Saturday, February 11, 2017

During town hall Tennessee teacher uses her Christian faith to explain why she opposes the repeal of Obamacare.

Courtesy of Slate:

“As a Christian, my whole philosophy in life is to pull up the unfortunate. So the individual mandate, that’s what it does. The healthy people pull up the sick,” Bohon said at the event at Middle Tennessee State University. Her concern? If Republicans repeal the ACA and offer coverage to people with chronic illnesses and pre-existing conditions coverage via so-called high-risk pools—as several GOP proposals would do—they’ll have less coverage. “We are effectively punishing our sickest people,” Bohon said, adding that Medicaid should be expanded so we can “make everybody have insurance.” These comments inspired much of the room to all but explode with applause. 

Black initially answered Bohon by arguing there are millions of people who still chose to not buy health insurance even as others were able to obtain coverage thanks to the ACA. “You don’t want to hurt one group of people to help another,” the Congresswoman said.

This didn’t come close to the heart and meaning of Bohon’s question, and the teacher spoke up again. “How many of those people were in states where they played a political game with people’s lives?” she asked, seemingly referring to the places, including Tennessee, that declined the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion. Black refused to answer, saying she would “pass.”

THAT is exactly what we need to see more of at these town halls. 

We don't need to scare them with threats of violence, we need to confront them with facts in a public arena where they cannot hide or deflect with double speak.

I love the fact that this educated woman was able to use their own religious talking points to shame them.

That was highly effective and I would like to see more Christians doing the same.

34 comments:

  1. A. J. Billings11:51 AM

    IMHO, it's a fantasy to think many Christians are going to stand up to the "party line " being spewed from nearly every pulpit and altar in the land.

    The pastors and priests leading the evangelicals, Catholics, Mormons, and many other sects and cults are by and large in the tank for the idiot in the White House.

    Many are one issue voters who only care that DrumpF paid lip service and pandered to the far right, so they voted for him in spite of his horrifically immoral life.

    This woman is certainly brave to stand up in Tenessee, but I'm afraid she's a very rare animal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:54 PM

      Don’t forget Orthodox Jewish Rabbis, many vote republican because of the abortion issue.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:05 PM

      You couldn't be more wrong A.J. especially when it comes to Catholics. Dorothy Day and Pope Francis are heroes to all but a few Opus Dei nutjobs.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous9:05 PM

      Christians stand up for the poor in great numbers. Soup kitchens, homeless shelters, free clinics. They don't get tons of publicity because they're humble and unassuming. Trying to imitate Jesus. Gryphen sees this. And yeah I think Catholics lead the pack. The figures are out there.

      Delete
    4. I'm sure all of the Xian sects are split on Trump.

      Some love him for his anti-abortion promises.

      Some are against him because of his anti-immigration, bigotry and misogyny.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous4:21 AM

      I thought this woman's statement was so appropriate and I agree that it was brave of her to stand up and read it. Whether she goes to church or not, she seems to be a genuinely concerned American. And that's what really counts. No one should assume that all people who practice a religion are inferior or ignorant or led by the nose. There are enough people on the other end of the spectrum who do that. There can be generosity of spirit both ways.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
  2. Anonymous12:15 PM

    Matthew 5, republican assholes.

    Like Sarah, never advanced beyond the Old Testament in the God and Christ they claim to serve.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12:50 PM

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-pocahontas-elizabeth-warren_us_589e8d0ae4b094a129eb6400?ekc69ubk2k6l59udi&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

    " ‘Pocahontas’ Dig Against Elizabeth Warren"
    "“Pocahontas is now the face of your party,”

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous1:48 PM

    At least they are finally calling the liars out for what they are:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/florida-town-hall-death-panels_us_589f7d10e4b03df370d6d2be?xsbvoscm5d1iz4cxr&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He asked for it for calling them children and to settle down.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous1:52 PM

    Thanks for this Gryph. Loved her comments!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous2:00 PM

    I may not be religious but I can recognize a WWJD when I see one. If we have to use someone's religion against them (cough cough muslim ban), how about we use the religion of the faux xtians against them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:20 PM

      Faux christians hell, lets just use it against ALL religions because really, those folks are brainwashed and broken in the brains and if we can help them with some sort of "religious rehab" they'll be able to live normal lives.

      I feel so fucking sorry for all of them; it's basically OCD mixed with fairy tales and a lot of them never had a chance to live normally.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous2:46 PM

    Only in America could two people make it to the White House based on skin color alone because everyone's afraid of being called racist then go on to grift off public appearances. And have literally no professional achievement to date.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:07 PM

      Wtf are you SMS nng your keyboard about 2:46?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:18 AM

      The only person who's made it to the White House fraudulently, in my lifetime, is Donald Trump. And his current wife's greatest achievement to date has been a lot of plastic surgery.

      President Obama was one of the best presidents we've ever had and Michelle Obama was the quintessential first lady. She spent much of her time with her two daughters and also served this country with dignity and poise, addressing issues that affected young people and military families. She was an activist first lady - all for good causes - and now we have a retired soft porn model in that role who is costing the country millions per week because she won't move to the White House.

      When you, Anon at 2:46 pm, have any "professional achievements to date" to report, be sure to come and tell us. Until then, just go away.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
    3. Anonymous9:25 AM

      2:46 are you referring to Donald and his First Lady Ivanka? Or did you mean mean Melania who does not want to go to the White House? Melania's lawsuit griping that her multi million grift may have been thwarted? Donald whining because not many people want Ivanka's rip off designs? You can say their names.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous2:46 PM

    I want someone to say to their congress-critter ...

    You are voting to repeal Obamacare ... your vote will cause 18 million people will lose their health insurance. This will lead to at least 20,000 preventable deaths.

    Vote to end Obamacare and you are a MURDERER.

    Audience then chants REDRUM, REDRUM, REDRUM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:30 PM

      yes! yes! yes!

      Delete
    2. More like if you vote to revoke the ACA this is your last term.

      Then you better be prepared to make it happen.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous2:47 PM

    If Michelle Obama were white people would've made more of all of the comments that she's the laziest employee on the planet. Her and her husband in name only have zero accomplishment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:48 PM

      Go back to school. Your grammar is atrocious and you make no sense at all. Are you going to blame the brilliant president and his brilliant wife forever, both lawyers that graduated from ivy league schools, for doing so much for this country? They did more in one day than Trump could do in a million years to help a single soul, except for his billionaire buddies. Looks like you never even managed to graduate from junior high. By the way, you are also an idiotic racist. Make sure you get your hood on straight next time you burn a cross in someone's yard.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:22 PM

      No, you have that wrong, Sarah Palin is the laziest employee on the planet.

      But only until she quits.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous4:23 PM

      Seriously 2:47pm you, as a Trump advocate, are proving all of our points regarding how stupid his supporters are, not even to mention how stupid he is.

      Please, and I am asking this very seriously, please try harder next time.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous4:24 PM

      Unlike Bristol Palin's we've all seen Michelle Obama's wedding photos.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous4:24 PM

      Your poor little nothing, I bet you consider posting inanities on IM to be your 'accomplishment'.

      Delete
    6. Briskett?

      What's the matter?

      Did Dumbkota fall asleep or is he away for the night?

      Delete
  10. Anonymous4:13 PM

    Won't watch, won't read.

    Once a person puts aside critical thinking skills enough to have "faith" and believe in a "god" they are beyond hope.

    Religious people are sicker than even heroin addicts and you come at me with some bible talk and I'll explain to you just how sick you are, how addicted and how you need help.

    I feel compassion for these people but unless they ask for help they will just keep on living their broken lives and even worse, they brainwash their innocent children, which they seem to have many of, as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:11 PM

      I'm an atheist, but your description of religion isn't the usual believer trajectory. Most are raised in religion from birth. So they don't give up reason so much as they are too afraid to follow reason to its obvious conclusion about their foolish faith. But that faith is the wallpaper of their lives. Pretty meaningless, but stripping it off the wall and painting is a hassle that causes confusion and feelings of displacement

      Delete
    2. 4:13 and 6:11, facts are not on your side.

      First off, the many brilliant people who have religious faith belie the patronizing assumption of atheist superiority. Do your own Google search if you doubt that. The religious physicists and mathematicians alone would probably blow your mind. Save your compassion for people who need it.

      Secondly, the notion that people remain in the faith in which they are raised is spurious, and also patronizing. For starters:
      http://www.pewforum.org/2009/04/27/faith-in-flux/

      Delete
    3. Anonymous1:50 AM

      Jude, you're the expert at patronizing.

      Delete
    4. @Anonymous 1:50 AM,

      I just call 'em like I see 'em. Then I cite my sources. The truth hurts, huh?

      Delete
  11. Anonymous4:27 PM

    Gryphen you won't see a lot of Christians doing the same because only real Christians do such things and most of Tennessee and Alaska and all states in between are dominated by fake Christians like Sarah Palin and her fornicating daughters- who never give a passing thought to other people because it would take their focus off of themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous6:18 PM

    People need to start calling them out for not answering the questions, tell them straight up you didn't answer my question.

    ReplyDelete

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