Finger Bitten Off In Fight At Health Care Rally

A 65-year-old man's finger was bitten off at a health care rally Wednesday night in Thousand Oaks, California. KTLA reports that the man was part of an anti-reform crowd:

About 100 protesters sponsored by MoveOn.org were having a rally supporting health care reform. A group of anti-health care reform protesters formed across the street.

A witness from the scene says a man was walking through the anti-reform group to get to the pro-reform side when he got into an altercation with the 65-year-old, who opposes health care reform.

The injured anti-reform man walked to Los Robles hospital to have the finger reattached.

He had Medicare.

A blogger who witnessed the fight from the pro-reform side says that the finger-biter was provoked:

The man in the orange shirt hit the pro-reform guy (I'm going to call him PR Guy just to keep the players straight). Hard. ... He punched him in the face, knocked him to the ground and into that thruway. ... He got up, tried to get back up on the curb, but Orange Shirt guy was in his face. Finger in his face, PR Guy standing, steps up to the curb, and there's a scuffle. Orange shirt seemed to have PR Guy in a hold, but again, I was across the street, so won't state that as absolute fact. Next thing I see is PR Guy's hat being tossed into the street, both yelling at one another, then Orange shirt walks away, PR Guy picks up hat and crosses to our side.

When he gets to our side, he tells a story in one sentence: "He punched me hard, straight in the face, so I bit his finger off."

MoveOn.org released a statement in response:

"Yesterday, MoveOn held over 350 peaceful candlelight vigils nationwide, in which tens of thousands of people participated in, to call for immediate action on health care reform including a strong public option.

"We have seen press reports that indicate at one event in Southern California a regrettable act of violence happened. While we do not have any more facts about what happened then what we saw in press accounts, MoveOn condemns violence in all forms. We have seen passions run high on both sides all summer in the health care debate, and we strongly believe that this nation deserves an honest, peaceful and respectful debate about health care reform."

"While we don't know if either party involved was a MoveOn member, we regret any violence that may have occurred yesterday, and we support the Ventura County Sheriff's investigation into the situation. It is our firm hope that this event does not detract from the tens of thousands who were out peacefully making their voices heard for health care reform and a public option."

 

 

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Comments

[LoudmouthLime]

Whether this man was pro or anti reform, reattached a finger tip or refused this procedure, he was able to be seen at an emergency room and released without impossible medical bills. Medicare.

Humane and affordable medical treatment must be available to all.


Medicare eligibility now.


http://www.medicare.gov/MedicareEligibility/Home.asp?dest=NAV|Home|GeneralEnrollment#TabTop





Public Option. Now.

[AndyWright68]

“I didn’t go out to demonstrate my beliefs. I happened to be driving by and I stopped to ask people what their purpose was. I had no signs, I was not part of the demonstrat­ion.” — William Rice, 65

[T Specter]

Q. What did William Rice tell his Socialist Medicare Doctor?

A. Keep the tip.

[CanadianBeef]

Why is it that the few people in America who enjoy guaranteed health care, like this guy Rice, are so opposed to younger people getting thé same treatment? Not all seniors are so selfish, but those who are should demand that Medicare should be cancelled. It's socialized medicine, after all.

[Arrecho]

Subject: Tell Obama: We're Counting on You

Hi,

President Obama will give a major speech next week laying out what he thinks needs to be in the health care bill.

This is a critical crossroads. The president needs to hear that Americans are counting on him to stand up to the status quo and fight for real reform with a strong public health insurance option.

I just signed a petition telling President Obama I'm counting on him to fight hard for a bold health care reform bill. Can you join me at the link below?

http://pol.moveon.org/hcobama

[Arrecho]

And then the coward ran to mama (Fox News)

[Dacktyl]

There's a funny commentary about this incident here:
http://www.republicandirtytricks.com

[MidnightRaine]

Thanks for the link:)

[indymaggie]

A blogger says the finger biter was provoked? What insanity. No provocation should make a person bite someone's finger off. If it was a Conservative who did the biting (which early reports said was so), the blogger would be going on and on about the finger biter being a troll or a wingnut or some such stupid phrase that they use over and over again. Truly disgusting.

[BlackWidowPilot]

When's the last time you were in an unprovoked fistfight? When's the last time someone suddenly assaulted you physically? When's the last time you witnessed a fight break out when one person suddenly punched another in the face?

I've seen my share of fights, and been in a few in my day. First rule of a fight when you're set upon suddenly and without warning, is that there are no rules save self-preservation. It's called *instinct.­*

Only when the assaulted keeps their wits about them is tragedy avoided.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

One of the 47 Million

[larmarch5]

Did he say provoked or poked? The finger was where it did not belong.

[harpen1]

Maybe if he had shot off the finger most conservatives would have been ok with it?

[brklynivn]

The conservative shouldn't have been punching someone out. He intended to hurt someon and got hurt himself in the end, then he went crying to fox news.

[CanadianBeef]

He was not only provoked, he was punched twice in the face.

[MidnightRaine]

I just seen a small interview with the man who had his finger bitten off...and of course he took no ownership in his own behavior in any of this. He acted as if the other man was crazy and started the whole thing! His finger tip including fingernail was bitten off and it cannot be re-attached so he claims he lost his finger solely on his political views. I don’t agree with violence on either side..but you have to own up to your own actions in this instead of trying to play the victim card..

I don’t like the violence involved in any of this debate and it saddens me deeply that we can’t have civil debates about such an important issue, but I can tell you if someone punches me in the face I will defend myself if that means you lose a finger...w­ell, you should’ve thought of that before you lost control of your emotions and punched me in the face! I'm sick of the anti-reform people thinking that they can just continue to bully us, yell over us, try to intimidate us with guns..and then when someone punches us in the face hard plus continues to bully us we're suppose to just stand there and take it? Don't judge this situation to harshly until you're the one standing there being punched!

[larmarch5]

He lost that finger because he put it where it didn't belong. In another person's mouth.

[owiseone]

Could we as a country get a broad restraining order against the protesters who are threateningly loud or violent? They can be identified one-by-one as they act out, and this would discourage this movement from growing. Violence and screaming are not part of free speech and should not be protected as First Amendment right. Should there not be some charge against FOX and their "news/ente­rtainment" for inciting violence?
This kind of thing, fueled by subtle (or not) racism, by fears of "Socialism" (when most have no idea what that really means), disguised as patriotism has gone too far. When people hit and bite, disrupt and make civil discourse impossible, we're at a dangerous point in this country. If/when the protests turn into mass violence it will be too late to stop.

[JulieSA]

Don't play the race card. You lose all credibility if you do that.

When did Fox ever incite violence? Do you have a quote?

Do you think HCAN organizers should be coaching their minions on how to shout down people who ask questions at Townhalls? We have one on video doing that. Maybe HCAN should be banned from these things, per your standard.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

We have eyes and ears Julie. You watch FOX, and you have zero cred you carzy wingnut B

[larmarch5]

We have one I say, one I say! One! Uh-huh.

[indymaggie]

Everyone has a right to demonstrate as long as it is not violent. Shouting is not un-American. I don't see you mentioning the Labor Union goons who are always violent.

[larmarch5]

Always violent I say, violent, always. Goons, goons, goons, I say. Please.

[americanrevolution]

It is incredulous that people on Medicare, Social Security, and government sponsored healthcare for federal employees (senators and congressmen) would not make the association between healthcare reform and the socialized medicine that they either take for granted or believe that they are more privledged.

[QueenMaeve]

This situation is growing increasingly unstable. Biting off a finger is pretty savage (and I'm a proud liberal, so I'm not trying to defend Orange Shirt. He assaulted a PR citizen for taking a position OS didn't like. In this case, PR fella overreacted. But the wingnuts in the Republican party instigated this fight by lying to and manipulating their constituents. Mark my words, viol.ence will be more extreme in the coming months. We'll be very lucky if people aren't k1lled.

[JulieSA]

The account from the "witness" is wrong. William Rice is not the guy in the orange shirt.

Did you complain when SEIU thugs beat up a black guy at a townhall?

[QueenMaeve]

Actually, I did. This garbage has gotten out of hand. If you could be just a bit objective, though, you could see that the screaming matches and fistfights are largely being perpetrated by Republican who are being told to fear everything. It makes sense, really. Fear was used against this nation following 9/11 to convince us we needed to abandon our principles. Why wouldn't it be used now to destroy the current administrations credibility and reputation? Don't get me wrong. I'm an independent so I have no dog in this race. But I tell the truth as I see it. Both parties have strengths and weaknesses. It's just that the Republican party's "strength" seems to be the ability to incite rage in the masses by using outright lies, fear, and manipulation.

[Megan97401]

Holy schnikes! I thought this was going to be an Onion report! I kept looking for the "comedy news" tag. This is insane.

[PhillyQuaker]

I'm bringing a hat pin with me to the town hall on health care being hosted by Joe Sestak. Hope no one tries to jack me up!

[ilse]

Maybe the guy who had his finger bitten off will think twice about punching someone hard in the face again. If you want to inflict pain then expect pain to be inflicted on you. It's only fair.

[ThankGodhesgone]

C'mon now whether left or rigtht, biting a finger off? What's next bluecoats against the grey coats fighting over health care?

To conservatives, yes the lion has woken. We will no longer allow you to tell us what we can and can not have. Single payer or a public option WILL be an option. I don't mind the private insurars competing, they just have more competition. Let the best man/woman win.

[Ifticar]

The Democrats own the Congress. When there is no public option, it will not be the Republicans fault.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

There will be a public option, and you will throw a hissy fit. Who care what you do, cowardly tr0l/, F-you

[pmipIP]

As long as it was only his finger...w­hat do you think what would have happened if the victim was naked! A town hall meeting in San Francisco! Let's have the next meeting at a pornn movie set!