Lack An Argument ? - Shout Louder

The insurance companies, in conjunction with the right-wing, have a new tactic to defeat any kind of real health care reform -- don't let the other side be heard. It's like a child that knows he's wrong, but to prevent hearing the truth he puts his hands over his ears and loudly yells "la-la-la-la-la-la-la". But refusing to listen to the truth doesn't change it.

Recently, Town Hall meetings are being disrupted by right-wing demonstrators. This has happened in Texas, Florida and other places. One congressman has had his life threatened for trying to tell the truth about health care reform.

These people have no interest in finding out what is being done to reform health care in Washington. If they did, they would listen to their congressmen's explanations and ask questions, and then listen to the answers to the questions. But that's not what they're doing.

Their only intent is to disrupt the meetings by shouting and refusing to let the congressmen talk or the regular audience members to ask questions. They do this because they are afraid that people will hear the truth and respond to it by supporting reform. They don't really have a case to present because even they know that the current health care system is indefensible.

There is nothing new about this tactic. People have been trying to hide their ignorance for years by shouting louder and trying to drown out the people who do have something intelligent to say. To be blunt, the people who shout the loudest have the least to say.

Mark Halperin of Time Magazine says, "Of course we want a full debate. Of course we want people who have dissenting views from the administration and Congress to have a full hearing. But that's not what this is about. That's not the intent of most of these people....If these protesters have ideas, great. Let's hear them. But if they're just stunts to cause a disruption that gets the media tripped in every time, again, I think it's bad for the country whether you want the president's plan or not."

The truth cannot be shouted down. I really think that most decent people do not approve of these kind of tactics, and are turned off by the behavior. If anything, these raucous protesters are probably hurting their point of view more than they're helping it.

If you have a valid point of view, you should be able to calmly discuss it. But disrupting meetings and shouting down others who wish to speak, simply shows you really have nothing to say. We would not allow our children to act this way. Why should we allow it of adults?