Healthcare Reform takes a turn for the worse in Congress

Stage Five: Original editorial or commentary #1 (POST TO BE GRADED)

The recent healthcare reform is beginning to take a turn for the worse for members of Congress. There have been a reported 42 threats toward members just within the first three months of this year, as opposed to a total of 15 threats made throughout all of 2009.

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance W.Gainer said that these instances have ranged from harmless vulgar threats to death threats. “The ability to carry them out is another question and part of an investigation to determine what, if any, appropriate steps to take.” Gainer also said that nearly all of the threats are made against supporters of the recent healthcare reform, and that there have been significant more made toward House members than senators.
Just for an example House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has had dozens of calls to her houses and her husband’s office in San Francisco by Gregory L. Giusti, who has already been arrested for the threats.

Rep. Dan Lungren of California put this whole situation into perspective best though, “Normally, we don’t give publicity to this,”. Normally these types of threats go particularly unnoticed and rarely get publicized, but with a number this immense, so early in the year, there is a lot to be talked about. Contrary to what you would think though, most of the members are still going about their regular routines, and aren’t taking any noticeable precautions while going out to attend different schedule activities.


Maybe we are the only ones really blowing this out of proportion? But wait, there’s more.


Although, unlike most of the threats, which have been verbal, done through either phone calls or emails, there have been a few physical acts conducted. A gas line had been cut last month in the house of Rep. Tom Perriello’s brother after a self-identified “tea party” activist posted his address online. This, as well as a brick being thrown through the window of Rep. Louise M. Slaughter’s office in the Niagara Falls district, and someone also left her a voice mail saying that “the children of health care supporters would be targeted by snipers.”
These types of threats are absolutely ridiculous. While someone may have an issue with health care, either being a radical going for it, or someone who is radically against it, it is going way overboard to get to a physical threat against someone’s life, especially their friends and family. I’m sure that any sane individual, for or against the bill, would say that this is completely uncalled for, and insane.


I generally try to keep things humorous and light-hearted here at Journey to the Center, but this is how people get hurt.

-Derek Rider

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