On the Idiots, Crazies, and Racists Taking Over the Health Care Reform Debate.

Shark-Fu muses on a health care reform town hall meeting in the Show-Me State:

A lot of people in attendance weren’t Obama or McCaskill supporters before healthcare reform. This wasn’t about McCaskill losing support…it was about people who did not support her, do not support her and will not support her telling her why they did not support her, do not support her and will not support her.

A lot of the folks in attendance were confused. President Obama was portrayed on signs and pamphlets as some sort of Nazi, socialist, foreign born, communist, Muslim, euthanasia enthusiast, fascist who wants to tyrannically impose new environmental standards to perpetuate the dangerous myth of global warming all the while teaching the wee little babies about birth control in pre-school and plotting to knock off Grandma.

These people seem to be scared shitless by the Obama presidency.

Many of them are on Medicare…like Medicare…don’t want to see Medicare go away, but are opposed to government healthcare coverage options.

Blink.

Still others are for tort reform instead of healthcare reform…seemed surprised that Missouri and other states have already done some serious tort reform…were even more surprised that the tort reform they called for did not result in a lowering of healthcare costs…and then settled back on their allegation that healthcare reform is fascist and supporters want to knock off Grandma.

(Also, Melissa Harris-Lacewell discussed the racism at the heart of the anger at the town halls, last night on ‘Countdown.’ Also, also? Olbermann quotes an e-mail that Ta-Nehisi posted at his spot.)

The thing that is frustrating me — even if I am feeding into it — is that these nutters are distracting us from the fact that children are literally dying because of a lack of basic health care.

[H/T: Dr. Bitch’s Twitter]

Shani

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  • ladyfresh

    The thing that is frustrating me — even if I am feeding into it — is that these nutters are distracting us from the fact that children are literally dying because of a lack of basic health care.

    also what is frustrating is that my concern the real debate/baby is being thrown out with the bathwater.

    there are very likely problema with the bill but i’m so busy being bombarded with the crazies that i will have to go on a serious hunt to find out exactly what the problems are

    (oh noes real research)

  • ladyfresh- come on… “children are literally dying because of a lack of basic health care”
    nothing but a lie with nothing to back up your claim.

    No doubt there are crazies and i dont condone that at all. But there is a right to protest and with the tiniest bit of effort you can see what the problems with the bill are.

  • the only bill that formed and voted on… HR 3200

    Yes it is a lie… there is no lack of basic health offered… there was only lack of negligence by the parents. No doubt there are problems and issues but don’t make misleading statements like that.

  • There are two other bills being worked on, as well as Wyden-Bennett, which hasn’t gotten enough attention.

    care to explain what parts of the different legislation you’re taking issue with and what you’d change?

    Yes it is a lie… there is no lack of basic health offered… there was only lack of negligence by the parents.

    “A lack of negligence”? what?

    what’s a lie? if you’re uninsured/poor, you don’t have access to “basic” health care. You can go to the emergency room where they have to treat you, but the emergency room is not for “basic”, preventative medical care and routine checkups. You go to the emergency room when a nagging problem has progressed to the point where it can no longer be ignored. You know, like Deamonte Driver’s toothache. And at that point it’s harder and more expensive to treat — if it can be treated at all?

    And who do you think pays for treatment of those advanced medical ailments? People with health insurance do, via higher premiums. A major reason health care is so expensive now is because everyone doesn’t have access to “basic” health care. We’re paying for procedures to fix problems that cost way more than they would cost if they were caught early and nipped in the bud.

  • So what do you think the problems and issues are with our healthcare system as it exists today, Timmy?

  • slg

    >>also what is frustrating is that my concern the real debate/baby is being
    >>thrown out with the bathwater.

    Exactly.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/health/13clinic.html?_r=1&ref=us

    s.