photos by Brandon Ivey
DENTON, TX -- On August 8th, the day after my birthday, my wife and I went to the Denton, TX health care rally sponsored by Republican Rep Michael Burgess. We found out through MoveOn.org. We got up there as soon as we could and soon realized that this was not a health care town hall meeting, but a Republican pep rally.
There were a few people there in support of the current, or any health care reform, and some student socialists, but the vast majority was just there to cause a scene and give Rep Burgess a cookie for doing such a "great job." It was relatively calm, but that is to be expected when half the crowd can 't hear the one or two people for reform in the crowd. Most people that went up to the mic to "ask" a question were repeating talking points the Congressman or Fox News had already said. The two people who were for reform who did speak were boo'ed off the platform and ignored by Rep. Burgess.
There were several people there specifically to yell and scream nonsense into the mic to make sure the sheeple were ready to put up a fight. One such woman stayed behind the platform to harass people who would disagree or actually speak out against the congressman. I could tell the health reform supporters by the ones who walked away crying or shaking their heads. My wife started crying because of how foolish these people were being, but we stayed.
I also noticed how some of these "astroturfers" make their numbers seem so large. We had a chance to speak with a few people afterwards who were standing up for health care reform. They sported the astroturf pins given out earlier. They told me some loud people were giving them out and were told that if they wanted to be on the right side, to wear them.
It seems most people are confused and angry because they do not have the patience to read the bill themselves . They trust the corporate media and their conservative representatives who stand before them and lie about the what is going on in Washington.
Keep us conservative states in your thoughts and prayers, we need them.
