Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Feingold Town Hall vs. Irrational Fear


Here's an interesting perspective on a recent town hall meeting that pretty much reflects my own impressions when it comes to the mood and purpose of those who would come to disrupt our civil discussion.

Clyde Winter's Hearts and Minds blog: "On Monday, January 4, (2009), Democratic Senator (Russ) Feingold held a “Listening Session” in Ozaukee County, at the MATC-North Auditorium. It was packed, with virtually all seats filled.

There was … a large contingent of Republican party member activists also present … (with) repeated and persistent efforts to interrupt and heckle Senator Feingold during the entire session.

But the theme of FEAR was heard repeatedly at this “Listening Session”. It has been orchestrated by the Party that lost the 2008 elections, because engendering and spreading a national mood of fear is calculated by their strategists to be the quickest way to reverse their recent election losses (as opposed to rethinking the discredited policies that resulted in their defeats). I have never heard so many well-to-do, influential, and supposedly self-confident people express so much irrational fear in my life. It’s almost like these people are saying, “If I have to be this sick, I want everyone else to be just as sick as I am.”

Much of their fear is based on myth, false claims and manipulation. Tragically, low information voters could have directed their energy at real world change, demanding ownership of their own government again from the monied special interests.

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