Health Insurance Articles
Town Hall Healthcare Forums Disruptive and Ugly
2009-08-21
For the last several weeks, Congressional leaders have been holding forums on healthcare in town halls across the country. Their aim is to convince the taxpaying public that nationalized healthcare is beneficial to Americans. However, what has been happening in these meetings has been quite unexpected.
The President’s healthcare reform bill is intended to provide affordable health insurance for all Americans and advance the science and technology behind medical treatment. Many citizens across the country are concerned over the costs involved in a plan like this as well as the possibility of lower quality care. They cite national healthcare plans in other developed countries, and the shortcomings of those plans. After almost a year of bailouts and worries over higher taxes to pay for them, people are concerned that this bill will only add to the burden.
Citizens are attending these meetings hoping to have their voices heard, but frustration is starting to win over. Tempers and voices are rising, and the Congressional leaders’ reactions to these concerned people are not soothing their fears. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has referred to these outspoken citizens as “Astroturf”, meaning that they have been planted by the GOP rather than being from a true grassroots effort. She says that the demonstrators at these events are “un-American” for protesting this bill. Yet when protesters help her cause, she encourages it.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) held a similar meeting which included protests from angry citizens. According to an article by ABC News' Sunlen Miller, he said, “In spite of the loud, shrill voices trying to interrupt town hall meetings and just throwing a monkey wrench into everything, we’re going to continue to be positive and work hard.” Perhaps if the Senator remembered that these “shrill voices” were citizens of this country who just wanted their voices heard, the protests and reactions could be more civil and constructive.
Senator Arlen Specter was also hosting a town hall meeting when protesters tried to share their point of view. The senator chooses not to label these protesters as a minority, and he also says he does not believe that they are representative of the rest of the country. He gives them credit for being well prepared and having no fear of voicing their opinions, but he seems to believe that this movement is based on frustrations caused by the economy and joblessness.
President Obama stated in his Montana town hall meeting that “television loves a ruckus”, and he is proud that in reality, “many constructive meetings are going on all over the country.” Although he is receiving scrutiny for ‘staging’ his own town hall meetings, he is soothing the wounded spirits of the concerned public by being respectful of their concerns and listening to them. So what is the possibility of low cost healthcare in the near future?
