FamilyFoundationBlog.com

Remember when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called attendees who opposed nationalized health care at this summer’s Congressional town hall meetings, ”Nazis”? Ironic, since “Nazi” was a word formed from an acronym that stood for “National Socialist,” but apparently it’s the speaker who’s all in for totalitarianism. Here, she makes it clear that she thinks it’s “fair” for people who don’t get health insurance to go to jail, as is in a provision of the recently passed “Saturday Night House bill.” But that’s only a small part of it. Among many other loss-of-freedom provisions, the bill includes fines as well as forcing self-employed people out of the insurance they purchase, like it or not, into the government-run plan. Freedom in Amerika be damned.

Government knows best, don’t ya know? Speaker Pelosi: No freedom for you. If you don’t like it, go directly to jail and stay there until you change your mind!

Tony Perkins and company at the Family Research Council have an ingenious idea. If your U.S. representative nor either of the commonwealth’s U.S. senators have a town hall meeting, host one yourself! FRC has everything you need via the links below. This ties in perfectly with the previous post on our Winning Matters campaign. Please forward this link to interested people. Read on: 

Download a Townhall Kit today and help host a Townhall Meeting on Health Care in your church or community

Help Organize a Health Care Townhall with Included Kit

August 25, 2009 | Share with Friends

In 1787, when the Constitutional Convention decided not to reform the weak Articles of Confederation but rather assemble a new constitution, they faced a tremendous challenge in gaining the support of the citizens of this young nation. The process lasted for months and included numerous public “townhall” type meetings. Many of these meetings were held in churches, moderated by prominent pastors.

Nearly two and a quarter centuries later, such involvement by churches is more urgent than perhaps ever before. Under the proposed health insurance scheme being advanced by President Obama and his allies in Congress, Americans would be compelled to:

• Pay for abortion on demand by financing insurance companies that pay for abortion services.

• Fund the leading provider of abortion in the nation, Planned Parenthood.

• Foot the bill for government panels that would foster the notion that self-termination (i.e., suicide) is a sound moral and financial option for the elderly.

• Pay for abortifacient contraceptives.

Additionally, the Obama proposal fails to protect vital conscience rights for health care providers, thereby exposing them to the threat of being required to perform abortion-related services.

We are calling on pastors and Christian leaders nationwide to hold forums in your churches where these matters can be discussed and exposed. And it’s to that end that we are offering for download FRC Action’s Townhall Kit — so that you can create your own townhall meeting, just as churches did more than two centuries ago, to inform and activate the people in your pews and communities.

Take a few moments to download and review the Townhall Kit. We are providing you with all the material you will need to conduct a powerful, respectful and informative event.

The Founders understood that without the churches of America, the new nation could never have been formed. Without the churches today, I would argue it cannot be sustained. Your role in this effort is critical, and thank you for all you are doing for our country and its future.

Download a Townhall Kit Today! [PDF]

Sincerely,

Tony Perkins

President

P.S. Please forward this email to at least one friend.

There are probably thousands of remarkable videos on YouTube and elsewhere from town hall meetings around the country with Americans of all types standing up for the founding principles of this country, or at least for some practical commonsense. We can’t keep up.

However, when we become aware of a particularly noteworthy video, we like to share it. Likewise, because the socialized medicine debate is moving at a speed unlike anything in this country’s history, it is almost impossible to keep up with all the moronic quotes on video and in print, such as the accusations from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other hyper liberals that the everyday Americans attending the town hall meetings are “Nazis,” “mobsters” and the like, especially when it’s there union allies and others who are causing physical violence. 

That’s what makes this particular gentleman, David Hedrick, particularly special and eloquent. His two minute comment to Representative Brian Baird (D-Washington) refutes so much of the demgoguery from the left, exposes them for who they are, eloquently states the truth and gives voice to millions of Americans. This video speaks for itself.

You want real “Truth to Power”? Retired Marine David Hedrick has it for you. 

While The Family Foundation focuses primarily on the General Assembly and local issues, the “health care reform” debate and the proposals at its center are of seminal importance in our country’s history:

Do we go down the road of the failed European socialist model of static economies and statism or sustain what remains of the free-market system that has served this country for more than 225 years and created the most prosperous society ever known to man?

Do we put the brakes on this leftward move and truly begin to reform health care, one without coerced taxpayer funding for abortion, coerced insurance coverage of abortion and the coercion of medical professionals to perform procedures against their consciences (from the side that believes in “choice”)?

Do we begin to unshackle aspects of our economy that have been taken over and severely regulated by government and restore the free-market roots that created unprecedented economic freedom, upward mobility and prosperity?

With so many important issues at stake which can fundamentallychange forever our values, heritage, culture, and the inheritance from our Founders and succeeding generations of patriots, making your voice heard is more crucial than ever. Accordingly, we encourage you to attend the summer town hall meetings your U.S. Representative and Virginia’s U.S. Senators have or will schedule. Stay informed, ask them questions and get their answers to your concerns on these critical issues.

Here are a list of thetown hall meetings made public at this point, but these schedules are fluid. Check with your Congressman’s office (click here for House member and here for senator) to confirm times and locations of any public meeting.

Thanks to our friends at Americans For Prosperity and Tertium Quids for supplying much of the following information:

Senator Jim Webb
No meetings scheduled at this time. Senator Webb left Sunday on a two-week, five-nation tour of Asia to “explore opportunities to advance U.S. interests in Burma and the region.”

Senator Mark Warner
He is still scheduling his meetings and will be post them on his Web site (here).

5th District Rep. Tom Perriello
Congressman Perriello scheduled 21 public events called, “Tom In Your Town.” The ones that remain are:

Charlottesville
August 11, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Charlottesville High-MLK Performing Arts Center, 1400 Melbourne Road.

Fluvanna County
August 17, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Fluvanna County School Board Office, 14455 James Madison Highway.

Charlotte County
August 18, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., 250 LeGrande Avenue, Charlotte Court House.

Lunenburg County
August 19, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Kenbridge Community Center Auditorium,
511 E. 5th Avenue.

Nelson County
August 20, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., The Nelson Center, 8445 Thomas Nelson Highway, Lovingston.

Mecklenburg County
August 21, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Mecklenburg County School Board Office, 175 Mayfield Drive, Boydton.

Brunswick County
August 22, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Tiger Express, 137 West Hicks Street, Lawrenceville.

Buckingham County
August 24, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Buckingham Middle School (auditorium), 1184 High School Road.

Prince Edward County
August 25, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Prince Edward Middle School (cafeteria), 35 Eagle Drive, Farmville.

Cumberland County
August 26, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Cumberland Restaurant, 1465 Anderson Highway.

Albemarle County
August 27, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Victory Hall, 401 Valley Street, Scottsville.

Campbell County
August 28, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Campbell County Technical Center, 194 Dennis Riddle Drive, Rustburg.

Franklin County
August 29, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., The Franklin Center for Advanced Learning, 50 Claiborne Avenue, Rocky Mount.

Appomattox County
August 31, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Appomattox Community Center, 220 Community Lane.

“Tom in Your Town” works like this: Come by anytime during the time period and sign in. Meetings are on a first-come, first-served basis. After the constituent meets with the congressman, one of the staff members will be there to follow up with any concerns. All are welcome.

9th District Rep. Rick Boucher
Dublin  Tuesday, August 18, 9:00 a.m., Edwards Hall, New River Valley Community College.

Abingdon Thursday, August 20, 9:00 a.m., Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.

2nd District Rep. Glenn Nye
Rep. Nye’s office told Americans For Prosperity that he “won’t be available next week, but there should be some planned in the future.” Once scheduled, they should be available on the Events Page of his Web site (here):

1st District Rep. Rob Whitman
No public meetings are scheduled at this time, but one is planned for Fredericksburg and one for Newport News.

8th District Rep. Jim Moran
Reston Tuesday, August 25, with former Democrat National Committee Chairman and presidential candidate Howard Dean, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., at South Lakes High School (auditorium), 11400 South Lakes Drive. Doors open at 6:00.

11th District Rep. Gerry Connolly
No meetings are scheduled at this time but, according to his staff, a meeting may be held in late August or early September.

10th District Rep. Frank Wolf
A meeting is planned for early September, but no details are yet available.