There were forty or fifty people milling around when I arrived. They had a certain look I associate with Republicans: the stick-straight posture of certainty, everyone white, with better-looking casual clothes than the casual clothes rural folks wear.
There was talk about the term "tea party"--whether it's alienating too many people, and should be changed. Two people mentioned the John Birch society meeting next week. There must have been refreshments somewhere, because people were carrying plastic cups and styrofoam plates.
I stood in line to talk with Ted Yoho. The people in front of me shook his hand or hugged him, one by one, but there weren't questions about "issues" or pleas for help. There were big smiles all around. Ted is still in celebratory mode, and why shouldn't he be? It was a big win, last year, and he worked hard to earn it. Given how politics works these days, he needs to consider every public form an opportunity to win votes for the next election.
"That guy was out campaigning at 6 AM every day, and he didn't stop until midnight," one person told me. "I couldn't believe how much energy he had."
"It's too bad it takes so much time and money to get votes," I said.
"That's how you get in office."
"Why can't we have a system where a few people are nominated from the crowd, without fanfare, because they seem like the smartest and best?"
"What planet are you from?"
"Then, they could give speeches to outline what they believe and how they'll vote in Congress."
"Are we supposed to believe that?"
"Don't be so cynical," I said.
"Have you followed any elections lately?"
"There are lots of good people who aren't running."
"It's too tough."
"It should be about integrity and issues, not expensive noise. People could vote based on issues they care about, not smiles and celebrity."
"Some people vote on issues," another guy said. "But not many."
"I've been checking into some of Ted's votes," someone chimed in. "And I don't like what I see."
"A lot of people say whatever will get them elected, not what they believe," I said.
"You don't know who to trust."
Then I was in front of Ted.
"Hey! How are you doing?" he boomed, as if he knew me.
"Ted, I'm Ona Colasante. I saw you in Washington a week or two ago."
"Oh, of course!"
"Ted, I need your help."
"What can I do for you?"
"I want you to send a letter to the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, on my behalf."
"I understand."
"Do you remember that my medical clinic was raided, without cause? And that this is happening to lots of businesses?"
"Yes, of course."
"We need to petition Congress for a hearing on this matter."
"I'll help you."
"How can I get in touch with you? Representatives get 60,000 emails a week. I can't send you an email."
"Call my office."
"Can I remind you to write that letter?"
"Talk to Clay Martin. He's around here, somewhere."
I found Clay, his local assistant, and told him about the FBI raid on my clinic nearly two years ago. I told him how the government must have tipped off Medicare, Tricare and Humana to stop paying me, without giving a reason. Eighty percent of my services to those patients went unpaid these past two years. It's wrong for the DOJ to ruin businesses and people like this--thousands of them, across the country.
"Wait two weeks, and call me," Clay said. Then Ted will be back in Washington, and it won't be so hectic." Clay said. "I'll meet with you."
A medical professional intercepted me, on my way to the refreshment table. He asked me how retirement was going.
"Fine, I guess."
"Why don't you run for office?" he asked.
"What office?"
"Congress."
"Where did that come from?"
"You'd be good."
"I'm in Corinne Brown's district. She's been in office for twenty years."
"So?"
"People like her," I said. "I voted for her."
"That's because there hasn't been anyone else."
"Maybe."
"They need someone new," he said. "I'm in that district. I'd vote for you."
"I'm a registered Democrat," I informed him. "And you're a Republican."
"I know."
"You've probably never voted Democrat."
"I might, if you were running," he said.
"Have you forgotten?" I asked. "I'm under investigation by the federal government."
"But you didn't do anything."
"That's true. But I'm still under investigation."
"You should be proud of that!" he said, raising his voice.
"Proud?"
"You should wear it as a badge of honor."
"Why?"
"Because you're standing up to them, that's why. You're doing something about it."
"Get me a name tag," I told him. "I'm going to wear it from now on. It'll say, 'I'm under investigation by the government, and I'm proud of it.'"
"Damn right," he said. "And I mean it."
Here's a multiple choice question: Who should run for public office, or stay in office?
a) Someone who has committed a crime that everyone knows about (e.g., Nixon, or our Gainesville mayor, after this morning's DUI).
b) Someone who has committed a crime, but no one knows about it (let's consider all those Wall Street executives for Congress).
c) Someone who hasn't committed a crime, but everyone knows about it, as though the person had (e.g., all the people who have been falsely arrested, or falsely accused, or people held in jail without a trial--like at Guantanamo--or people who have been raided, without cause, and seem to be accused, like me).
There was talk about the term "tea party"--whether it's alienating too many people, and should be changed. Two people mentioned the John Birch society meeting next week. There must have been refreshments somewhere, because people were carrying plastic cups and styrofoam plates.
I stood in line to talk with Ted Yoho. The people in front of me shook his hand or hugged him, one by one, but there weren't questions about "issues" or pleas for help. There were big smiles all around. Ted is still in celebratory mode, and why shouldn't he be? It was a big win, last year, and he worked hard to earn it. Given how politics works these days, he needs to consider every public form an opportunity to win votes for the next election.
"That guy was out campaigning at 6 AM every day, and he didn't stop until midnight," one person told me. "I couldn't believe how much energy he had."
"It's too bad it takes so much time and money to get votes," I said.
"That's how you get in office."
"Why can't we have a system where a few people are nominated from the crowd, without fanfare, because they seem like the smartest and best?"
"What planet are you from?"
"Then, they could give speeches to outline what they believe and how they'll vote in Congress."
"Are we supposed to believe that?"
"Don't be so cynical," I said.
"Have you followed any elections lately?"
"There are lots of good people who aren't running."
"It's too tough."
"It should be about integrity and issues, not expensive noise. People could vote based on issues they care about, not smiles and celebrity."
"Some people vote on issues," another guy said. "But not many."
"I've been checking into some of Ted's votes," someone chimed in. "And I don't like what I see."
"A lot of people say whatever will get them elected, not what they believe," I said.
"You don't know who to trust."
Then I was in front of Ted.
"Hey! How are you doing?" he boomed, as if he knew me.
"Ted, I'm Ona Colasante. I saw you in Washington a week or two ago."
"Oh, of course!"
"Ted, I need your help."
"What can I do for you?"
"I want you to send a letter to the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, on my behalf."
"I understand."
"Do you remember that my medical clinic was raided, without cause? And that this is happening to lots of businesses?"
"Yes, of course."
"We need to petition Congress for a hearing on this matter."
"I'll help you."
"How can I get in touch with you? Representatives get 60,000 emails a week. I can't send you an email."
"Call my office."
"Can I remind you to write that letter?"
"Talk to Clay Martin. He's around here, somewhere."
I found Clay, his local assistant, and told him about the FBI raid on my clinic nearly two years ago. I told him how the government must have tipped off Medicare, Tricare and Humana to stop paying me, without giving a reason. Eighty percent of my services to those patients went unpaid these past two years. It's wrong for the DOJ to ruin businesses and people like this--thousands of them, across the country.
"Wait two weeks, and call me," Clay said. Then Ted will be back in Washington, and it won't be so hectic." Clay said. "I'll meet with you."
A medical professional intercepted me, on my way to the refreshment table. He asked me how retirement was going.
"Fine, I guess."
"Why don't you run for office?" he asked.
"What office?"
"Congress."
"Where did that come from?"
"You'd be good."
"I'm in Corinne Brown's district. She's been in office for twenty years."
"So?"
"People like her," I said. "I voted for her."
"That's because there hasn't been anyone else."
"Maybe."
"They need someone new," he said. "I'm in that district. I'd vote for you."
"I'm a registered Democrat," I informed him. "And you're a Republican."
"I know."
"You've probably never voted Democrat."
"I might, if you were running," he said.
"Have you forgotten?" I asked. "I'm under investigation by the federal government."
"But you didn't do anything."
"That's true. But I'm still under investigation."
"You should be proud of that!" he said, raising his voice.
"Proud?"
"You should wear it as a badge of honor."
"Why?"
"Because you're standing up to them, that's why. You're doing something about it."
"Get me a name tag," I told him. "I'm going to wear it from now on. It'll say, 'I'm under investigation by the government, and I'm proud of it.'"
"Damn right," he said. "And I mean it."
Here's a multiple choice question: Who should run for public office, or stay in office?
a) Someone who has committed a crime that everyone knows about (e.g., Nixon, or our Gainesville mayor, after this morning's DUI).
b) Someone who has committed a crime, but no one knows about it (let's consider all those Wall Street executives for Congress).
c) Someone who hasn't committed a crime, but everyone knows about it, as though the person had (e.g., all the people who have been falsely arrested, or falsely accused, or people held in jail without a trial--like at Guantanamo--or people who have been raided, without cause, and seem to be accused, like me).
C. As such, that person’s eyes and ears are open to the possibilities that we, the people, are losing our liberty and our government is ignoring citizens’ rights. Notoriety can be a good thing. Name recognition gets votes.
ReplyDeleteI can trace my roots in American soil back five generations before the American Revolutionary War. My family has had a role in every American war beginning at Meriam’s Corner in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1775. I understand that Amendment 2 is the guarantor of the rest of the Constitution.
Why will the majority of people willingly give in to an oppressive government? --Fear; they don’t want to die or go to prison, lose all their possessions, their family, etc. (“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.” --Samuel Adams, speech at the Philadelphia State House, August 1, 1776.”)
It is my belief that every man in America should buy the best weapon and all the ammunition he can afford and set it aside for the citizen’s militia.
Virginia Prodan, Esq., who lived under Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, says that America is on the same road to communism that Romania fell under. We are headed in the same direction with many parallels. Watch her online interviews, ‘Victim of Communism Warns America!!! – YouTube Feb 28, 2013 and Virginia Prodan’s Fight for Freedom and Escape from Romanian Communism- YouTube July 4, 2012. Virginia battled Nicolae Cesusescu in court and won many cases against his regime.
Virginia says, “Faith and fear are both contagious. Spread courage around you.”
Samuel Adams said it, do not be anyones' bitch, so to speak in todays world. Many do not seem to be cognizant of the thought. Just go with it, as in the crowd idiocy, be stupid, or stupefied beyond belief in ignorance. It is like having sex with stangers just to get an instant of pleasure, or not. Which means, obviously that we are not meant to have sex just for the pleasure it may bring. The American people must stop being the "Bitch" to ignorance, to say the least.
ReplyDelete