Democrats Rally at Congressman’s Office

September 11, 2009

Pam King
Published 09/10/2009 - 12:26 p.m. CST

Sign-carrying picketers mingled near Congressman Burgess’ office in Lewisville to show support for, and opposition to, President Obama’s
health care initiative.

The Southern Denton County (SoDeCo) Democrats’ held a rally last Friday, outside
Congressman Michael Burgess’ offices, at I-35 E and Corporate Drive, in Lewisville.
The rush hour rally was, according to the SoDeCo Democrats’ website, “to give
Congressman Burgess a HUGE Sendoff back to Congress (along with a piece of our
mind on health care reform).” While the congressman was absent from the Send-off, 40
or so SoDeCo Dems gathered along the I-35E service road, where they waved pro-
ObamaCare signs toward the traffic crawling north for the three day weekend. Among
their signs, “Insurance Makes Me Sick,” “Broke is a Pre-Existing Condition,” “Insure
All, Pay Less,” “Healthcare Not Wealthcare.”

A showing of equal strength rallied just up the sidewalk, where another 40 or more
area residents, describing themselves as ‘concerned citizens,’ gathered simultaneously.
Their enthusiastic opposition to ObamaCare was displayed in signs such as, “Stop
ObamaCare’ but, more predominantly, the American, Texas and ‘Don’t Tread on Me’
flags they held aloft. Although two Lewisville Police Officers were posted on either end
of the rally and a police van idled in the parking lot, the rally attendees stayed, for the
most part, on their own ends of the sidewalk through the late afternoon hours. With one
exception: when Winston Edmondson, whose message was “Stop ObamaCare,” sought
out several of the SoDeCo Democrats, among them Roosevelt Johnson, Rhonda Dick and
others, their initial conversation escalated into an intense discussion, prompting one of
the Lewisville Police Officers to join them. Tempers quickly unwound and the two rally
groups resumed their focus on the traffic rather than one another. Those few attendees
who found themselves standing next to opposing beliefs made the best of it,
enthusiastically waving their sign or flag to on-coming traffic, happy to be expressing
their freedom of speech.

Among the Rally participants staunchly supporting the President’s Health Care
Reforms was Jim Moffitt, of Lewisville, who campaigned for Obama in Iowa and voted
for him here. “This (health insurance reform) is change we can believe in,” said Moffitt.
“It is time for real reform or nothing!” Moffitt said he is not concerned about how we, as
a country, will pay the $5.7 trillion such health care changes will cost, saying, “We’ve
been putting the costs of taking care of our needs on our children’s backs forever.” Ron
Ogden said his support of ObamaCare was support for doing, “what’s right.” Ogden
continued, “Management never gives you anything; unions put pressure on management
to do what’s right and we want the same thing here: equity, parity of health care; half the
costs, twice the benefits.” Jennifer Giles said the value of the Rally was, “to get some
truth out and get some reasonable discussions going.” Giles went on to say the SoDeCo
Democrats had chosen the rally location because of the lies Congressman Burgess has
been perpetuating about the president’s proposed health insurance reform legislation.
“We want Dr. Burgess to stop perpetuating fear,” Giles said. “On at least three occasions,
Dr. Burgess, our representative, has said there will be a ‘super-server,’ with everyone’s
medical information. He purposefully obfuscates for his political gain and has abdicated
his duties as a (congressional) representative.”

Flower Mound resident, Jill Martin, is a mother of two and business owner. “The
system is broken,” Martin said. “My husband and I pay $1,000 a month for our family
coverage, with a $1,500 deductible. The other side doesn’t want to change so, initially,
we need to go with this (president’s proposal), then make some changes.” Like several
other SoDeCo Club members, Martin pointed out health insurance for everyone is no
different than public education, public libraries and public drinking water. Winston
Edmondson, a Lewisville resident who ran last spring for Mayor of Lewisville, said, for
his part he was, “happy so many concerned citizens came out. This is a phenomenal show
of support for Michael Burgess.” Edmondson said, “There are minds we can change. We
just need to kick government out of the health care equation.” Ray and Joyce Glivinski
arrived in a trailer, waving their American flags, and commented, “We’re just a small
part but the more people who come out, the more the impact.”

“I grew up in the land of the free and the home of the brave,” said Mike Hardy. “I
didn’t get to fight in Viet Nam, so I’ll fight now. President Obama took an oath of office,
to defend the Constitution and this just isn’t in the Constitution!” Perhaps Debra Reed,
who arrived early and stayed late, along with Edmondson, the Glivinskis, Hardy and
others, reflected their general sentiments best: “We are just concerned American citizens.
We recognize there may be a need for some reform but ObamaCare is not it. The less
government, the better! If anything, let local government and states have more control
than the federal government.” Reed also spoke for those rallying with her when she said,
“Congressman Burgess is a very honorable man. We’re also here to support him.” It was
difficult to assess where the sentiments of the drivers fell, in that bumper-to-bumper
traffic headed north; there was plenty of horn-honking and gesturing.