gay.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) had protesters spit on him.
Some protesters held up signs with a picture of President Obama with a Hitler mustache over his lip.
And in the House chamber, Republican Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) shouted “baby killer” at Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) as he spoke. Stupak, who opposes abortion rights, held out until the bitter end to announce his support for the bill, and only did so after he got presidential assurances that no federal money would be used to fund abortions. Rep. Neugebauer has since said he wasn’t yelling “baby killer” at Stupak but instead at the bill. Regardless, a representative yelling “baby killer” on floor of the US House in inappropriate.
The Republicans weren’t the only ones misbehaving. Democrats wielded the gavel Sunday during the debate that didn’t inspire. They were heavy-handed, lacking the decorum we are accustomed to seeing in the US House.
Behavior like this is unacceptable in our political discourse. It’s shameful. It’s sad.
Last summer, I attended a health care town hall meeting in Roanoke County hosted by Republican Congressman Bob Goodlatte. I went in expecting to see some of the fireworks we’d seen on television at town hall meetings across the country. But, I walked away impressed and even proud of what I witnessed. It was a packed house with civil people asking smart, reasonable questions to an informed, responsible leader. To be sure, the vast majority of the audience didn’t support the reform bill. And, neither did Bob Goodlatte. But their conversation was exactly what we needed. It allowed people to voice their opinion, get answers to their questions, and perhaps learn something. People listened. It was democracy at it’s best.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t what we saw this past weekend.
I applaud people getting involved and expressing their opinions. I even encourage it. We need more people to care about what happens in Washington. That is a good thing. I just wish that conversation could be had in a mature, civil manner.
Leave the racial slurs at home. Keep your spit. Think before you shout out on the floor of the US House. It will elevate the discourse.
Posted by Jay Warren at 03:25 PM. Filed under: main •
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Posted by ( blackdogmom ) on March 26, 2010 at 10:23 am
As of today, Mar. 26th, there have been many reviews of video from the “alleged” vulgar langauage directed toward certain Congressmen and no proof has been found. Before jumping to conclusions, do your research and find out if the events actually occurred. Jay, your bias shows through with your reporting. The healthcare “reform” bill was pushed through in a most unconstitutional and unAmerican way. Yes, we need reform but definitely not the kind that has been strongarmed through Congress. This is a real low point in our nation’s history and those who wanted this bill will reap the nonbenefits of it in the future. You will be sorry.
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Posted by ( bendewj ) on March 23, 2010 at 6:50 pm
I agree that the debate over health care has been shameful and frankly I do not when so many other countries have national healthcare plans that it has taken one hundred years and we are still just beginning one. We pride ourselves often as Americans as being number one and we lack in health care coverage for all and in civility concerning the debate.
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Posted by ( Kat Fulcher ) on March 23, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Jay, I share your discouragment over the ugly turn the whole health care debate has taken. My own experience comes from the other side of the issue, though. I am one of the under-insured and, while I’m not totally sold on this bill, I do believe I will be one who will eventually benefit from it. I am a recent widow, in my mid-50s, with two children, living on Social Security. In spite of this, I have heard some awful comments leveled at those “lazy” people who want health care reform…and I have heard this from people whom I considered friends and who KNOW my personal situation. I had one young man tell me that access to health care is a “luxury item” and that, when HE is older, if he can’t afford to see a doctor, he will figure he’s lived long enough and “step aside!” Someone else explained that poor people were those who didn’t get an education, had too many children, were lazy, and just wanted other people to “support” them. Coming from people who have known me a long time, know that I worked for many years before marrying, and know that my late husband paid into the system as well…it is painful. Through no fault of my own, I am now in a low income bracket and yet, according to the harsh words of many health care reform opponents, I am somehow guilty of a grave moral failure and not worthy of consideration. I do agree that the retoric on BOTH sides of the issue has become downright shameful. People have forgotten that, regardless of the political factors involved, at the heart of the discussion, there are families, elderly folks, and children in need. How tragic for our country that people have resort to racial slurs and insults to express their opinions! It definitely makes me sad to see this happen in America!
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