Town Hall Disrupters - THESE TACTICS CAN BE COUNTERED Please Forward This Information

How To Stop The Disruption Tactics: This link to a DKos diary describing a successful disarming of the GOP and corporate lobbyist-sponsored teabagger/brither/disrupter stooges, unlike the Pennsylvania and Green Bay meetings, has been posted by DUer Joanne98. If you are an organiazer or know contact information for guest speakers and town hall organizers, PLEASE forward this diary to people who can make use of the information:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6215857

These tactics can be ameliorated and these persons can be controlled and called out, so that true democracy, not hooliganism, can take place with regards to fixing the mess that is health care in the U.S., and without behavior on our part that the media can misrepresent. We can take the high road.

Here is a samplings of the description of the meeting from the diary:


In addition, those with sympathetic media contacts, such as The Rachel Maddow Show, please forward the diary (or Joanne98's link or this thread) to them, as well. No matter your particular views on the state of health care reform, there is no other recourse but to counter the fear tactics and lies that are being used against an open, learned and fair discussion of possible health care reform, and it is an ongoing effort to deal with them. In part, these tactics are intended to promote the false idea that the majority of Americans do not want health care reform.

Also, please post any additional information here that you think helpful. On a related note, information to counter Health Care Reform lies is here (euthanasia hysteria) and here (talking points on House bill) and here (legislation guide).

I'm sure most of you have seen the thugs at these town hall meetings, purposed not to inform, but to disrupt the meetings. Email campaigns by Dick Army's corporate organized effort, Freedom Works, have bussed people all over the nation, targeting 30 states, to disrupt meetings.

Inflate the numbers, spread out in the hall, jump up at the beginning and disrupt the meeting, early, and often. Try to rattle the speakers, get them off the prepared script. It's all in the emails, promoting the astro-turf (fake grass roots ) campaign.


I think one of the solutions is this--you get these people who have been harassed on the tube. And they should say "I was on the fence, but after seeing this display of thuggery at my meetings, and knowing it was organized by corporate powers, I am fully supporting all health care measures.


There would be nothing that would stop these few thugs who are disrupting sincere efforts to inform our public, more than seeing that it isn't working, and that instead, it is driving the harrassed and harrangued congressmen and women into voting FOR the bill.


One other thing--If they have any prepared results, get a good, loud sound system, and record the speech beforehand. Try to make the speech, and once you are disrupted, just turn on the recorded speech to play until the end. Then take some questions. If they continue to disrupt, end the session with "I had hoped to have an intelligent and informed meeting." "But I see the childish actions of a few thugs have kept us from doing so." "I hope you see what degree corporations will do to keep Americans from having health care."

People go to those meetings to ask questions, and have them answered, and then evaluate the answers. They don't go to hear a bunch of screaming thugs, disrupt the meeting.


It is just an indication of how desperate these corporations are, to prevent health care from passing.


They might have a few cops come in, and haul the people who are shouting out. Make it clear that people will be removed who are acting disorderly. And remember, that means shouting, as that was all Gates was guilty of.

Defiantly cross post into other DU forums and other sites, as well as email it out where it will do some good. LTTE along this line would be good too.

why should non constituents be allowed in to disrupt?

Seriously, though, producing some sort of ID to get in should probably be SOP these days. It's unfortuate that it's descended to that level, but we're not dealing with honorable people anymore.

It would be kindof funny to ask everyone to sign a loyalty oath and to agree to only speak when they have the microphone.

I had forgotten all about those, and how they were used to cull out Non-Bushies from nearly all political Rally's Bush was speaking at.

I seems like centuries ago that we werre subjected to Bush, but these Republican thugs like like to keep the wound raw and painful with all of their shenanigans.

It's apparent that they don't know the value of laying low for a few months in order to gather some cover.

Can't see this here too many times.

K&R

But, you know. :)

Thanks for the thread, Hissyspit.:thumbsup:

I really like the opening remarks.

to show they live in the district? Say that in order to get "priority seating" you need to show this, and then start seating only those who live in the district, until say 5 or 10 minutes prior to the event. Sure, it won't keep out your home-grown nuts, but it might keep out the "undocumented" ones. ;)

dg

As much as I am skeptical about "carding" people at town-hall events, at least this would ensure that those who actually live in the district in question will get a better chance to see and address their Congresscritter.

You don't live in my district, so sorry, buh-bye!

These places have limited seating & I don't think it's beyond the pale for a Congresscritter to say he/she wants to make sure that his/her constituents get dibbies on the seats.

dg

From the source:

the sitting in the front is not necessarily the most important action. And the getting their early seems like common sense.

I felt the most important point was this shaming lesson in Greek tradition of democratic meetings of citizens and this:

They were advised to get up front as much as possible. Faulty memory on my part.

:thumbsup:

Some can't register to vote because they are convicted felons or for whatever reasons. Should these people not have access to their congressman?

If you have ID & can prove you live in the district, you would get in first. If you don't have ID, then you would have to wait. Sorry, but the line has to be drawn somewhere & I'm tired of having to come up with exceptions & excuses for people who have neither ID or voter registration cards. You should have at least one of them.

dg

Which basically disenfranchises many elderly people.

I suggested requiring EITHER a voter registration card OR a photo ID. Last time I checked, voter registration cards were FREE.

:eyes:

dg

And some people lose their registration cards.

There's been a thread already about how these people have been successfully dealt with. You call them out at the beginning of the meeting and tell the audience precisely what they've been instructed to do. Embarrassment goes a long way toward making people shut up.

first you were whining about poor seniors who couldn't afford photo ids, so I pointed out the alternate option. NOW you're whining about convicted felons who can't get voter registration cards. I'm sure they have to have a photo ID though. The number of people in a given district who have neither is so miniscule as to make your nit-picking ridiculous. Anyone out there who doesn't have either one isn't very likely to show up.

Damn I hate this shit. You come up with ways to include the maximum number of people possible, and someone STILL whines like a crybaby that you're a Republican because of a minute number of people who have neither photo ID or a voter registration card. :eyes:

The point of requiring either one is to keep the out-of-town disruptors OUT so that those who actually live in the district have a better chance to get IN.

dg

If I were a Congresscritter I would run my town-hall one way. If you were one you would hold yours another way. Our current ones can choose to hold them however they want.

I thought it was a gold mine and have been "spamming" it on every thread that speaks of Town Hall Meetings and "what to do?".

Thanks, Hissy, for getting this all together in one concise thread!

I hope the White House has heard of this successful Town Hall Meeting on Health Care Reform.. http://whitehouse.gov

Good points all around. If they are over shadowed by a better movement we can shut them down. ( :: )Send a Band-Aid Support Health Care reform!

Contact their sponsors and hit them in their pocket book.

I've been writing letters to sponsors/businesses that advertise on any news media that even slightly legitimizes these extreme groups along with various news medias themselves. Big thanks to several DU'ers who have been posting advertiser links that make it so easy.

News media do not want to lose viewers or readers, nor do they want to lose sponsors and advertisers. I think there is real hope for change if enough of us do this. I'm sick of it myself.

(added) Try to be polite, but firm. We want our letters to be heard.

police presence. don't leave it up to the library, or the meeting hall to request this--it might not get done. get the cops there--inside and out--and haul out these fucking disruptors!

k&r!

It's their representative.

I see nothing wrong in limiting the meeting to constituents.

easy and cheap to do.

This is an example of exactly what people need: concrete, practical instructions on plans to deal with the anti-democratic forces, wherever they be and however they manifest.

As people are realizing there's some very useful info in this thread!

Challenge their stand of "no" and their anti-reform and support for the insurance industry.

Let's make the news.

but why wouldn't the pigs just profile and taze people like they always do?

If they are allowed to get away with this action, it will make the official look weak and unable to maintain order. This will make Democrats appear unable to govern.

Just as a teacher who cannot maintain classroom discipline is going to have problems, a Congress person who lets troublemakers get away with this type of activity is going to have trouble getting reelected.

The police should be present and should eject any unruly person. A few citations for disorderly conduct would be beneficial to curb future disruptive activity. At any rate, such disruption must be dealt with and NOT allowed to continue.

whos to say what is disrupting, i always thought the code pinkers were disrupters, but im sure lots of DU'ers would disagree, so do we set a political litmus test on what a disruptor is and who the hell sets the test. I am sure our politicians would be more than happy to never have to face any dissenters and only have agreeing audiences but im not sure democracy would be happy.

It is entirely within the purview of our Constitution to set some rules of discourse. There are "time, place and manner" rules regarding free speech. You aren't shutting people up; you are merely requiring them NOT to disrupt others right to a free exchange of views.

If they don't like it, let 'em take it up with their local chapter of the ACLU...

Those disrupters helped get us eight years of Bush/Cheney and brought us to this dire situation that the country is in today.

This is an orchestrated attack on America and cannot be allowed to continue.

We would not be throwing out someone we disagreed with. We would be defending our country from a group of paid troublemakers who are NOT letting OUR side of the issue from being heard.

Get some women (attractive and young and willing to take a hit helps or old and grandmotherly) surround them and start to whisper to them such things as, "why is your penis so short?" and "have you ever satisfied a woman?" etc.

Most teabaggers (who believe they are alpha males but are not) will fall for this and engage the women back. And if they can get on of the guys to swing on them or push them, they can take a fall like a boxer in a fixed fight. End of story.

Thank you

What does Doctor Oily Taint really want?

democracy?

It shouldn't be too hard to involve the local PD's if a Congresscritter is involved. Nobody in law enforcement wants to be seen as being behind the curve in a situation like this.

As a guy whose dad was busted on a picket line during a strike by neighbors in blue uniforms I relish seeing them do the same thing to FOXoids.

over the recess break. I wondered why would they all be leaving with all the health care meetings going on across the country. Now I know why. They knew all these "protests" were coming since most of the protesters are political operatives. They knew they could leave and still be covered on the home front.......slimey bastards

To the greatest page with this one!

great ideas- very happy to k&r

:hi:

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:shrug:

Thanks... I want to give these to a librarian who is getting questions.

http://www.slate.com/id/2220222

:thumbsup:

:kick:

:)