Town Hall Protestors Are Patriotic Americans

Dear Mark: Your conservative brethren and insurance buddies are disrupting congressional town hall meetings across the country. The attendees are just a bunch of idiots who are mad at President Obama and can't stand the fact that they lost in November. We need health care reform, and these folks are gumming up the works. What the heck do they hope to accomplish by rudely yelling at politicians? — Minding My Manners in Maryland

Dear Manners: Are you talking about my fellow "mobsters," "coalition of cranks," "political terrorists," "un-Americans" and "racists," who are expressing their constitutionally protected free speech at these town hall meetings? Personally, I would take it one step further and throw pies at the elected characters. What they hope to accomplish is to finally get the attention of the lawmakers in Washington whose arrogance and isolation from the rest of the country has left them tone deaf to the issues facing the real Americans living outside of the Beltway.

These are not just a few "wackos" trying to shout down opposing viewpoints. These are your fellow Americans who have genuine concerns about the national debt and the government takeover of health care. They are frustrated with politicians who don't read expensive legislation before cramming it down their throats. They are angry at President Obama who promised more transparency in government as well as more efficiency and has delivered neither. On top of that, Democrat leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer are dismissing and demonizing average citizens who simply hold opposing viewpoints — that is truly "un-American."

The media and numerous pundits, through sound bites and edited clips, have misrepresented what is actually happening at these meetings.

There has been plenty of civilized dialogue, but when the politicians give an answer that is perceived as bologna, typical or scripted, the booing, cat-calling and heckling deservedly ensues. I find it inspiring to watch politicians knocked back on their heels by ordinary yet passionate citizens who seem to have a better grasp of reality than the leaders themselves. These town hall meetings make for the best television around — pass the popcorn, please.

Dear Mark: No joke here, but did you happen to see the AP story about the 500-pound Texas inmate who was charged with hiding a pistol in his rolls of fat? This seems wrong on so many levels. — Biscuits and Gravy in Grand Prairie

Dear Biscuits: I did see the story and had to laugh just a little. The 500-pound inmate is the perfect metaphor for the proposed healthcare bill, the stimulus package and the annual federal budget. All are loaded with fat, and there is something dangerous hidden within that they don't want us to discover.

Dear Mark: I can't believe the way Secretary of State Hillary Clinton snapped at that Congolese student in Africa when, through a translator, she mistakenly asked what her husband Bill Clinton thought of a Chinese trade deal with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hillary inexcusably bit the young student's head off, and the entire incident was unbecoming for a woman of the secretary's stature. — Embarrassed for Hillary in Houma

Dear Embarrassed: I can't believe you're surprised. The former first lady either needs to switch to decaf or make sure she reads the entire article when she sees a headline like this: Former President Bill Clinton Flies to North Korea, Meets with Kim and Picks Up Two Beautiful Young Women. On second thought, considering the former president's history, I guess Hillary has a right to be on edge.

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