Posts Tagged ‘Social Security’

The following is an eyewitness report written by Marty Heuer and reproduced with his permission…

“I don’t write blogs, and I seldom take the time to write about what is happening today. I’m a historian, among other exciting and fulfilling hobbies; so much of my focus is on the past. History often repeats itself, mainly because very few pay any attention to events of yesteryear, which include abject lessons for all of us. I’m writing about this current event because it’s an experience in the responsibilities of American citizenship I will never forget.

When it was announced — with little advance notice — that U.S. Representative Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, would hold two “listening” sessions this week in the Fox Valley focusing on the health care reform legislation being crafted in Congress, my brother, Ron, and I decided we’d attend the first session starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, August 3rd, at the Brown County Library, 515 Pine St., in Green Bay.

Although lifelong Republicans, neither of us had ever had the desire to attend this kind of political event because they are usually conducted with a member of congress pontificating from a raised platform, regurgitating tiresome Party “talking points,” and is often used as a venue for endless campaigning by the representative. The audience is expected to do the “listening.” In other words, the event is all about the representative and his/her ego and has little to do with input from the people. That’s the way it has always been, so why should this one be any different? But the mood of most of our friends, acquaintances, and the general public told us this might be different. Read the rest of this entry »