Karen Miracle, from a local democratic club, pushes and slaps Barry Osteen during a heated debate at a town hall meeting in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Last week Obama’s political support group, Organizing for America, (an ironic title considering all the criticism healthcare protesters have drawn for being organized) “asked his [the president's] supporters to attend events to show their support for his health care plans,” reports Fox News. Then on Thursday, August 6, Deputy Chief of Staff for the White House, Jim Messina, told Democratic lawmakers in response to the opposition they were hearing at town hall meetings: “If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard”.  Considering that the same day, Kenneth Gladney, a conservative protester peacefully selling “Don’t Tread On Me” Flags at a St. Louis, Missouri, town hall meeting was beaten by several members from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one wonders exactly what Jim Messina meant.

According to Gladney's attorney David B. Brown, “The SEIU representative demanded to know why a black man was handing out these flags.The SEIU member used a racial slur against Kenneth, then punched him in the face. Kenneth fell to the ground. Another SEIU member yelled racial epithets at Kenneth as he kicked him in the head and back. Kenneth was also brutally attacked by one other male SEIU member and an unidentified woman.”

Gladney was taken to the hospital where he remained for two days; meanwhile six arrests were made including three of the assailants. Americans for Limited Government president Bill Wilson and radio personality Rush Limbaugh, as well as others, have voiced speculation that the White House may have been involved in encouraging the agitators. “The union thugs from the SEIU and the AFL-CIO were called out here to keep the halls only halfway filled with opponents,” fumed Limbaugh. “What's happened is that the president of the United States has marshaled his forces against over half the country!” Referring to a video, Bill Wilson said, “The part where the attackers claimed they were attacked, when Mr. Gladney is clearly on his back, is straight out of the SEIU-ACORN playbook.”

But this was not the only attack. In Tampa Bay, Florida, Barry Osteen was allegedly slapped by Democrat activist Karen Miracle while discussing the healthcare plan with the woman’s husband. The same night in Tampa, Randy Arthur, a conservative protester was slammed against a wall and roughed up by event organizers closing the doors on a full hall to the point that his shirt was torn and scratches were visible on his chest. Another man, Mark Bishop, a freelance videographer, had his glasses scratched and equipment damaged at the Tampa event. His position on the subject was not known (or asked).

Part of the problem lies in the heated atmosphere and shouting that has arisen from the protesters, even before the left arrived. (And another part of the problem lies in what the definition of "violence" is, as the media reports chanting and shouting as acts of violence.) While Americans should be indignant at such assaults on their liberties — as this attempt at government takeover of healthcare is — true violence will accomplish nothing, or worse will hurt the cause and give agitators an excuse to instigate even more.

It does seem, though, that certain legislators have their minds made up, regardless of the wishes of their constituents. Tampa Bay Online reported: “Rep. Kathy Castor, the focus of tumultuous reaction at a town hall meeting Thursday night said in an interview this morning that the event has strengthened her conviction to support health care reform.”

If congressman listened to the e-mails, phone calls, and faxes that are blitzkrieging their offices, and gave opening statements that recognized the different opinions, instead of making bold assumptions and telling half-truths or lies about the bill as has been going on, protesters would be less likely to lose their tempers.

Catherine Mullins is a freelance writer and essayist.

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danwhitehead1 said:

Looks as though - - - - - - the "liberal" left scum is once again showing their true colors. Me? I would have punched that miserable harridan right in the face. This is, after all, the age of equal rights for women and she is obviously no lady and I couldn't care less what anyone thinks of me for saying so. I was raised in a very large family and I firmly believe that if someone puts their hand on you with violent intentions, then there's no such thing as a "dirty" fight, be the agressor male OR female.

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August 13, 2009
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danwhitehead1 said:

	You know what? - - - - - - This is really heating up and getting better all the time. Perhaps I'll have the opportunity to get involved in an honest-to-goodness fight against evil before I die after all. At least I'd go out having done something worth while.
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August 13, 2009
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DrAhha said:

Maestro There is a bigger picture. Demonstration is good. Speaking up for our rights is good. The strategic creation of chaos at the meetings (I mean orchestrated)is a result of the chaos and divisiveness in our own hearts. The travesty is the media stirs the pot and the divisiveness grows, as we have all witnessed. WE need to examine the level of "anger" arising in the whole of our society, mixed in with a huge slice of apathy and complacency. It represents a pot expressly made for boiling. When that happens, Obama wins via diversionary tactics. If we took a 10,000 feet view at our society and recognize what is important to all of us "within humanity" we wouldn't go around "slapping people." Hopefully we would choose to align ourselves with what we DO WANT, express it publicly, and from within, let God know specifically what we choose to see, do, and have in our lives, and let Him deal with the "HOWS." With faith, we back out of hostility, which perpetuates anger and fear, and watch faithfully as we receive that which we have asked for from Creator, God, Infinite Wisdom, Great Spirit. We are 304 million strong who can take control of our destiny in the blink of an eye against 562 enigmatic and corrupt politicians, who perpetuate a "Tyrannical Machine," and who are certainly NOT CONNECTED to Source!! If you are curious about how this approach works, let me know. What we experience in our world is the result of how we see ourselves on the inside. It's about how we THINK...which leads to our present day beliefs and convictions. Einstein said, "We cannot solve our problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Currently, we continue to stir the pot. Let's change the setting of our sails and with ease and grace, we can restore our Republic and the sovereignty of our country. This action is our destiny. It's really easier to be FOR SOMETHING, rather than AGAINST anything. READY?

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August 13, 2009 | url
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Pat Henry said:

about time It seems the "health care" (sic) agenda is being exposed for what it really is - power and control of others, against their will and better judgment. Spiritual battle is called for - including turning the other cheek. Nevertheless, power is only legitimate when exercised from a platform of true authority, and in accordance with Authority (see Romans 13). Francis Schaeffer was prophetic once again when he stated resistance to unrighteous power (standing for true authority of law) would become necessary. Time to break out his book A Christian Manifesto once again!

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August 14, 2009
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danwhitehead1 said:

Heard on TV Sunday Morning August 16 - - - My Mom was watching some tv program this morning. It was apparently a Town Hall meeting somewhere about the health care thing. Obama was participating. Some man made comments about cost and who was going to pay. Obama said: "You're right, I can't cover etc., etc.". "I""????? That single letter word tells me all I need to know about his mindset. "I"? Whose money it it anyway? It certainly does NOT belong to him. You know, the office of the president of these United States had been on a severe downhill slide ever since Ronald Regan. Each one since Reagan has been successively more wretched and more unfit. I thought that filthy pig Clinton was the worst, but now I'm not so sure. Where do these awful creeps come from? Some corner of hell? Is there no end of them? I still think Thomas Jefferson was the last good and truly Constitutional president this nation had.

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August 16, 2009
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