It's been almost embarrassing to witness some of the town hall meetings concerning the healthcare reform issue. Now, granted, the government's dissemination of information and the behavior of some elected officials has been less than stellar, and the growing list of fiction in the media and on the Internet about the whole affair has been mind-boggling, but I'm stunned more by how rude a growing number of citizens are becoming.
There have been troubling instances of audience members shouting down, booing or interrupting someone trying to speak. The most horrendous I watched was a woman in a wheelchair who had been called upon to speak but could barely be heard after a while as protesters did their best to drown her out. She spoke of her concerns about being able to afford medicine and even keep her home. She kept speaking and clutching the hand of someone beside her.
One of the most annoying protesters was asked later why he kept interrupting her, and he asked if a woman in a wheelchair has more rights than he does.
What an arrogant jerk. Wait until you're in that wheelchair, buddy. Maybe we'll have removed some of those handicapped parking spots and any other "perks."
If we don't temper our protests with compassion, we will continue this dangerous slide into a nation of chaos, a society of forgetfulness, not forgiveness.
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