GLADNEY THE UNINSURED ACTIVIST.... Over the last few days, a conservative activist in St. Louis named Kenneth Gladney seems to have become something of a cause celebre in far-right circles. Depending on which version of events you choose to believe, Gladney either initiated or was involved in a scuffle at a town-hall event late last week.
At least one prominent conservative blogger said Gladney was "brutally attacked" by SEIU members outside the event. After watching the video, there's ample reason for skepticism. Gladney was, in fact, pulled to the ground during the fracas, but he seemed to bounce back up quickly, and is seen walking around soon after without any obvious injuries. His attorney has argued that Gladney was beaten during the fight, but there's nothing in the clip to support that.
Gladney later went to the hospital, claiming to have sustained injuries to his "knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face."
Yesterday, about 200 conservative activists held a protest outside the SEIU office in St. Louis. Gladney was there -- bandaged and in a wheelchair -- as a featured guest. Some of the activists held signs that read, "Don't Tread on Kenny." Reader R.D. alerted me to this tidbit in the local news account of the protest:
Gladney did not address Saturday's crowd of about 200 people. His attorney, David Brown, however, read a prepared statement Gladney wrote. "A few nights ago there was an assault on my liberty, and on yours, too." Brown read. "This should never happen in this country."
Supporters cheered. Brown finished by telling the crowd that Gladney is accepting donations toward his medical expenses. Gladney told reporters he was recently laid off and has no health insurance. [emphasis added]
Wait, the conservative opponent of health care reform, fighting (literally) to defeat a plan that would bring coverage to those who lose their jobs, lost his coverage because he got laid off?
I'm not in a position to say whether Gladney sustained genuine injuries or whether he's exaggerating for 15 minutes of Fox News fame and a lucrative out-of-court settlement.
Either way, the new right-wing cause celebre needs to take up a collection to pay for his medical bills because he doesn't have health insurance. It's a fascinating sign of the times.
While there's no arguing the fact that passions are elevated on both sides of the fence in the health care debate, it's also glaringly obvious that the the people who are predominantly responsible for dragging the maturity level of the discourse down to the high school, competing clique level are the hard-core right wingers -- egged on by Beck, Palin, Limbaugh, Hannity and Fox Noize.
I say "glaringly obvious" because I'm still waiting for someone to show me the videos of non-right wingers storming Republican sponsored Town Hall meetings, elbowing and bulling their way into the meetings, then shouting down speakers and questioners and purposefully denying their fellow citizens a chance to present their points of view.
And now this clownishness.
What with Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich spreading falsehoods that provisions in the health care legislation are advocating for euthanasia of the elderly and handicapped babies, and Rush Limbaugh comparing Obama to Hitler and the extermination of the Jews, not only (as the article writer states) is this pathetic Kenneth Gladney incident "...a fascinating sign of the times," it's also a wide-open window onto the freak show that right wing politics has evolved in to.
----k
No comments:
Post a Comment