Aggression Outside Wu Town Hall Mirrors National Debate
Opponents of healthcare reform backed by Rep. Wu outnumbered supporters in heated exchanges
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But the clashes in this rural Oregon town between opponents and supporters of measures pushed by Democrats in Congress were extremely heated at times.
{For an audio version of this story that aired on KBOO radio 90.7 FM click here.}
More than 100 people packed the meeting room to pepper Wu with questions, but the action outside – where several hundred gathered – revealed far more about the tenor of civil discourse swirling across the country.
When this reporter first arrived, he found someone red in the face pointing his finger at another man with long gray hair and a beard, who was holding a “Health Care for All” sign.
“I think the Democratic Party needs to be called what it is: the Socialist Party,” said the man doing most of the yelling who declined to give his name.
Several hundred of those shut out of the meeting because of room constraints gathered outside the McMinnville Police Station where the meeting took place.
Opponents outnumbered supporters of Rep. Wu by about three to two. Health Care for America Now organized carpools from Beaverton to counter outreach efforts by Conservative Friends of Yamhill County. Both sides engaged in hand-to-hand verbal combat, mirroring the rancor of the national debate.
Opponents argued that the healthcare plan would cover undocumented immigrants, lead to a government takeover and would increase taxes. Some claimed the plans in Congress would eliminate Medicare or force seniors to accept euthanasia.
Standing amongst this angry crowd, this reporter found Audrey Keeland, a McMinnville grandmother who came to support Rep. Wu.
“Everyone should be entitled to health insurance one way or other,” said Keeland, a Medicare recipient. “I’ll probably keep my plan. He [Obama]said you could keep it if you have a plan you like. My husband was sick for six years, and it cost us $300 above our insurance.”
Debbie Welyczko from Aloha also came to support Rep. Wu even though her husband opposed him in the primary last year. She likes Wu because he supports a public health plan option.
“It’s interesting talking to people out here and finding out what it’s all about for them, at least on the opposition side," Welyczko said. "There’s a lot of abortion issues and hatred toward Obama. I’m finding at least so far, they don’t want to know the truth. That’s how it seems."
Here’s an example of an exchange she had with a protester:
“Did you read page eight where it says it doesn’t matter if someone’s a dope addict? I’m going to go ahead and paraphrase it. Someone who eats like a pig and is a dope addict gets the same amount of healthcare coverage as I do. Why should I supplement some loser?”
“We’re here to show our opposition to Obama’s healthcare proposal,” said Dale Rath. "The spending is going to bankrupt the country.”
Rath believes incorrectly that half of the uninsured voluntarily go without insurance and the other half are undocumented immigrants. “I’m very much opposed to supporting anybody who’s in this country illegally,” he said.
Based on the US Census Bureau, roughly 9.7 million of the uninsured are non-citizens. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, 6.8 million non-citizens don't have insurance, according to the St. Petersburg Times. In Oregon, based on the most recent population survey, roughly 20 percent of the uninsured were deemed able to afford insurance coverage.
At a town hall on Tuesday, Wu repeatedly told one heckler that none of the healthcare bills had any plans to cover undocumented immigrants. There was also no plan to euthenize seniors or elliminate Medicare, he said.
Lyndon LaRouche supporters displayed a poster that portrayed President Obama as Hitler. Dylan Weaver, an 18-year-old from McMinnville took issue with the poster.
“I think it’s utterly sickening and second of all has no basis as well as just being completely inappropriate,” Weaver said. “Some people compared Obama to a socialist. Now we have a Nazi. The things that Hitler has represented in the world were so terrible that we cannot compare anyone almost to Hitler.”
For related stories click here.
For an audio version of this story that aired on KBOO radio 90.7 FM click here.
Take Action
Contact your representive and senator through an online tool by Onward Oregon.
For a continually updated list of upcoming town hall meetings including Sen. Wyden's on Friday in Seaside, click here.
For a good source of non-partisan summaries and explanations of major healthcare reform bills consider the Kaiser Family Foundation.
For another good source to dispel facts from fiction see the Annenberg Pulbic Policy Center's FactCheck.org.
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Re: Healthcare reform
Americans are already significantly engaged in healthcare. Our public health agencies and policies are intimately involved in teaching us how to prevent disease and stay healthy. We fund state and local government policies and practices that reduce or eliminate poisons and harmful microbes. And we subsidize health insurance for the military, Congress and the elderly. But we could improve how we manage healthcare.
We all prefer a disease-free lifestyle. Let's invite business, labor, philanthropists, health professionals and citizens to review and improve the Congressional framework under consideration. And pass it back to Congress with our blessing.
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