What's with all the older people disrupting the town halls?

[Wetzelbill]

Every time I see one of the disruptions there seems to be quite a few older people involved. Probably Medicare age too. That just makes me sick. How could somebody get government health care, but be so fervently against it that they allow a corporate funded group to bus them from place to place so they can disrupt town halls and decry....government health care?

That is effed up on so many levels I don't even know where to start.

[Wapsie B]

1. It's supplemental income for one thing.

They've got the time to do it, and by using seniors you create this mental image of grandma and grandpa being harassed by the mean old government.

[patrice]

2. No one else is offering to bus them from place to place to disrupt for the PO or SP.

So they're out there telling us that they are "the Great Generation" and we must be like them and none of these money-changers-in-the-temple ever discuss the meaning of the First Commandment with them for fear of losing donations, to wit: "I am the Lord they God; thou shalt not have strange gods before me" and that includes YOURSELF and your own mind.

I know many of "the Great Generation" up close and personal, GOOD people, but God help us, NOT thinkers.

[Doremus]

23. The greatest generation CREATED American socialized medicine, aka Medicare.

Did they forget?

[avaistheone1]

63. I agree there are too many of that generation who are NOT thinkers.

They did not feel it was their role to think deeply. They felt it was their role to simply have faith that things would work out.

[Crazy Dave]

3. My mom says she loves me but...

she and others like her would gladly and immediately throw her children under the bus if it meant any cut-backs to her medicare or social security benefits even if it meant better benefits for all now.

[raccoon]

8. Well fucking said. Lots of people like that. nt

[anneboleyn]

50. does anyone else wonder (besides me) if these "concerned old folks" are in fact plants and are not

real citizens of that particular district? There is something that seems just oh so perfectly timed and staged about the whole thing, with the "loud angry old people" positioned just right in front of the cameras, waiving their canes and medicare plans and so on. It just seems so *forced* that I wonder if any of it is true at all. People coming into town hall meetings should definitely have to show some form of I.D. to prove that one lives in a given district.

[T Wolf]

4. They are lured onto the buses, thinking they are going to a casino. When they arrive at a Town Hall

they are pissed.

So, they disrupt the meeting.

[Champion Jack]

6. LOL!

[Wetzelbill]

11. lol

[dorkulon]

19. It's the new version of timeshare pitching. nt

[CreekDog]

30. I thought they were mad about not getting a bingo card

:rant:

[Politicalboi]

36. LOL!

A sea of blue hairs in the bus pissed because they are not at a casino.

[jberryhill]

58. "Where's The Buffet!"

I wondered what they were chanting.

[AngryAmish]

5. Remember when the old people attacked Rosty's car?

Old folks can be nuts.

[liberal N proud]

7. They watch FAUX news and believe the bull shit

The talking head told them that Obama was going euthanize them.

Gullible!

[ellenfl]

9. their medicare status should be brought up immediately at

these town hall meetings. the dem congress critter holding the meeting needs to ask them if they get medicare and are they going to give it up. that should shut up most of them.

ellen fl

[Cha]

26. Another good idea..

There's lots of logic to have at hand because those people are being fueled by deadly lies.

[Brother Buzz]

28. SoCalDem's suggestion on how a smart Representative would handle it:

Immediately after being introduced, he/she would say:

"Everyone who is on medicare, please stand up". Now sit down. Everyone who is too young to be on medicare, please stand up. Now sit down.

Why did I ask you to do that?

The first group of people who stood up paid into medicare since 1965 (maybe not the correct year) and their payments went to pay for health-care for their parents & grandparents. the second group of people who stood are NOW paying out of their paychecks for the first group's medicare..

Is that socialism? or is it just a generational promise of good citizenship and fair-play?

Let me ask these questions to the 2nd group. Should deductions from your pay stop, so that health-care benefits for the first group could be terminated? Of course that means that YOU would get nothing in the way of health-care when YOU turn 65 either. How many have a million dollars saved up for health care in their old age?"

"NOW.. for the people who have received the RNC memo, and who are here to disrupt, please step up to the stage.. all together now.. You have 15 minutes to recite your prepared talking points, and then we'll proceed with the town hall meeting."

(assuming that no one steps forward)

Since no one here admits to receiving the disruption orders, or perhaps they were texting or twittering just now, anyone who stands up and shouts anything , will be removed."


then they should start the meeting.

[CreekDog]

31. That's terrific

Why can't our legislators who have paid staff think of this? :wtf:

[elehhhhna]

48. "Everyone who already has single-payer gov't-run HC, please raise your hands. And STFU."

Thank you.

[laugle]

51. Your lack of

respect for older folks is very offensive. Is your mother an older folk? You too will be old one day, best to observe the 'Golden Rule,' and treat others the way you want to be treated.

Just because they are older, doesn't mean they are stupid and don't have very valid concerns, that should be addressed.

And don't forget; older folks vote!!

[Franzia]

53. Sadly, a lot of older folks ARE stupid.

And brainwashed, and gullible, and stubborn, and willfully ignorant.

I refuse to respect older folks who are recipients of Medicare and Social Security yet still complain about the evils of socialism.

[laugle]

54. Shouldn't you be

in school or something. You are not only insulting and rude, you are ignorant too.

Have a nice life with that attitude see how far it gets you............

Save your snark--ignore

[Franzia]

55. Ooh, did I piss off an old folker?

No, I'm NOT 'saving the snark', because I know of what I speak. I know a 96 year old man who is the most stubborn, hardheaded, racist person I have ever met, and many of his compatriots at the assisted-living center, while admittedly younger, are no better.

You are welcome to fuck off with your ignorant ASSumptions.

[laugle]

56. You won't

last long here. Read the rules---Alert!

[DrDan]

10. they are being fed the lie that "end of life" counselors are in their near future

They are being led, by the GOP, that they are expendable, and that $$$$$ will not be spent on their lives.

No surprise that they are becoming vocal. They have listened and believed the GOP for so long, why would they be lied to now.

[democrat_patriot]

12. If I were running the town hall: I would make them

sign a form rescinding there government run health care. And tell them they owe the government for all of their care and prescriptions that the other taxpayers in the room paid for.

"Put your money where your mouth is".

Or invite them on stage and ask them to explain why they can have government run health care, but others in the audience cannot.

[area51]

29. Make them "... sign a form rescinding their government run health care"

Good idea, how true. It's amazing how many don't know that the money they paid into SS and medicare is gone, and the currently working are subsidizing their single-payer healthcare and SS.

[backscatter712]

13. "KEEP THE GUVMIT OUT OF MY MEDICARE!"

I also wonder if these people are looking for work, and chose this job over that of Walmart greeter - after all, these are paid astroturfers.

[dorkulon]

18. That was really a supreme moment in stupid.

Talk about a facepalm moment.

[dave29]

14. more likely to be hostile to Obama

1) More likely to be racist
2) More likely to be scared by propaganda
3) More likely to have time on their hands
4) Less likely to be like my grandmother who is a southerner who voted for Obama when all of her friends thought he was a threat to their well-being.

[NYC_SKP]

15. Sadly, they're more gullible, more racists among them, Fox News, AOL users, free time.

I could go on.

"More gullible" is not meant to be a slam against all elderly, but since they are less likely to be critical of what they read and see, and less skilled at finding ways to debunk material using the Internet, they are great targets for misinformation.

And yes, it is very sad and fucked up.

:patriot:

[Mariana]

34. Maybe the reason that many of them are more gullible

is that they spent most of their lives hearing something resembling TRUTH when they listened to the radio or watched the TV news. The possibility that they may be hearing outright lies just doesn't even occur to them.

[NYC_SKP]

49. Yes, no doubt. There once was only three news networks, and more honest than today.

All cable is provocative and uses a certain degree of propaganda, but Fox news is over the top.

Modern news is nothing like the old days of NBC, CBS, and ABC nightly news.

And before that, only radio and newspapers.

:patriot:

[patrice]

61. good point.

[dorkulon]

16. Don't worry comrade; they will soon be euthanized by Supreme Leader Obama's healthcare plan.

:patriot: HAHAHAHA!!!11!

[BlueGirlRedState]

17. A very good question

I don't know the answer, but I've seen this played out with my own father, who is 80. When he was younger, he was a mail carrier, in the postal union, listened to Paul Harvey every day as he worked.

Now that he's retired, his views have gotten more and more radical. He watches Fox, thinks O'Reilly is right on everything.

It started with Clinton. He hated Clinton. I don't know if it's a generational thing. His mother was always afraid of the "coloreds" and the "Jews" were going to hurt her in some way. My dad is not that bad, but it's the liberals and the "freeloaders" who are going to hurt him.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. You want an honest answer?

First, like any group, the elderly come in all flavors. Some of them are right wing nuts. As are some of the young, or any other group you can name.
Second, and this is where we could do better, the older people and disabled people I know are all very nervous about the reforms. There is little to no information being communicated to them from our side. I meet people who say "I love Obama, but I am so scared." and that is just not how it should be. Our side should not allow that. The elderly should not need to worry in any way. They need to be informed. The Republicans will happily misinform, with gusto, energy and free stuff to hand out.
It is the job of those with policy to promote to promote that policy. Our side has not been doing a good job of it. Too much guess work.
We could do better. Or we could complain about them. The elderly the Republicans, blame them all. Or we could do better. We could at least try.

[Malikshah]

21. Candid response? First we must jettison the myth that with age comes wisdom

in all cases. In many, it does, but not in all.

Having been in South Florida for a decade, I can attest to this.

I have never met a larger group of ill-informed, selfish, bigoted, racist know nothings in my life, the majority of whom are 70+ in age. I am regularly shocked at what comes out of their mouths. There is no wisdom here. No thoughtfulness. Just hard-headed hatred of things they don't wish to understand.

I am sure they are just simply lovely to be around with their children and grand children, but with others, it is pure hell.

[greymattermom]

22. ask them

to turn in or "burn" their medicare cards. give up government health care now.

[slackmaster]

24. They're all part of a vast conspiracy

:tinfoilhat:

[Better Believe It]

25. They keep hearing about "medicare cuts" by Republicans and Democrats to fund healthcare "reform ....

and believe their benefits may be cut.

That's probably why some are now opposed to the watered down health care insurance proposals in Congress.

[Jennicut]

27. My grandma is great and voted for Obama but her friends are racist and loony.

Its so easy to manipulate older folks.

[xultar]

32. They are the only ones with the time to go around doin that shit.

[JuniperLea]

39. Yep...

The rest of us are working, or working long hours at trying to find jobs.

These old schoolers think they are supporting Goldwater's GOP... they have been duped.

[raccoon]

33. Two more puts this on Greatest! C'mon, yall! nt

[Politicalboi]

35. Because they got theirs

And they're afraid we are going to take it over because we are putting them out to pasture. I would be scared too. :sarcasm:

[SeriousEbony]

37. Where are you seeing these disruptions?

I have been to many a political gathering and have yet to see any chicanery.

[JuniperLea]

38. Video of the "chicanery" is all over the YouTubes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn71-wNccsw

[CaliforniaPeggy]

40. K&R

Time for the Greatest Page!

:yourock:

[K8-EEE]

41. Why doesn't somebody ask them if they want to give up THEIR socialized medicine?

It's nuts....

[FatDave]

42. Because age 65+ is the only demographic where republicans have a majority

And all the other reasons listed too, but that the republican base is advanced in age gives me great hope for the future.

[Drunken Irishman]

43. Old people are weird.

A) Many are still racists. It sucks, but that's not a surprise. Remember, old people were born when America was a mostly racist nation.

B) They're easily fooled. I know this sounds harsh, but when you're older, it's far easier to be played than it is for the younger crowds. This is why scam artists target the elderly. So these old people are fooled into believing what the right-wing tells them.

C) They're retired and can be transported without any issues. They have the time to do it. Especially on a whim.

[Quantess]

52. You have a point

about B, but these older town-hall belligerents aren't that old, from what I have seen. Senior citizens generally keep their mental capacities sharp until it's time for the nursing home.

[patrice]

62. Waay less internet friendly too, so their information sources are limited to TV and church mostly.

[chollybocker]

44. Yelling at meetings has replaced yelling at clouds.

[Beaverhausen]

45. Fox has an older demographic, plus they have more time on their hands

[CakeGrrl]

46. They're being brainwashed by the Republican meme that

Health Care Reform will lead to the deaths of the elderly:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/republicans-lying-to-old_b_247400.html

[jimmybama]

47. Like I said in another post

It's hate radio that has these people stirred up. Notice it's
old white people.

[jberryhill]

57. My Question - Why Is Everyone Dancing Around The Term "Brown Shirt"?

...and I'm not talking about the UPS delivery person.

[Cleita]

59. They are putting something in the Metamucil? n/t

[Malikshah]

60. They Need Old Glory Insurance...against ROBOTS...ROBOTS I TELLS YA!!!!

http://www.robotmarketplace.com/video_oldglory_hi.html