What I Saw Today on Capitol Hill
BY Herschel Smith
14 years, 8 months ago
From Keith Smith:
I am writing this message to you from the parking deck of a Metro station just outside Washington, DC. I just witnessed one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen in my life. By my estimate, there were more than 50,000 of average Americans like me gathered on the west side of the Capitol, yelling and screaming, because we feel that our elected representatives in that very building are ignoring us. The most popular sign that I saw today simply said, “Listen to Me!” What were we yelling about? A terrible piece of legislation, and a terrible idea known as ObamaCare. 50,000 people is not a bad turn-out, considering that the event was planned less than 48 hours in advance. I found out about it late Thursday night. And on Friday evening after work, I started driving, and kept driving.
Why did I do it, and was it worth it? I did it because after having written my Senators and Congressman (multiple times), after having researched the policy issues and forwarded to many of you the results of my research, after having been to Tea Parties and Town Halls, after having contributed to organizations fighting this terrible legislation, well, after all of that, attending today’s protest was the only thing left for me to do. Will our efforts today pay off, and will Congress do what we asked them to do, “Kill the Bill”? I honestly don’t know. Did my presence today make a difference? I honestly believe it did. At the very least, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I have now done everything that I can do to stop this. Was it worth it? Absolutely!!!
Many of you have talked to me, or emailed me, or even called me on the phone, to express your frustration and helplessness and to ask me what can be done to stop a tone-deft and tyrannical President and Congress. I have several ideas, and I promise a long answer in the future. But for now, the short answer is that we all need to be more INFORMED, ENGAGED, VOCAL and ACTIVE than we have ever been before. It’s up to us to make a difference. I saw today, first hand, what a difference ordinary citizens can make. There’s nothing like seeing a line of Congressman exiting a House office building with voters on both sides cheering their demands. Go America! Go democracy!
Other interesting things I saw today: I saw Congresswoman Michelle Bachman literally sprint up the Capitol steps . . . in high heels! I thanked John Voigt for coming. Congressman Tom Price thank ME for coming and wished me a safe drive back home to Georgia.
TCJ Editorial Comment: Thanks to Keith for being there when I couldn’t. En loco protestari, or something like that?
On March 20, 2010 at 10:15 pm, War News Updates said:
I am a Canadian who lives in Montreal, Quebec. Being a person who has to live in a government run health care system and who must also take care of his 84 year old mother …. I have only one thing to say.
All the critics of US government run health care do not know what they are talking about …. Government run health care is far far far far WORSE than what they can even imagine.
Death panels, abortion on demand, long waits in emergency rooms, medicine being denied because of age, doctor appointments set months down the road, dirty filthy hospitals. Doctor shortages. Nurse shortages. Specialists always in short supply. This is the state of medicine and health care in a government run program.
I may not pay for my care if I am rushed to a hospital, but my taxes are sky high, and the care that I may need for any catastrophic illness will always be delayed or put on a long waiting list.
The following news article sums up with what we must live in, and what you Yanks will have to live in once the government eventually ends up running your health care system.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/patients-families-doctors-decry-catastrophic-quebec-health-care/article1495762/