Under any other circumstances, the violent assault which occurred in Thousand Oaks on September 3 would have been relegated to a small paragraph in the Police Report section of the Star newspaper. But because the attack occurred during a rally for health-care reform, it was instantly reported on over 458 internet news sources and headlined FOX cable news.
And, another overnight celebrity is born. The latest we’ve heard is that 65-year-old man who lost part of his left pinky, had enough desterity in his right hand to sign a multi-dollar book deal, a made for movie is being scripted, and he was offered his own talk show. Think it won’t happen? Remember “Joe the Plummer?”
In the past, town hall meetings were fairly boring, and most people in attendance listened to, and questioned the speakers, and were either satisfied with the response, or they weren’t. But overnight, theses meetings have turned into confrontational entertainment that rivals the pay-per-vies bouts on the WWE. With all the yelling going on, absolutely nothing is being heard, and nothing is being accomplished. But hey, what else were you going to do on your summer vacation?
With all this anger being broadcast from every pore of the news media, one must ask the ultimate question; Why is health care reform a more heated topic than, say, getting us the hell out of Iraq and Afghanistan? Perhaps the health care debate is simply a way to distract us from the real issue we should be out there protesting.
It just might be that those who participated in anti-Vietnam protest demonstrations, with sometimes violent outcomes, are using the same tactics to voice their frustrations on an issue that has been distorted to the point of absurdity, because they don’t have anything better to do, since there are no organized protests on any other issue, so health care is better than nothing.
And if you want to get those cameras to cover your event, make sure someone in the crowd does something outrageous, like bringing a rifle , or a “Hitler” poster to the event and make sure someone scream the word; Nazi.
Personally, I don’t care about health care reform. No matter what plan Congress enacts, or doesn’t, people will continue to self-inflict unhealthy injuries to their own bodies. They won’t eat healthier, the won’t cut down or quit smoking, they won’t get the exercise they need and some will get sick and eventually, they will die.
But if you want to be an overnight national celebrity, have your friend bite off your pinky at your next organized protest. If you can do this in front of a picture cell phone, so much the better.
Just be sure you’re wearing your “BRING THE TROOPS HOME” T-shirt when you do.
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Christine McKellar
Bob Eckstein
King Kaufman
Kerry Lauerman
Joan Walsh
Salon.com
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