Re-cap of Massa Town Hall
Here’s a report on the Wednesday evening Town Hall meeting in Victor via The Albany Project. Our own Ladkiddo arrived late and was unable to get in.
The general atmosphere at the Victor Town Hall hosted by Eric Massa was of a rude audience erupting in waves of boos, shouting questions out of turn, and trying to talk over Eric.
Specifically, Eric opened the evening with the pledge, a general recognition of veterans in the audience, and a recognition specifically of Korean war veterans (I’m not sure why he singled out that group).Then, he asked for ten seconds of silence in memory of Senator Kennedy. The hall blew its top with boos, cat calls, and shouts of “Mary Jo”.
It was downhill from there.
The auditorium seated maybe somewhere between 800 and 1000. It was full; there were people in the hallway outside milling about; and another couple hundred in the gymnasium across from the auditorium, where they had piped in an audio feed.
The bulk of vocal members of the audience looked to be middle or upper-middle class, was clearly white, was 40s or 50s, and was loud and unwilling to listen.People asked Eric to explain “the bill”– I’m assuming, HR3200– and Eric did, patiently and dilligently. But whenever “the hall” disagreed, they began yelling over him.
Eric was polite to a fault. He was the picture of calm, cool demeanor under fire. He never lost his cool, often tried to lighten the proceedings with small quips, and defended the right to speak of everyone with the microphone (most of whom disagreed with any reform whatsoever).
Now, the extreme members of the audience– who were probably between one quarter and one third of those present– might not feel that way, because he also admonished them to be polite and allow the person with the microphone their say. But I was in complete awe of his ability to remain calm, and cool, and polite.
Perhaps “polite to a fault” is the correct term. Many of the speakers came with the lies and cannards that are being spread by the extremist radio hosts (Limbaugh and his wannabes). Eric always listened politely, attempted to gently correct some (but not all) of the incorrect statements, but never wavered from an appearance of a respectful discussion.
I don’t know that Eric could have done anything differently. He is a public servant, elected by the people, and needs to be respectful of them. But at what point when people are saying things that are bold faced lies should they be told “you are either lieing yourself or stupid for believing the lies pushed by Rush and his buddies”?
He never did. They called him a liar. They called him a communist. They said that he was trying to force them, kill them, destroy them. And he never more than nodded and responded politely.
When he attempted to explain that “the bill” wasn’t socialized medicine, they screamed and yelled and booed. When he tried to tell them what socialized medicine was, they called him a liar. When he tried to tell them how money savings could be realized, they screamed and yelled and booed some more. When he tried to explain that the only real socialized medicine in the US is the VA– and that every discussion he has with constituents about the VA has the constituents asking for more money for it– they yelled him down.
Related posts:
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”
It sure was an eye opening experience. I guess I knew how bad it was going to be just from listening to the comments being made in the long line of people stretching down the hall.
I lived through 8 years of Bush and was really able to resist the temptation to say I wanted to leave the US and live in Canada or Australia–I guess I saw Bush as one horrible person who still couldn’t make it impossible for me to live here. But last night was different…it was my fellow Americans who made be embarrassed to be American. Those people were rude, vile, disgusting, self centered, selfish and full of hatred. It was very hard for me to sit through it. My mind was constantly wondering if I should just get up and leave. But like moths to a flame or a crowd looking at an accident, I couldn’t leave or turn away.
The highlights for me was the idea that the majority in that auditorium is perfectly fine paying for “protection”/war, but they cannot stomach the idea of helping to pay for health care. They sound like they hate government, no matter what, and that leaves me with the feeling that they hated America. I’m not sure how I could think anything else based on what I heard and saw.
Eric’s best moments, thought lost on the crowd I’m sure, was when he responded to specific claims by people about what was written in HR 3200. Someone would say “on page 65 it says….” Eric would then turn to that page and read it. Each and every time Eric did this, Eric proved the claim to be totally false.
They booed a moment of silence for Senator Ted Kennedy? I hope there was appropriate response from Eric or the crowd, you did not say.
The BASTARDS. Rude does not come close. Their ignorance is granted. Incivility is now expected.
They are old they are misinformed and they are ignorant. And, They bitch and hated Teddy, but none would have their valued Medicare without Senator Kennedy!!! A moment of silence for the third longest serving member of the upper house of our Legislative branch in history is not too much to ask of real Americans for chryst sakes! Hell they do a moment of silence and day of rememberance when a football coach dies. How long have we endured Michael Jackson’s passing? I held my breath respectfully when R. Raygun finally bit the dust. Butt when either Georgie Porgie goes it may be time to have a healhy celebration and nose thumb. Maybe the right wing-nuts are not the only ones who should bear arms at these rallys. No, no I do not mean that, really. But I fear things are getting so bad that we are going to see some blood in the streets before it is over.
Did any news media report this awful demonstration of pinheaded disrespect and hatered? Does anyone have this on tape? It’s worth sending up the Progressive chain for national consumption, but not MM if you do. Just sayin’. They should be ashamed, very ashamed.
OG
I, too, was there on Wednesday. I am feeling somewhat regretful that I went - it is one thing to see the hate spewed on FOX News, another to see it live and in living color. People with t-shirts that had Hilter likeness of Obama..People yelling out “FUBO” (good to see that Bob Lonsberry’s audience is participating in democracy). One of the most disturbing moments was when Eric talked about the cost of the Iraq war and how this trillion dollar debt was crippling the economy. Someone yelled out “drop a nuke!” At that point I turned to my husband and said let’s get outta here. Where were these people for the last 8 years? the outrage is just starting now?
Sounds like one of the McCain-Palin audiences.
So what is the solution to addressing crowds like these? Seems like these are folks who won’t listen and won’t communicate. Do you go the Slaughter route and not hold the meetings? Is there anything that can be done to communicate with them?
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