tea party!

Last weekend, hours before the final vote for the new Health Care came in, protestors were reported, saying the protestors were saying racist slurs, homophobic terms, and even spitting- all towards Democratic lawmakers.  However, some of the protestors are complaining about the media, saying they exaggerated it.  This article points out what happened and what claimed to have happened.  Apparently, there are at least three claims of negative behavior.  An example of this behavior that the article points out is claiming that the group began chanting the N-word.  Two of the lawmakers walking by are African American.  Another claim is someone calling a lawmaker "faggot" and then everyone bursting into laughter.  The worse claim, however, is a lawmaker being spit upon.  Though police had someone in custody for this disgusting act, the man decided not to press charges.  The other side of the argmument is that the crowd was chanting "Kill the Bill" not the racist slur.  Whether they are simply to do "damage control" or not, it's unclear.  There are many other links connecting to interesting related articles, bringing up questions such as if the lawmakers were simply playing "the race card."  However, there is also the exact opposite view that the lawmakers "brushed it off" and are handling it seriously.

This effects us as a society in so many ways.  First of all, how is degrading any race or sexual preference related to the new Health Care system?  The protestors were simply taking out their anger and frustration on the innocence of the lawmaker's race.  On top of that, if the lawmakers are simply brushing this occasion off and not handling it properly, isn't that telling the protestors what they are doing and saying is okay? This is evidence of racisms and discrimination still existing in our world today.  The protestors were not seeing the world simply trying to make a better health care system- in their eyes, people of a lower race or sexual preference are making laws they won't follow.  This could cause so much trouble and disruption if they continue thinking this way. 



Audra


check it out- http://theweek.com/article/index/201108/Tea_Party_racism_Truth_or_fiction