The Tone of Debate

I have been away from the blog for a while writing a novel, but the draft is done, the document sent out for a critique and a literary agent obtained. So now my mind and my time are free to return to the blogosphere which I enjoy so much, and what do I find when I turn my mind back to current events, that people who oppose the Congressional plan for universal health care are unamerican.

The town halls on the subect of health care have become a bit heated; people seeking to be heard screaming down or talking over the hosts and speakers, but is this really unamerican as Nancy Pelosi suggests?

The right to peacably assemble and request a redress of our differences is a protected right under the first amemndment so how can that be unamerican? As long as the protests remain peaceful, they are as American as applie pie and baseball. I believe that people should be polite and respectful during these discussions, but that only works if the other side will listen. When you have been polite, when you have been speaking respectfully and when you have been totally ignored, the need to raise your voice may become your last option so it appears the opposition has two choices before them.

1)speak softly and respectfully and be completely ignored.
2)shout loud and long and be labeled a nut, a nazi or unamerican.

Not much of a choice there is it?

There's something else that really bothers about this whole situation and that is why it is wrong for people of like minded opposition to band together. Why is it a great thing for one side to be organized but wrong for the opposing side to do the same? Why is one side praised for their organization but the other side reviled for theirs? Why does the organization of one side validate their information while the orgnaization of the opposing side discredit theirs?

Discrediting anyone who does not agree appears to be a major theme within the current leadership of both the white house and congress. Both the executive and legislative branches of our government appear to forget that they represent ALL American citizens and that the voices of all of us count.

What purpose is possibly served by claiming that anybody who disagrees is unreasonable and unamerican? What does that do to smooth the ruffled feathers of the descenters? And what is actually being done to address the concerns of the dissenters? Oh, right, what's being done is to disregard their concerns and call them names. Good plan.