On August 31, 2009 Congressman Phil Gingrey from the 11th District of Georgia held a town hall meeting to discuss health care reform. Here's, more or less, what happened:
Upon entering the Cobb Civic Center I knew I was a pilgrim in a strange land. I was immediately flanked by a pretty little republican with an Anti-Obama care leaflet, "We're collecting 100,000 signatures to oppose Obama's health care proposal that we plan to hand deliver to Nancy Pelosi," she cried. I politely told her thanks but no thanks and then entered the civic center where the blood lust in the air was palpable. After the obligatory invocation by a local minister, Congressman Phil Gingrey took the stage and was greeted by the crowd like a rock star. Gingrey looks as if he came off an assembly line from a factory that manufactures politicians. He comes complete with a beautifully fitted suit, capped teeth, and a charming southern accent. The crowd from Georgia's 11th district, "The Fighting 11th!" is predominantly Republican so the night was going to be a home run for Gingrey and he knew it. First to wet the crowds appetite for the liberal blood letting to come, a short propaganda film was shown. It was a sloppy piece of work basically comparing the current fight for health care reform to the failed efforts by the Clinton administration in the 90's, better known as "Hillary Care." I don't know that the film had the effect on me that Gingrey was going for but it did serve to remind me that only the Democrats could control the House, Senate, and The White House, and still fuck this thing up.
Next came the Q&A from the audience. From the woman with the pace maker who was afraid that the democrats would not replace her battery to the man who was sure that a public health care plan would disproportionately benefit criminals, it was immediately apparent to me that the Fear had taken hold of these people; and Gingrey feed on that fear like a leach sucking on a bloody wound. Under a government run plan he warned that there would be a "rationing" of care and he also spoke of the dangers of having a government bureaucrat between you and your doctor, which is apparently worse than a bureaucrat at Cigna. Then came the End of Life Counseling provision in the health care bill which is in fact a ploy to pull the plug on Grandma! Well not really. First of all someone should remind the Congressman that this particular provision has been removed from the bill. Secondly it is not in fact a "Death Panel" but simply requires medicare to pay for VOLUNTARY end of life counseling sessions for seniors and the ailing to plan for end of life medical care. The counseling sessions would cover things such as choosing a hospice and a patients right to CHOOSE or refuse certain types of treatment. It it no way enforces euthanasia and to suggest so is a total misrepresentation of the facts. But all this is besides the point point because it's not in the bill anymore! What's sad is that the bill is probably worse for seniors now but what's even more sad is that the people of the 11th district of Georgia are stupid enough to believe this crap coming from a walking Ken doll like Gingrey!
Gingrey rounded out the night with some general Obama bashing and lashed out at the rest of the Democrats for being more focused on suing the CIA than working to refrom health care, or something to that effect. My mind gets a little fuzzy here; for at this point in the evening the Fear and stupidity in the air was formidable and I started to realize my God these people are right! The Democrats really are bunch of fag loving, God hating, pinko commies who want to kill my Granny with socialized medicine! Well to hell with that! I stood up from my chair and yelled at the top of my lungs, "Phil please save us from these Satan worshiping baby killers!" The crowd roared with applause and before I knew it they had hoisted me off my feet and were carrying me out of the civic center. I felt like Julius Caesar returning victoriously to Rome.
When I came to the next morning my lady friend informed that something had come over me at the town hall meeting. Apparently during the Q & A session I began ranting and raving like a lunatic, even speaking in tongues at one point. The police had to remove me by force! I told her no, she must be mistaken. I had seen the light. I finally realized what Obama was up to. "What's that?" she asked.
"Well it's quite simple actually. The Democrats have an evil plan to destroy the country with socialized medicine. That want to kill my Granny!"
"Chris both your Grandparents are dead," she said.
"They have death panels!" I pleaded.
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"Now that you mention it, it does seem kind of stupid."
Sweet Jesus I hadn't seen the light at all! I was simply drunk off all the Fear and stupidity in the air that night. Ah but it felt so good to just give in. To throw out things like logic and reason and just totally embrace, well, ignorance. I guess Orwell was right, it really is bliss.
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