Letter to the Editor re: Town Hall Meeting in Casselton, ND - Fargo Forum
I went to this town hall meeting and was the first to speak to Sen. Dorgan on the issue of healthcare reform. Even though Sen. Dorgan began by marveling at how North Dakotan’s town hall meetings are not like those being sensationalized in the media; the meeting itself took a negative turn. The people who show up at these meetings - - whether organized paid dissenters or not - - are disrupting the democratic process. Those who calmly raised and waited their turn to speak, raised their hands and didn’t scream, boo, and act like an uncivilized mob went mostly unheard. Those who waived papers, threw them on the floor, shouted out comments/questions and acted rudely were allowed to speak ahead of those who waited and behaved. Where is the justice in that? I personally recognized many of the people at this town hall meeting who were there to share their concerns and questions with the Senator — people on both sides of this issue. Yet, their voices were drowned out by those of the unruly. And the news reports that evening both on TV and in print did not accurately represent the tenor of the meetings. There were just as many, if not more, people at the town hall meeting in favor of healthcare reform and access to affordable healthcare for all. However, I did not see that angle of the story represented in the news. T
If the Senators and Representative for North Dakota allow themselves to be intimidated by such tactics, they will be making a grave mistake. Those of us who are going to these town hall meetings and behaving civilly and with respect are not silent or powerless. We are just not rude. And we WILL be expecting our representatives to do right by everyone in North Dakota, not just those who shout the loudest expletives.
Sincerely,
Cindy A. Shawcross.
