[Updated with new Thursday Hardball video at bottom]
Maybe you've seen it on TV or in one of the dozens of blog postings. The YouTube videos have been viewed over 51,108 times, and the original video from the Columbus Dispatch thousands more.
But on Tuesday, several protesters outside my district office in Columbus went too far. A reporter from the Dispatch captured the moment on camera:
Debate over health care reform has consumed our political dialogue for over a year, and we all know how passionate both sides can be.
We need to stand up for decency in our politics -- we can't let the actions of the few poison our debate. Join the hundreds who have signed my petition, share it with your friends and send a message to those who would attack instead of engage.
This morning I made the following statement on the floor of the US House of Representatives:
"I believe that a great strength of our democracy is our First Amendment. It allows for the robust exchange of ideas and opinions. I welcome that. I want to hear what my constituents are thinking, what concerns they have -- concerns about how health care will work for them. I want to listen to them about their lack of health care and how that affects their lives or the high cost of health care and how they're coping with that.
"I have held town halls, round tables, small groups -- over twenty meetings in my district over health care. And this week demonstrations for and against health care reform were held in front of my district office."Unfortunately, some of those opposing health care reform went too far. Instead of making their arguments against the bill they engaged in abusive language directed at one of my constituents who suffers the terrible ravages of Parkinson's disease. They treated him like a beggar. They threw dollar bills at him. They did not respect his humanity. They did not respect his right to give his opinion on the health care bill."
This type of protest goes too far. It has crossed the line. The health care reform debate is about respecting each other's rights as human beings and -- when it comes to needed medical care - respecting our rights as citizens to express our opinions.
I ask that you stand with me for decency. Please sign my petition today, and continue the discussion with civility.
UPDATE (posted by staff):
Hardball grills the president of Americans for Prosperity over the incident at the rally they promoted. See the NEW video:
Follow Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MaryjoKilroy
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Rev. James Martin, "It's not enough to simply help the poor, one must address the structures that keep them that way."
Financial institutio
If this isn't the epitome of galling selfishnes
Yes, that's right folks....T
Keep a sharp eye out the window, maw....the
However, great strides are being made. Those attempting to start businesses are brought immediatel
Only, we, the progressiv
Only we as progressiv
Uh, no, it's not. Find an anti-refor
Those demanding 'free' Health Care are beggars. In the old days, they asked for help hoping the person was charitble enough to give a little spare change to help out. Now they demand it, with government force. What kind of political dialogue do you expect when faced with tyranny? "Please don't enslave us, that would be bad." No, that doesn't quite get it. How about HE** NO!"? Yeah, that sounds like the appropriat
Plus, you misspelled "Potomac."
If the man sitting there with Parkinson'
Were they crass? Absolutely
As an Ohioan, I was shocked that this incident took place in Columbus. I can only hope they were outside agitators bused in by the Tea Partiers.
What I would really hope is that the reporter/c
Might be a good story in the man suffering from Parkinson'
Did you write a check out to help the man with Parkinsons
You know Buckeye54 had no way of getting a check to the unknown man, and you know that writing a check to one person is not going to solve the lack-of-he
These guys are gonna get to feel how they have made this man feel.
Their Mothers are mortified, Trust me.
They showed no decency in their bribes, payoffs, and threats to members of their own party to support this.
They showed no decency to the taxpayers of the united states who ultimately will be forced to pay for this entitlemen
And they are showing no decency to our children and grandchild
You believe the Dems alone in that?
No. What you describe above applies to the very same Republican legislator
Their whole entire legislativ
So, you post your drivel above to do what?
To excuse assaults on a young man with Parkinson'
You have no soul or conscience - and are not truly human.
You want to help this man? Start collecting funds for him, find charities that will help him, take him into your home.
I support my charities and don't expect you to be forced to support the ones I do, but in turn, don't force me to fund the charity cases you support.
The national debt is a monument to how the Federal Government has squandered the wealth of the American people.
It's equally relevant.
1) Forces American citizen into a contract to buy health insurance and if they freely choose not to, sanctions them with criminal penalties
2) Provides an unfair rebate to two states (Louisiana Purchase and Cornhusker
3) Provides exemptions to a select group of senior citizens only because they live in the state of Florida.
4) Earmarks funding for a new hospital in the Conn.
5) Provides an exemption on the tax increase on “high” end health plans only because people are members of a labor union.
6) Claims to save 105 billion dollars only because it imposes new taxes on people several years before it provides any of the new services.
All this so that Senators, Unions, and Insurance Lobbyists would vote for or support the legislatio
And yes, I would support the demise of Social Security, unemployme
I'll say it if no one else will.
Social security, unemployme
I have an idea you will like. let's bring back the stocks. You could sentence political opponents to the stocks then throw tomatoes at them.
Or maybe a paint a red "R" on their foreheads or shave their heads.
not.