MoveOn Counter Tea Party Protest in Seattle

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Run time: 05:39 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KJuCMGAAyo   Posted on YouTube: February 17, 2010 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 18, 2010 By DU Member: Amerigo Vespucci Views on DU: 1060

 

From KOMO News (http://www.komonews.com/news/local/8424 7422.html) --- SEATTLE -- Hundreds of protesters crowded Downtown Seattle sidewalks Friday morning as Vice President Joe Biden paid a quick visit to the Northwest.

Biden was in town to attend a fundraiser breakfast at the Westin Hotel for Sen. Patty Murray. About 1,200 attended and it raised around $500,000.

But outside, tea-party protesters, and counter-protesters from MoveOn.org stood shoulder to shoulder waiting for a chance to have their voices heard.

"Health care reform is what we wanted and civil liberties is what we want, so we're just here to support the agenda," said Michelle Hebner.

But Wendy Birnbaum had a differing opinion:

"We have too much government," she said. "We have so much government we can't be responsible for ourselves."

There was heated debate, but everything stayed peaceful. In the meantime, Biden and his wife left to attend the start of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

After the breakfast, Sen. Murray spoke briefly to the media saying that she acknowledges there will be difficulties in running for reelection amid an anti-incumbent mood but she is confident she will win. She also spoke about the need for both sides to come together and work on health reform.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

1. I don't know if fighting them is the way to go, we need to just talk to them. Sure some are ...

unreachable but it's wiser they get at least another side to the story than more entrenched in their position.

[20score]

2. Love to see people taking action.

[rasputin1952]

3. Teabaggers are absolutely insane...

they complain about "Big Government", yet demand that said government expand their power by denying others their inherent Rights and Privileges, even their own. They would sacrifice their Liberty, to ensure that the government they claim to despise clamps down even harder on Civil Liberties. The classic situation of demanding of the power in place become even more powerful under some abstract notion that "freedom" will result is literally insane.

We see the same thing with any kind of zealot fundamentalist, and the only thing that can change the groupthink, is the realization of the fact that they will inevitably lose, (on a personal level), if their demands are met. "No government health care!", should be met by a rational argument that Medicare will be cut. "No socialism in MY backyard!", should be met by the argument that states, "you will no longer receive your SS benefit. Everything you put into it, will just vanish, starting today". When people realize that actions they demand will impact them directly, they suddenly lose interest.

The vast majority of people who attend these "rallies", are either on, or very close to, the basic benefits of SS and Medicare. Tell them the facts, they will lose what they have, immediately, if they actually get what they demand. I did mention this to a guy in a store recently, while waiting in the checkout line. He was in his 70s, and had collected benefits for quite some time. I just told him, that if he got what he was demanding, there would be no deposit into his account next month, he would have to pay for his care out of his own pocket...and then he could reach that plateau of "responsibility" he demanded of everyone but himself. I had never seen that shade of gray before that crossed his face...and a couple of people in line actually nodded and 2 clapped.

Just let them know, they will lose, dramatically, if they get what they want. No more travel to "rallies", (they would not be able to afford it); no more healthcare; no more subsidies of any kind...(watch prices skyrocket, as everything is subsidized by government to some degree).

Want to see teabaggers go home...just tell them the truth...;)