Charlotte town hall: "I'm afraid my country is gone"

[sabra]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/topstories/story/887169.html

McHenry: 'They're very angry'

Hundreds turn out to express dissatisfaction with Washington at Charlotte-area health care meetings.

On Wednesday evening, as he has in earlier gatherings, U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry began a Lincolnton town hall event with a sound effect – a 1,000-plus-page copy of the House of Representatives' health care bill, which the congressman dropped to the floor.

<snip>

This month, participants in McHenry's town halls have regularly struck a similar note to those once-despondent Democrats, fretting for their country and railing against a president they fear is threatening it. “They are going to give this country away,” said one. “I'm afraid my country is gone,” another said.

McHenry's answer to each was similar. “Part of what's going to change the policy in Washington starts here,” he said Wednesday. “People being engaged.” He asked how many of the audience had never been to a town hall before. Most of the crowd members raised their hands. “New blood,” he said, with a nod. “New enthusiasm.”

One of the raised hands belonged to Davis of Iron Station. “For too long, we were happy,” she said when the town hall was finished. “Everyone had jobs, the economy was good. We voted, but we didn't get involved in politics. But now the economy is bad, we're losing jobs, then this. It has woken a giant, and we're mad.”

:crazy:

[NashVegas]

1. Great, You Fucker. Now You Know How We Felt 2/15/2003

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15,_2003_anti-war_protest

[Xipe Totec]

2. When everyone had jobs, the economy was good, they were angry about the Clenis

Remember that.

[loyalkydem]

3. Let's see

two wars
deregulation of the banking industury
outing a CIA agent.
Having a court declare you President
Need I go on?

[moggie]

4. I agree that you're mad n/t

[YOY]

5. Not THAT is some selective mother fucking memory.

n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. Works for these morans, I guess. nt

[canadianbeaver]

6. misplaced anger or what?

FUCK BUSH/CHENEY!!

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. "Your country" has been gone since 1865, Freeps

You fucking lost. Isn't 145 years long enough to get over it?

[FiveGoodMen]

11. I think that gets to the heart of it.

[murray hill farm]

9. Those statements are meaningless.

Someone needs to ask one of these jerks just what part of "their" country is being given away or what part of "their" country is gone...or what part of "their" country they want back, etc. They do not know the answer, so they will not give one, but at least we could see that "deer in the headlights" look on their faces...just before they sputter out "commies" or something equally stuppid.

[BlooInBloo]

10. Your President killed the economy. Your President lost the jobs...

Our President is black and is fixing the shit your President broke.

Fuck you.

[Joanne98]

12. And now a black man is President and we can't take it!

[CJCRANE]

13. How quickly they forget it was Bush who broke the economy.

And DUers were "awake" years before it happened.

[BattyDem]

14. "We voted, but we didn't get involved in politics."

So, for eight years, you didn't have a problem while Bush* squandered the surplus, ran up the deficit, caused jobs to be lost, gave away the treasury to corporations and cronies, started an illegal and unnecessary war, and pretty much pissed all over American citizens in general.

But now we have a president who wants to make sure that every American has access to affordable healthcare ... and you're concerned about the country?!? THIS is what made you want to get involved?!?

Unbelievable! :eyes:

On edit: I wish they would stop trying to come up with these stupid excuses and just say what they mean: "He's black and I don't want him running my country."

[StreetKnowledge]

25. And judging by recent healthcare developments.....

.....These assholes are being listened to. :mad: :banghead:

Where did all these racist pieces of shit come from anyways? Is there really this many bigots in America?

[juno jones]

15. Boo Hoo!

Where's this mollusk been for thirty years? Any member of Reagan's midwest diaspora could tell him that good jobs dried up a long time ago and it was blind fossils like himself who smugly ignored the situation who have been profiting off all of us for all that time. I'm so glad he had it so good for thirty years while others have been working three uniquely american jobs and sleeping in tents and cars when they had to to get by.

Let me tell you about lost jobs, bunky.

[asjr]

16. His parents should be flogged for

messing up a true patriot's name. I don't think he is another Patrick Henry.

[Renew Deal]

17. "Then this" means

"a black president!"

[Political Heretic]

18. Don't mock the public.

Note: I write this post after reading responses plus the OP, not just in direct response to the OP itself.

If one side is channeling public anger and discontent and molding it to serve their purposes while the other side - the "liberal" side - is doing nothing but looking down their noses and mocking the "stupid rednecks" or (insert insulting term here) blind, ignorant people then liberals are missing out on an important opportunity.

And what's with this prevailing attitude of "us" vs. people? I'm pretty amazed at the number of DUers who speak of ordinary Americans like they are the enemy, from a position of assumed elevated, superior, "understanding." I.E. elitism.

I don't want to stand with that. I don't want to stand with some tiny self-assumed "elite" who thinks their shit doesn't stink and that the real problem is all the "stupid people" out there.

I stand with the people that such elitists disdain. The people you consider dumb and ignorant, the people that you loathe, make fun of, ridicule and insult on a daily bases - that's who I stand with.

Yes it pains my heart to see my brothers and sisters duped into serving corporate interests and having their anger so misguided. Yes, angry Americans ignorant of the facts hurts my heart and makes me extremely frustrated. And yes, I become very angry at people who act in aggression, or attempt to intimate or threaten others as part of some "debate."

The difference is - I'm fighting the root causes of this confusion. Rather than believing that the problem is that most people are too stupid to fend for themselves, and that things are better with the ignorant masses stay quiet, I instead believe that the problem is the ruling class, the financial elite and the corporate dominance of every facet of our society that blankets the entire nation in a sea of propaganda and lies that only the specially privileged have the resources to easily see through.

My disdain is aimed toward the exploiters, not the exploited. I don't stand apart as an "us" with the people as a "them." The more liberalism takes on this air of superiority and treats the masses as "sheep" to be herded by superior liberal minds, the more disgusted I become.

[Edweird]

26. Here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6305075&mesg_id=6305075

[kitkat65]

19. What they seem to forget is that there WAS an ELECTION!

People voted and Obama won. That's what happens in a democracy.

I keep thing about Jon Stewart and the line "It's supposed to taste like a shit sandwich."

But, yeah, they seem to act like all our problems instantly appeared or started on January 20th, 2009. And as far as "giving the country away" I have to ask who do they think it's being given to and who do they think is in control now?

[JVS]

20. It is gone. Get the fuck out!

[Blue For You]

21. Patrick McHenry humped Mark Foley's leg during

the Foley sex scandal. He was all over TV at the time defending Foley. McHenry was "very angry" at anyone who questioned Foley's honor. Maybe Pat was getting some saucy emails from the Markster.;)

[LeftinOH]

22. To the "I want my country back" crowd:

They are cordially invited to join the historical ranks of these proud, patriotic, flag-waving "Americans" and their way of life- These f*ckers know damn well that their anguish has nothing to do with healthcare..

[kevinbgoode]

23. Yes, honey....your country IS gone. But you didn't wake up

to save it because Faux News didn't tell you. That's what con-artist con-servatives do, hon...just like any other scheme. They don't tell you that you bought a lemon (Bush) until it's all done. So then you wake up and blame the next guy because you can't face how ashamed you are that you gave it all away with the last one.

[KamaAina]

24. What's the latest on the murderous love triangle in Orlando, Patrick?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Doctor_J]

27. Give these people $5000 and a plane ticket to afghanistan

with an application for citizenship there. Good fucking riddance.

[BR_Parkway]

28. "woken a giant" is one of Beck's catchphrases - so we know who this

guy gets his info from

[spanone]

29. your lilly-assed bu$h* loving country is thankfully gone...and good riddance

[Tesha]

30. Your country's gone? We can only hope so, but sadly, I don't think it's true yet. (NT)

[Solly Mack]

31. Some giant. snort

[Doctor_J]

32. THese people hate us viscerally because we want all Americans to have health care

I would dare say a good number of them want us dead for that reason.

Hate radio and conservatism is a cancer on the country, and it is just as lethal