Aggressive Progressive

USAction Blog

http://www.truemajority.org/aggressiveprogressive/?p=310

Last week, USAction sent me back to Upstate NY, my stomping grounds of 18 years, to help our New York affiliate, Citizen Action of New York (CANY).  The area is currently buzzing with political activity, especially around moderate Congressmen Michael Arcuri and Eric Massa, both Blue Dog Democrats.

The night I flew back into town, fellow activists and I went to a town hall meeting for Representative Arcuri.    Although we got there at the starting time, the room was already full, and along with about a hundred other people, we were sequestered to the lobby of an academic building at Utica College, where we were told that folks would be let in when others came out.

We took the opportunity to “work the room” by recruiting volunteers and talking to undecides.   Our quest, however, was not without obstacles.  While about half of the attendees were on our side and wanted to get involved, I was amazed at how many people were incredible vitriolic and had bought into the health care reform myths.  The most common myths I heard were:

• The bill has death panels
• The bill will force us to have abortions
• There are really only 4-5 million people uninsured
• Health care reform will lead us down a path towards socialism.

For a split second, I had wondered where these people could have possibly gotten such false notions.  Then when some protesters started chanting “God Bless Fox News,” I got my answer.   I’m not going to spend time rebuffing these falsehoods, but Media Matters produced a great piece on clearing up these myths.  Be sure to check it out here.

While I and other pro-reform activists were advocating for a public health insurance option, focusing on the facts and recruiting volunteers, the opposition resorted to intimidation and insults.  In the course of a few minutes I was told to “stop listening to my college professors” and “go back to my Communist country and listen to Rachel Maddow.”  Little did he know, The Rachel Maddow Show wasn’t on for another three and a half hours.

Anyway, during and after the event, we ended up passing out a lot of flyers for the upcoming teach-in and signing-up over 80 people for various activities, including contacting the Congressman and participating in events.  It was really rewarding to see people’s favorable reactions to us and willingness to volunteer for upcoming activities.  In addition, after the meeting was finished, some of the people we had talked to helped us hold up signs and provide more visibility.

Seeing the energy from activists on both sides gave me a much-needed energy boost to get back to work.  It was refreshing to spend some time outside of the Beltway bubble and in the field where the rubber meets the road.  Amid the angry protesters, it was amazing to be around such positive energy and activists dedicated to a cause that may be the biggest political fight of our lifetimes.  The work that CANY and other activists have been doing around health care for the past year and a half is truly remarkable.  While it is unfortunate that that some angry residents of Utica, NY acted like childish bullies, this is one of the most important votes that Congressman Arcuri and others will take, and I, along with the majority of America, hope that he will vote in favor of quality, affordable health care with a public health insurance option.