It’s apparent to me that my coverage of the Kratovil protest (and the health care debate in general) on Monday struck a raw nerve with a lot of people as I continue to moderate comments about it a day and a half later.
Those who already have their axe to grind with thinking Americans like me who posit the government need not expand their sphere of influence any farther into the realm of health care – or as I believe should ratchet it down several notches – look askance at the gentleman who’s holding up the effigy of Congressman Kratovil on a noose and lump him in with everyone else who shares a similar pro-liberty viewpoint.
And then I had people on my side write and text to me that I shouldn’t have included the pictures with the man in question because it demeans the argument the protestors (who they agree with as a group) are trying to make – nooses aren’t politically correct you know.
This post is intended to clear the air with both sides.
I stated early on in yesterday’s post “(l)et me say straight away that I wouldn’t have recommended the noose and effigy of Frank Kratovil. The ‘no Kratovil in 2010’ (sign)would have been effective enough.” I thought a noose as a means of expression tacky and over the top, but sometimes the First Amendment protects things I don’t agree with. I also guarantee that had the local TV channels or the Daily Times bothered to cover the protest the noose would have been the lead story. Lord knows that a number of things are written and placed on video about conservatives that hopefully those who are thoughtful cringe at too.
Having seen government intrusion break the healthcare marketplace I join millions of others who are dubious at best about what Obamacare will do. We don’t think it will make going to the doctor any more affordable but in contrast will limit our choices in the matter and eventually lead to rationed care.
Moreover, projections on entitlement spending by Fedzilla have been historically extremely low as the trend is to broaden the coverage base and expand items covered. For example, originally Medicare was only for the elderly but as time went on the disabled were added to the client base and prescription drug coverage was eventually included as part of Medicare decades after its first adoption.
Our complaint with Congressman Kratovil was based on his voting for the stimulus package after voting against it and, more recently, voting for cap-and-trade once provisions were placed in there to “protect Maryland farmers” (read: he wasn’t against it on principle but wanted some federal goodies he could brag about before his vote was sold. The price simply increased from thirty pieces of silver to a billion dollars.) I feel based on his campaign statements he’s even less likely to be a “no” vote on Obamacare despite his membership in the so-called “Blue Dog Democrat” coalition.
We have our chance to end Kratovil’s Congressional career next year, although I will once again state, just for the record, that I told you just how he would be!
As for my other point: it’s not something I had classical training in, but over the years I have done my site I consider myself (when the opportunity presents itself) to be a journalist. Certainly I agreed with the cause of the protestors and I knew that showing the Kratovil effigy and noose would pretty much garner the reaction it has, one that is arguably detrimental to my side.
But above all I strive to be an accurate depictor of events. It’s why I was feverishly scribbling down some of what I heard Kevin Lawlor and the various protestors say because my idea of event coverage is to give the reader the best chance possible through the limited means I have to know what really happened. The man with the effigy led the parade so he was pretty much unavoidable in order to give a real portrait of the protest.
To me, coverage needs to be complete and a picture atop a hastily written paragraph or two wasn’t my idea of coverage based on the importance of this event. I wouldn’t feel like I did justice to this for my readers if I tried to sugarcoat things because life in general isn’t all sweetness and light. Granted, I do take some editorial license with what I choose to report because I oftentimes have more notes than I need and I’m not shy about adding my opinion either but you know this up front.
The proof of just how effective the protests will be is in the pudding, and we’ll find out once Frank Kratovil casts that fateful vote on H.R. 3200. My bet is that he’ll go along with it but here’s to hoping I’ll be pleasantly surprised and the Obamacare initiative becomes another crashing failure – right next to the smoking wreckage of our present economy that liberal big-government policies have created.
This episode would have gone unnoticed but for you and Joe blogging it to death.
Thanks for helping to get Kratovil reelected.