Small Town News

Dont miss the town hall meeting Sept. 3

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Lassen County citizens and voters will finally get their chance to let their voices be heard on the healthcare reform package getting ready to go to the U.S. Congress and the Senate now that the August legislative recess is winding up.

U.S. Congressman Tom McClintock will host a Town Hall meeting at 5 p.m. at Jensen Hall located at the Lassen County Fairgrounds.

Everyone is encouraged to attend the meeting and let our congressman know their opinion on important decisions facing all Americans.

Recently, the national media has criticized those attending the meetings as "angry mob," "Nazi," "paid rabble rousers," "brown shirts," "racists" and worse.

The Lassen County Times believes the people at these meetings are people who are expressing their Constitutional right to be heard by the men and women who have been elected to represent them in the halls of Congress.

It is not a time to label a person as a Democrat, Republican, liberal or conservative, but it is a time to listen to each other's ideas and learn something. Not only are the words being spoken important, but so is the person's inflection and body language.

At many Town Hall meetings the discourse is about health care reform and what the legislature plans to do with people's health care insurance and a person's right to proper treatment when they are in need of a physician's or hospital's care.

Decisions about a person's health, until recently, have always been a private matter between the patient and his or her doctor. It has never been something the government had a role in. This is what worries most people on both sides of the aisle. How much intervention are you willing to let elected leaders have? Some say they can trust the government with their health, others say they can't. When it is said and done many believe the old adage "at least I have my health."

No matter how anyone stands on the issue, Americans need to reach out a helping hand and treat each other with civility and brotherly love. The question has never been not offering hope but how hope should be offered.

Lassen County overwhelming votes for Republican leaders, but just because McClintock is Republican is not an excuse to stay home and bury our heads in the sand. It is the right time to go out and ask questions, demand answers and challenge our congressman whether we agree with him or not. This meeting on Sept. 3 is not a campaign stop but an opportunity to put our representative on the proverbial hot seat.

Go to the Town Hall meeting and let Congressman McClintock know how you want him to vote on taking care of your health and other issues that concern you.



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© 2009 Westwood PinePress Westwood, California. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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