More protest heath care reform at Tea Party
Traci White
A protestor who refused to be identified holds a hand drawn sign from the Fourth of July Tax Day Tea Party and stands with others on the sidewalk across the street from the offices of Rep. Tom Perriello and Sen. Jim Webb during a protest on Craghead Street against the proposed health care changes by President Barack Obama and the majority Democrat Senate.
A white poster board dangled from Tony Guill’s hands as he stood in front of Rep. Tom Perriello’s and Sen. Jim Webb’s offices on Craghead Street in Danville.
“The national debt called … it’s running out of zeros!” it read in black ink.
Guill, 65, was one of about 150 protesters that attended Friday’s Health Care Freedom Tea Party that lasted from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“Perriello is more fearful of the Democratic leadership than he is of the people of the 5th District,” Guill said. “The question is why shouldn’t everybody be out here.”
He said Congress is spending the next generation’s money and that politicians aren’t seeing how their decisions impact the country.
Guill also attended the July 4 Tea Party in Ballou Park.
The group started on the sidewalk in front of the politicians’ offices but moved across the street after a Perriello staff member asked them to move. The staff member said the police did not want protesters blocking the entrances to nearby businesses.
“We’re all about free enterprise and the free market,” said Nigel Coleman, the chairman of the Danville Tea Party Commission and one of the organizers of Friday’s protest.
All but one of the protesters crossed the street. The blue-jeaned, khaki-shirted man who stayed held his white poster as he paced back and forth in front of the offices’ entrance.
The rest of the supporters lined up with their backs to the weathered red bricks of the Davis Storage and Warehouse. They held up their posters as cars drove by. Some drivers honked, others shouted “Obama.”
Coleman said the group is protesting socialized medicine. A doctor’s visit would be like a trip to the De-partment of Motor Vehicles if the government took over health care, he said.
“Nothing should be like the DMV,” Coleman said. “I hope hell is not like the DMV.”
Health care wasn’t the only thing that brought protesters to Craghead Street on Friday morning. Some talked about deficit spending, the introduction of government czars and cap-and-trade legislation.
Carlene Bailey, 52, said she voted for President Barack Obama but now is concerned with the country’s direction.
“I did feel like we need a change,” she said. “I’m just concerned about government intrusion in our lives. I’m worried about my children; they’re going to end up paying.”
The demonstration drew one counter-protester, who arrived as everyone left.
Tyrone Grove, of Danville, said he heard about the Tea Party and wanted to show that not everyone in the community agrees with the Danville Tea Party Commission.
He owns two Danville businesses, Alpha Omega Construction Company and Caring For U Therapy Services. Grove said he and his family went without health insurance for four months because it was too expensive. Now, even with insurance, Grove said he still can’t afford some of his prescription medication.
He said the president is promoting a cheaper and more affordable option for all families.
Coleman said they started planning Friday’s protest July 7 after the big turnout of the Independence Day Tea Party, which drew about 400 people. Bobbie Conner, the vice chairman of the commission, also helped plan.
“We decided we had to do something fast,” Coleman said.
He also said the commission’s numbers have grown since July 4, and its goal of creating more activists has worked. Obama has people so angry that they “come running” to support the local Tea Party Commission, Coleman said.
“I really have to write Obama a thank-you note,” he said.
The protestors stuck to the sidewalk even as a cooler breeze slowly picked up and dark storm clouds drifted over them.
“OK God, cooperate with us,” one man shouted to the clouds.
Eventually, rain fell. And as it turned from a drizzle to a shower, Coleman made an announcement.
“We’re going to let you go,” he shouted to the crowd. “I don’t want anyone to melt. I heard some people calling you witches.”
The crowd thanked Coleman, applauded him and went their separate ways.
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Reader Reactions
Rockit I don’t think anything about people not getting back to a comment. I know that folks have lives. As for the PA, I still don’t think that it was necessary. I personally am more afraid of our local thugs than I am of a foreign attack. More Americans are harmed and killed everyday by other Americans. Just because I disagree with the PA doesn’t make me any less American.
“Penalties For Noncompliance
Failure to file a suspicious activity report may lead to civil and criminal penalties. A civil penalty may apply for each willful violation of the reporting requirements. The amount of the penalty is not to exceed the greater of the amount involved in the transaction (not to exceed $100,000), or $25,000. Any person who willfully violates the reporting requirements may be subject to criminal penalties, including a fine as great as $250,000 or five years imprisonment.
MSBs and their employees are prohibited from disclosing to a person involved in the transaction that a suspicious activity report has been filed. Further, each MSB or MSB employee is protected from civil liability for any SAR that they filed.“
Well News maybe you haven’t been asked. Our bank does do it to cover their butts. At least that is what they told us. I got this statement from the IRS site.
Rockit, hate to disagree with an earlier point you made, but from what I’ve read, Obama’s US citizenship is still in question. Call me a “far right crazie” if you like, but the only “proof” that has been put out there by the Obama fan club is his “certificate of live birth “which is a document that summarizes what is on his missing birth certificate. It doesn’t show the place of birth or the name of the doctor that performed the birth procedure. If Obama would just release his birth certificate we could all put this matter to rest, but he has apparently spent hundreds of thousands of $$ to not disclose the document. With all of the legal proceedings going on, you would think that producing the birth certificate would be a no-brainer. Kind of opens the door on his muslim faith as well. I would have never believed that the US would turn its back on Israel, our one true ally in the Middle East, over the Palestinian terrorists. However, that is exactly what is going on now. Obama is trying to strong arm the Israeli government into turning over the city of Jerusalem to the PLO. Giving land for peace has not worked in the past when dealing with those terrorists, and it won’t work now. Look at what happened when the Israelis gave the Gaza strip back to Hamas. They were thanked with hundreds (maybe thousands by now) of rockets fired from the newly acquired land. Until I can see the proof of Obama’s citizenship, I will continue to question where he is getting some of his idiotic policies from, because he is weakening the US more and more with each day he is in office.
Meee42 - with respect to your post @ 1:05 pm today (sorry I couldn’t get back sooner).
It has nothing to do with YOU. It’s good that you’ve lived in this country for so long and never broken the law. Great. You have in your company the overwhelming majority of American citizens. The Patriot Act is not intended for YOU. As I said earlier, YOU have nothing to worry about.
All YOU have to do is use just a splash of common sense. There are evil people out there in the world that want to kill Americans for the simple fact that they are Americans. They proved that on 9/11. Did you notice that? Where have you been for the last 8 years?
Those people who want to do us harm will use our own freedoms against us. For example, the freedom to be secure in our homes and in our business dealings and on our personal computers. The problem is this, the people who are against us will disguise themselves as one of us to support their cause. That’s why in about 2003 or 2004, that storefront shop in Houston TX was taken down for laundering millions of dollars to terrorist groups in the mid-east. That store looked like any other ladies clothing store yet that was a disguise to their real intent.
Meee42, do YOU get offended when you have to go through security checks to get on an airplane? I mean, if that offends you, and we no longer have security checks, how long do you think it’ll take some terrorist to figure out he can easily smuggle a bomb or gun on board a civilian airliner.
YOU are falling into the trap set by ultra left wing liberals who (like the ACLU) believe that any encroachment upon individual liberties is an unacceptable price to pay for being safe and secure. Nobody wants to give up their freedoms. Did you notice when you reviewed the Patriot Act how many times in there it said specifically that the government could not obtain search warrants if the only information it received was due to people exercising their first amendment privileges? In other words, you get on a street corner and hold a sign up criticizing our government’s war on terror, that’s fine. That’s your right. Nobody, NOBODY is preventing you from doing that.
But, let’s be fair. I don’t know YOU from Adam. If you are moving around large amounts of money between different accounts under different names, what assurances do I have that you are not funnelling money to a terrorist group? I’m sorry, say what? I have your word on it? Wait a minute, I don’t know you from Adam. Why should I take your word on it? THAT IS WHY these systems are necessary. The enemy will not come dressed like an Arab shiek. He will come dressed like your next door neighbor. And, if you don’t know your neighbor from Adam (like many of us don’t), then you have to be careful of everyone. IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU!
I’m glad you’re putting up a fight over your guns. If the protections of the Patriot Act are repealed, believe me, you’re gonna need them!
(meee42)........I have personally done 3 deals this year of the kind you described, and I have not been asked or required anything. They were not CASH transactions, so I was able to make these transactions without any problems. Just so you know, they were at three different businesses, you cannot say somebody is not following the law. If you have been asked to execute such do9cuments, it is due to the fact the people you are doing business don’t know the law, or you are doing things to make them suspicious of your motives and they are just trying to cover their you-know-what.
Jimmy are you sure that was Obama’s baby..I thought that all of that was done before him. But I wouldn’t call it the USSR. They don’t even have pharmacies do they? LOL..
Oh yeayah and Rockit…I read where lots of liberals want to take my guns , you know because someone might steal them and use them on another American. I’m puttin’ up a fight…LOL..
Well Meee42 thanks to Obama and his IRS pharmacies must all fill out paperwork to get on a list so that we can use our pre-tax cards that contains my money for medical expences and medicines. I have been denied twice because of this CONTROL of MY money so welcome to the USSA. I have no idea when my Pharmacy will get on the little Commy list.
Rockit, just how is keeping a check on ME keeping YOU safe? I have lived in this country for a Looooong time and NEVER broken the law. Well except for an occasional speeding ticket.It is none of their business what I do with my own hard earned money that I have already paid my taxes on. And if the PA were as innocent as you say, then why are you asking me such questions as this? Am I laundering money, because i move my OWN Money around? That was my point in the first place. I don’t like being treated like a criminal when I have done nothing whatsoever to even raise an eyebrow. I would like for you to read your last comment again and realize just how you sound.
Meee42 - It is absolutely the government’s business where and when you move your money around. Are you evading income taxes? Are you laundering drug money? Are you financing terrorists operations? With large sums of money, any of these are always a possibility. If you’re not doing any of this, you have nothing to worry about. It may be momentarily inconvenient; but, what’s a little inconvenience if it helps keep us safe?
It was my understanding that some of those people in Gitmo Were picked up in this country. And who in the world would think that BP belonged to Bush? Everybody know they are British Petroleum. And as for those so called combatants. As I said before, IF they were trying to kill our soldiers, they should have been shot were they stood, not brought home to house and feed so that they can try to kill Americans another day. The PA does give too much unchecked power to the government. They are already scary enough. They have always done what they pleased. Had they not ever abused their powers to begin with those laws would not have had to be put in place. And you are correct, we do have to wade through a lot of silliness. BUT our politicians know how the people are so they put out this type of crap to keep people at odds with one another. Still it will be tough to prove anything about the PA, because it has so many loop holes that actually protect them from anyone telling anything. And so far most of the people that they prolly have illegally snooped on were breaking the law, so what would they say? BUT it won’t be long until they get bored with those types and start in on citizens in order ways. I really don’t feel my claim is so far out there. I feel that no law in this land would have said a word as long as they could prove that the people they had were terrorists. So why did they need to change the laws? So that they wouldn’t have to prove anything? Something just doesn’t feel right about that to me.As you said, they are OUR Laws that protect Americans.
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