Town Hells

Democrats are facing an interesting time in the fall recess when they traditionally go back to their home states and converse with their constituents about what they have been doing for them in Washington. In this case, many democrats are coming back to their home states to less than congratulatory town hall meetings. Notice some of the examples taking place around the country from an IBD Editorial:

"In one of the sharper exchanges, an angry crowd in Philadelphia hooted down Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter on Sunday when he explained "that we have to make judgments very fast" when considering large pieces of legislation such as the health care bill.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who shared the stage with Specter, also heard it from the group, which was obviously fed up with Washington's arrogance, from its habit of writing unmanageably lengthy legislation to its plans to force an ostensibly free people into a communal health care system.

On the same day Specter and Sebelius were challenged, Democratic Rep. Steve Driehaus "was heckled on several occasions by those opposed to the reform plans proposed by Democrats and President Barack Obama" during a town hall meeting in Cincinnati, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Also on Sunday, Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin endured "roaring chants," as the local media put it, at a meeting at a Green Bay library.

A day earlier, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat from Texas, deserved the hostile reception given him at a town hall meeting in Austin. He has said that he will still support the Democrats' nationalized health care plans even if his constituents don't."

On an interesting note, let's look at the example given of Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the Democrat from Texas. He sees that a large percentage of his constituents--the people he is supposed to represent--do not favor the nationalized health care plans, yet he's still going to support this legislation even if his constituents don't. Where is the representation in this? It is when congressmen and women overstep their "representative" position and begin to vote for their own pet legislations that they risk losing the vote that got them their job in the first place.

We can see this same disregard for the voters in the example of Rep. Tim Bishop of New York. This was written in a POLITICO article:

"'I had felt they would be pointless,” Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) told POLITICO, referring to his recent decision to temporarily suspend the events in his Long Island district. “There is no point in meeting with my constituents and [to] listen to them and have them listen to you if what is basically an unruly mob prevents you from having an intelligent conversation."

I'll end this post with the closing section of the aforementioned IBD article:

"Lawmakers need to face the revolution they've fueled with their bailouts and takeovers. Washington has acted like King George III and "erected a multitude of new offices and sent hither swarms of officers to harass" Americans "and eat out their substance."

It is meddling in people's lives and has no business going into the private places it is invading. Americans have both the right and the duty to stand up to forces that want to subjugate them.

Polite discourse is always preferred, but when liberty is threatened by an aggressive government, civil dialogue is not enough. Voters need to exercise their right to press their representatives and influence legislation."

I encourage you to go to a local town hall meeting if there is one meeting in your area. Voice your opinion and since it's a town event, make sure you bring your like-minded friends as well.