In a new op-ed the Democratic leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives have
labeled as "un-American" those flocking to town hall meetings across the nation to
protest the proposed sweeping healthcare reforms of Barack Obama. So who is really
"un-American?"
Maybe the place to start is by defining what is "American." Presumably we're talking
about a code of behaviors and values here, rather than a simple accident of birth.
Historically, it has been classified as patriotic to express dissent, confront elected
officials and demand that they be accounatble to those who elected them and that
public policies they make be temperate, well-grounded in fact, fiscally defensible
and a fair represntation of all the people.
But it seems that in Nancy Pdlosi' twisted mind we've all suddenly been catapulted
back through Alice's Rabbit Hole, and in this new reality all the things that once
typified Americans are now shameful, the actions that once comprised duty are now
forbidden and the demands for accountability are classified as the maniacal howling
of "Nazis," organized hooligans and thugs. What happened?
What happened is that in January 2009 Barack Obama took the presidential oath of
of office and began immediately imposing his neo-socialistic agenda on Americans,
spending the country into oblivion and paying off his union supporters and community
organizing pals whose money put him there. When Democrats rode his coattails to
full control of both houses of the legislature, he simply declared "I won," implying
that no dissent to his agenda would be tolereated.
Both houses began ramming through legislation and questionable cabinet and other
nominees while allowing the opposition little or no input. In a classic abuse of power
scenario the freight train was rolling. Then came the infamous healthcare reform bill
and some red lights began coming on. Republicans hated it. Blue Dog Democrats
didn't like it much either. It cost too much, took away care from those who needed
it to give to those who wanted it (so long as it was free), set in place a government
bureaucracy that could soon ration care, threatened to run existing health insurance
companies out of business because they could not compete with a so-called "public
option," provided care for illegal aliens, made taxpayer money available to fund
abortions and peanlized small businesses whose benefits do not currently include
health insurance. Democrats speak only about near term costs, and shun all
projections of long-range deficits. And to this day no one can state coherently
exactly how it will be paid for, although in a rare moment of candor two of
Obama's advisors, Tim Geithner and Lawrence Summers recently admitted on
national television that it was not a matter of "if" but of "when" taxes would
have to be raised on the middle class (something Obama swore he would not do)
in order to pay for it. Anyone still wonder why Americans are exercised about
the matter?
Watching the polls and realizing that the tide of public opinion was turning
against them on the issue, Obama and the Democrats schemed to use town hall
meetings during the congressional recess to regain momentum. Only a funny
thing happened on the way to the town hall. A whole bunch of Americans, fed
up with force fed socialism and satisfied with their current healthcare (84%)
showed up and, with varying degrees of panache, shouted "NO WAY!"
Their panties now completely in a wad, the White House has put out a call
for information on "fishy" e-mails opposed to Obamacare. "Fishy" in this case
clearly means "dissenting." Elected politicians have started calling everyday
citizens "Nazis," labeled their confrontational tactics un-American and charged
them with inciting violence. (Although, humorously enough, the most notorious
incidence of violence was perpetrated by Democrat SEIU thigs against a black
man passing out American flags at a St. Louis rally. Isn't rank hypocrisy a
beautiful thing)?
So, who's un-American? Is it people demanding the chance to criticize a wacky
plan congress' own budget office says will cost more than it saves? Is it those
who have definite ideas about the clumsy, bumbling bureaucry of government
messing with a healthcare system which, for all its shortcomings, is still the finest
in the world? Is it those who are under the assumption that a constitution is still
in force that guarantees citizens the right to freely speak their minds? Or is it
those who use their platforms of power to intrude, threaten, intimidate, call
names and impose their own agenda without regard to public opinion? You decide
who's trying to kill the America I know and love? I know that I have.
And on the off chance that some Obamaton reads this and wants to forward it
to the "fish department" at the White House, knock yourself out. The United
States Constitution is and will always be bigger than Barack Obama and his
disingenuous coterie who have long since forgotten that only "the truth will
set you free." Real Ameicans just aren't "afraid of the big, bad wolf."