Running Naked Through Town Hall

Streaking, running naked through a public place, first occurred in 1804 when George William Crump was arrested for doing so at what is now called Washington & Lee University in Virginia.

Streaking reached its pop cultural peak in 1974 when a streaker ran across the stage, disrupting the Academy Awards. Once people saw the national media attention the streaker got, it inspired many other such incidents including ones at the Superbowl, Wimbledon and the Olympics. Running naked through a public event is a very effective way to get media attention.

A lot of people have been streaking through town hall meetings on health care reform. Not bothering to dress their outbursts with any facts, they disrupt the public events and, like the streakers before them, get national media attention. The media seems to be a sucker when it comes to reporting nudity instead of baring the facts.

The health care reform bill presented to the House on July 14th has 1018 pages. It is available online to anyone who wants to read it. Its way too long to Twitter and way too long for most people to read, including those who are yelling the loudest. However, you can do a word search to find those areas you are most interested in.

If you are interested in: death panels, euthanasia, socialism, putting the elderly to death, Nazis, Hitler or any of the other words yelled at the town hall meetings, you won't find them. If you are interested in finding out if you have pre-existing conditions that exclude you from coverage, you can find that information: the bill prohibits any exclusions for pre-existing conditions.

"WE DON'T WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO RUN OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM!"
At a town hall meeting in Texas, an activist asked the people there if they "oppose any form of socialized or government-run health care." Most opposed it. Representative Gene Green of Texas, who ran the meeting, then asked how many people there were on Medicare. Almost half raised their hands. Medicare, is a government run health care program. So is the excellent coverage provided to those who served in our armed forces.

"WE DON'T WANT A GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRAT BETWEEN US AND OUR DOCTOR!"
Most of us who are insured already have a bureaucrat between us and our doctor -- an insurance company. In most cases the insurance company lets you choose your doctor, as long as they included in the plan you are on, otherwise you pay a lot more. They also determine what treatment qualifies for reimbursement and the pre-existing conditions that exclude you from coverage all together.

Ninety five cents of every dollar spent on health care is spent to treat diseases we already have. Prevention is an overlooked part of this debate. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, alcoholism, and unwanted pregnancies are mostly controllable by us as individuals. What we eat, what we drink, and how active we are has tremendous and costly effects on our lives. That's something we each have the power to do something about.

"AMERICA'S HEALTH CARE IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD!"
No, it isn't, but it is the most expensive. Although the United States spends more than any other country, $4,271/person, 16.5% of GDP, we rank 47th in life expectancy in the world. However, if you take pride in being number one, we are number one in teen pregnancy, obesity, diabetes and plastic surgery. For all you investment buffs, that is pretty bad return. 60% of those who default on their mortgages and lose their homes do so as a result of the burden of medical bills.

France is ranked, by the World Health Organization, as having the best medical care in the world. France is 8th in cost per person of medical care at $2288 which is 10.5% of their GDP. France is 9th in the world in life expectancy. Those promiscuous French are 16th in terms of teen pregnancy, 296 per million people compared to the United States with over 5 times as many, 1,671 per million.

France has universal health care. So does Canada and Great Britain. Their health care costs are lower. Their mortality is longer. They don't stand in long lines. How long do you have to wait for an appointment to see your doctor?

"GO LIVE THERE IF YOU THINK IT'S BETTER!"
This is my country as much as it is yours, only I'd like it to get better.

We all agree the health of our citizens is of paramount importance. Health care is a huge, costly hot button issue that most people don't understand and don't bother educating themselves about. We need informed debate. It's far easier to pay attention to the aberrant, sometimes amusing, often frightening behavior that gets news coverage. Dangerous fools fuel the fires of ignorance and fear by spreading false information, taunting those who disagree, hanging politicians in effigy and bringing guns to town hall meetings. The real issues that concern us all, right and left, Democrat and Republican, conservative and liberal, are lost in the ugly noise of an angry mob. The cemetery is truly bi-partisan but by the time we get there it's too late to do anything constructive.

Comments

[AndrewAnthony]

I think that there are truly some great points to this article. I really haven't looked into this topic as much as I should be looking at it.
Fortunately I am a very healthy individual. I do know that in the blink of an eye that very well could change; along with being employed. I know that both sides will have positives and negatives and there is rarely a decision made without consequence. However, there is some peace of mind knowing that I would be covered no matter what.

[Charles Weber]

Jeff, clearly you are in the tank for Obama and his far left agendas, which we simply cannot afford. Since this past January, the Democrats have spent money like drunk sailors to the point where our deficit this fiscal year will most likely reach $1.8 Trillion. Now you criticize and condemn the very people whose emotions are aroused over the latest scheme for a power grab to create an engorged, voter dependent central government who have proven over the years an endemic ineptness in managing they social programs they have mandated. Health care is no exception. The proponents are ignoring the mark up by the CBO, whose job it is to determine the cost and efficacy of proposed legislation. For some reason, the President and the majority in Congress want to ignore the reality of the numbers under the guise of "...we have to do it or else..." mindset. Instead of examining the true reasons behind the people expressing themselves at town hall meetings, you get your scuba gear and jump into the tank with the Pelosis, Reeds, Axlerods, Franks, and others of political notoriety. Jeff, your analysis is shallow and very disappointing.

[julieJgoldengay]

People got energized, during the election of our new President. For so long Americans' had been sleepy, fat, and grumpy. And then we woke up. Everyone work up. The Good, the Bad, and the really, really Ugly. Family, ain't it great?

[Rod Lamkey]

SAFETY AT TOWN HALL MEETINGS
Since most speakers at town hall meetings (especially regards the health care crisis), and since the opposition to President Obama's plan has not only voiced but promised violence, then it would be prudent to limit attendance to the meetings to local people. For instance, if Barbara Lee were to speak at a town hall in her district, only people in that district would be allowed to attend the meeting. (Party affiliation would be irrelevant.)
In order to insure that this rule is followed, everybody would have to sign in and show proper identification. This is what people do when voting, after all, and it does not violate any of our constitutional rights.
So long as out-of-town political operatives are allowed attend these meetings for no purpose other than to be disruptive, this method would help to insure peaceful discourse. Which is what the First Amendment is all about.