Woman in Wheelchair Booed and Shouted Down at N.J. Town Hall Meeting

No, unfortunately I guess we shouldn't! I know all conservatives aren't like this but it's this type that are the most likely to attend these town hall meetings. Annie

Yeah that's why I tried to bold heartless but for some reason bold never works for me. We have a growing list of conservatives with hearts here on mylot.

I watched the segment..the hecklers were Calling out repeatedly "What's Your Question?!" I can only assume it was a Q&A Session,and She was apparently reading a statement.Undeniably Her Concerns were Valid about her condition and ability to afford medication and household expenses,but those heckling didn't want to hear what she had to say if it wasn't a direct question...Is there any further info on what the meeting was about?

I personally don't think anyone should shout and boo at a town hall meeting. Exactly WHAT gets accomplished when that happens besides someone getting a video tape of it to put on You-Tube and then all over the TV news? You say you would "expect reactions to my statements, especially if I knew that the majority of the people in the room disagreed with me." Fine, of course you'd "expect reactions", Rollo, but I'd feel the same about them having this particular KIND of reaction to you as I do about this woman. I'm with you when you say, "by all means, let's debate" but does "debate" have to mean be disrespectful and loud? How is it a "debate" when one person is being drowned out by boos and jeers? I'm also with you on everyone having EQUAL rights but I think it stands to reason that when there is someone in a wheelchair or with some other obvious indication of a disability or illness that person could possibly bring a different perspective to the issue of health care than a crowd of people who are for the most part healthy and/or have access to very good health care? It's not very "equal" if someone like that isn't allowed to be heard, is it? Annie

I watched the video. I could hear what she said because she had a microphone. I couldn't discern what the shouters were saying. I assume they didn't say anything about her wheelchair because if they had, the commentator wouldn't have repeated the line about her not having more rights that was said by one man. I don't want anyone to feel like they have to defend me, or give me special consideration and most disabled people want you to respect them. Sometimes respecting someone is responding to them exactly as you would to someone who is not disabled. I don't have the right to expect anyone to pass a bad bill that will affect millions of Americans in a detrimental way just because I might get a few nice perks out of it. If I expected that, I wouldn't deserve respect.

Zeph is right, this attitude seems to span several generations, unfortunately. Annie

Hold the boat iriscot, I don't think there's a "me" generation, I think there's a "me" side of the political spectrum....But, you're right shame on them.

I can certainly see this disgusting incident being spun to be "all Obama's fault"! Annie

Actually It is the "right thinkers" who see the country as a melting pot of American Culture. It is the "wrong thinkers who see only Males and Females, Rich and Poor, Black and White, Right and Left. And of course everyone who doesn't agree with them is either a bigot or a homophobe.

Thanks for the reminder, debater. I'd forgotten that Bush was a "compassionate conservative" - an oxymoron if ever there were one! Annie

Amen to that one Annie!

Annie, I am sure that the words Bush and moron have been used in a sentence millions of times.

Great response and welcome to myLot, bigjim38! You're so right about the corporate greed. I'd really had high hopes that they wouldn't get away with it again like they had in 1993 but I'm starting to really worry now. Obviously, the ones who make the most noise and get the most people to show up at these town hall meeting, rallies and "tea parties" are those who are against change because those who need health care reform the most are either too sick to make their voices heard or are caring for someone who is sick. Those who have good insurance are living with the delusion that nothing can ever take it away from them but little do they know that they, too, could be one illness or injury away from disaster. I don't think I'd have ever expected the disgraceful behavior we've been seeing at some of these meetings! Is it going to become necessary to fight fire with fire? Annie

All I can say is dittos, dittos, dittos for your whole response! Karma can really be a bytch, can't it? I've seen it in action more than once and I'm pretty sure it will get these jerks. I totally agree, I don't care what party anyone is from, what party the person holding the rally or town hall meeting belongs to or whether the rude a--holes are for or against health care reform, there is NO GOOD REASON for people to be rude and disrespectful of each other. Annie

I know and have known quite a few disabled people and I agree with those who have posted here when they say they don't want to be treated "special". However, it can't be denied that the fact this woman WAS in a wheelchair brought attention to this particular even it wouldn't have otherwise gotten. I think it's important as we attempt to debate an important issue such as health care reform that we get different perspectives. I don't consider it giving this woman or anyone else who happens to be disabled "special treatment" to be a bit more respectful than someone who is maybe jumping around swinging his fists at those who disagree with him. I think EVERYONE should be respectful of EVERYONE ELSE at these meetings but it doesn't look like that's going to happen, does it? Annie

I always find it so interesting when someone from a country that has universal health care posts here and totally contradicts what many Americans are saying about your countries' systems! They apparently know more about your country than you know...lol! Annie

I think this is just another example of how nasty people are these days. I am puzzled about how people who claim to be Christians can be so hostile to other humans. What ever happened to compassion for the welfare of human kind. Instead what you have is a world ruled by greed and selfishness. Living in a country where we have a universal health system I know that it can work. It does need money and the only way that can happen is through Government revenue. We accept that. We pay our taxes and we expect to get value for those taxes. Health is one of these big issues. If you take the other view point and only have health care for those who can pay for it then it means that you do not care if others die just because they cannot pay the exorbitant fees that private systems charge. In our system the fees that doctors charge are set by the government. That does not mean that the doctor cannot charge more, it means that the patient will only be reimbursed for that fee. If the doctor charges more then the patient pays the gap. The doctors regulate themselves so that their fees are reasonable. They know that people will not go to them if they charge too much. I find the fees that your doctors charge incomprehensible. I have heard that some of them are just plain rude to poor people and treat them with contempt. In this country a doctor would be punished for such behaviour. I have never encountered behaviour like this in Australia. Anyway if these people who want a user pays system that only treats the very rich because no one else can afford it are prepared to let those who are ill or wounded die just because they are poor then why are they so opposed to abortion and euthanasia? Perhaps they just like to watch suffering as it makes them feel superior or maybe they are just too selfish to care about anyone but themselves. Rather reminiscent of a young female French aristocrat who complained that there were dirty starving people where she could see them. The people were begging for food as there was a severe food shortage. She did not want to stop them starving she just requested that the soldiers move them to an area where she would not see them. I believe she lost her head to the guillotine during the revolution when the dirty people she did not like, struck back. I find myself believing that unless we change drastically in the next few years we will indeed have the urban warfare between the have and have nots that so many science fiction writers have predicted.

Sharral, well said. The reason many people from countries with universal health care post on these threads is because it is so frustrating to hear people everyday telling outright lies about your country. I am not surprised people oppose the idea, because what is being described to you over here as the way we live under this system is nothing to do with what it is actually. Yes, there are problems with it, and yes, America has to find the right solution for America, which may not be the same. But if I had the choice which system to live under - having experienced it for 5 years now, I believe the system in America is horrific and if that means I'm a socialist (a dirty word here!) then I will happy stand on a rooftop and shout it.

You're so right! There sure are a lot of people showing their ugliness these days! Annie

I agree totally! Some of the most physically beautiful people in the world can be very ugly if they're ugly inside. On the other hand, there are people whose features aren't attractive at all but the goodness of their character makes them absolutely beautiful. Annie

For me my friend. Ugliness is a bad character of the person posses. Even if you are beautiful to see outside but your behavior is not good. I will say that person is ugly. What do you think, my friend. Isn't that physical appearance being the measurement of ugliness? Are you a beautiful person?

I really don't know what the reasons were for her being booed and drowned out, Suspenseful. My speakers don't work either but I saw this on TV and all I could really hear for the most part were the "boos" and jumbled shouting. I also don't know what she thinks of "Obamacare". She wanted some answers to some questions she had is all I know. I don't think it's right to act rudely and disrespectfully to others in a public forum like that no matter how much someone may disagree with them. Annie

She starts getting the boos when she said that she is afraid of not being able to pay her property taxes and losing her home because her medication is $389 every 2 weeks. The reporter said one man was asked by he booed her and he said something that his rights were no less important than some woman in a wheelchair. By the way that isn't exact word for word but pretty close.

we left new york about four years ago because, well, every year, they were pointing to the cost of healthcare as an excuse to raise the property taxes, and whatever else they thought they could get away with. so, there is a relationship there. Especially well, I know of alot of people in ny drawing from medicaid, medicare, that are perfectly able to work! her property taxes are paying for their persciptions! yet, there's no way she can pay for hers. I've been there, you can't imagine how irrating it is to listen to the polywogs gripe about how they need more money from you to pay for all these people who gee, seem to be getting around far better than I was, and then, well, those very same polywogs can't even supply the money to have the roads paved in the morning when you drive 50 miles to that higher paying job you work at because well, you need the higher paying job just to pay their danged taxes and still reek out of living! Heck, alot of times, far too many, my husband had to turn around and head back home, he would run into a six foot wall running across the highway at the county line! there were many other times when he never made it out of the driveway till afternoon waiting for them to pave it....they needed the money for healthcare and well, doing away with overtime for the road crew was one of things they chose to get it!

First of all, Taskr, I said nothing about this being a "crime". I said it's a disgrace, and it is, just as the behavior at these town hall meetings in general have been disgraceful. I really don't care what side of the health care fight (it sure isn't a DEBATE!) anyone is if they can't be respectful of others in attendance. I guess it's just the way I was raised but while everyone deserves equal rights and everyone should be treated with respect there are some people who we should maybe go out of our way for. An elderly person may not have more rights than a young person but shouldn't we be a bit more cautious in a crowd not to knock a little old lady down? I'm not sure why Nancy Pelosi's name comes up so often here because I really haven't seen nor heard much from her lately. I don't recall hearing her or anyone from MSNBC saying anyone wasn't a "real American"! Annie

I don't have a link to the interview I saw her give on TV but I THINK she said this meeting was in her own neighborhood where she knows most of the people and that there were people there she'd never seen. I'm sure she said something about having heard there were some bused in from New York. Annie

Sadly, both sides are bussing in people. It hurts the debate and those who really are there with concerns get pushed to the back.

If we ever met up at one of these events I'd probably have some choice words for you. For now, I'm going to follow my mother's advice of "If you can't say something nice, say nothing at all!" except to say, good luck, karma's a b1tch! Annie

I see. So no one is allowed to have an opinion but you? Here I thought all men were created equal. Perhaps some are more equal than others?

I didn't notice the link until after I posted. Now that I've seen the video, I agree with those who boo'ed her. The fact she worked hard, still does not entitle her to other peoples money.