Update: Audio report from WHYY

Denise Dennis on Huffington Post:

Philadelphia, PA -- August 2 - This afternoon, at the National
Constitution Center in Philadelphia, I saw the face of ignorance and
hate--and it wasn't pretty.

When Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius and
Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) came to the National Constitution Center
to answer questions about health care reform, they were greeted by an
overflow crowd of approximately 400 people, the majority of whom were
supporters with legitimate questions.

Unfortunately, though, a well-organized, belligerent and loud group
of right-wingers stood in the aisles and across the back and disrupted
the town meeting throughout. They yelled, shouted and jeered, and it
was clear that they were not there to participate, but instead to try
to disrupt the meeting and make it difficult as possible for anyone
else to ask questions. They jeered from the moment the director of the
Constitution Center stood to welcome everyone. For a few days leading
up to the town meeting, e-mails circulated around Philadelphia warning
that the "tea-baggers" were planning to protest the meeting and,
although there were fewer of them than there were supporters--they made
more noise shouting about "socialism," "abortion," and "assisted
suicide."

To show their support, the audience stood and applauded Secretary
Sebelius and Senator Specter numerous times. There were people in the
crowd wearing purple t-shirts with gold and white lettering that said
"Health Care Now We Can't Wait."

Local members of Health Care for America, a non-partisan, nationwide
coalition of volunteers were a strong presence at the event. According
to Antoinette Kraus, a Pennsylvania Eastern Organizer for the
Philadelphia Unemployment Project, one of Health Care for America's
member organizations, "Two people a day die in Pennsylvania from
illnesses that could have been prevented if they'd had access to
affordable health care.

"We advocate for quality health care for all through a public
option," she said, "and we encouraged all advocates of health care to
come out today and support Sect. Sebelius and Senator Specter."
In spite of the chaos, questions were asked and answers given. In
response to one question, Specter said, "I believe the single-payer
system should be on the table," and was enthusiastically applauded. A
retired nurse then prefaced her question by saying, "If single-payer
passes, I'll come out of retirement!"

When asked why the Community Choice Act (which would cover patients
who can be treated at home) wasn't included in the proposed plan, both
Sebelius and Specter explained that they are an effort to put it in the
final Senate bill.

When an angry woman approached the microphone and complained that
health care reform would lead to "rationed care," Secretary Sebelius
said emphatically, "Rationed care is absolutely not something we
condone," and explained that today health care is "rationed everyday
for people who do not have coverage."

To emotionally charged questions about abortion and assisted
suicide, Sebelius calmly answered, "Abortion and assisted suicide are
not a part of the legislation."

impassioned and frustrated man asked why--if sixty-three percent of
the American people favor health care reform--can't sixty-three percent
of the Congress pass the legislation. Specter replied, "We are going
about it in a democratic way."

One person described seeing people "falling through the cracks
everyday" and asked what can be done about "getting insurance for
people with serious illnesses." Sebelius explained that the proposed
health care reform would require "no more pre-existing barriers, no
more being dropped by insurers when you're seriously ill, and no more
losing coverage when you lose your job."

Frances Conwell, Philadelphia, was in the audience and supports
health care reform and she explained, "People say they don't want to
pay for other people, but I say they're going to pay anyway--they can
choose to pay for prevention or for how much it costs us now when
people have to go to the emergency room for care." She added, "I have
health care, but I can't watch other people suffer just because I have
coverage. You have to think outside yourself and think about other
people."

Maureen Benzig, retired, who formerly worked at the Medical College
of Pennsylvania, said, "I would like to see a single-payer system and I
was happy to hear Senator Specter say he like it on the table, but I
support a public option if we can't get single payer." Benzig described
a family member who is a physician and took a year off in order to
support single payer. Her own doctors, at the Hospital of the
University of Pennsylvania also support single payer.

When I asked one of the belligerents why he and his companions
wouldn't stop shouting so others could speak and be heard, he shouted
that it was his right to yell under "the first amendment." I then asked
why he couldn't respect the first amendment rights of others and he
answered by glaring at me and walking away.

After the question and answer segment ended, I asked three of the
boisterous opponents of health care why they do not support it and one
of them pulled a copy of the Constitution from his hand and waving it,
said, "Health care is not covered in the Constitution." Their arguments
were illogical and based on lack of knowledge and an abundance of fear.
I commented to them that they were being had, that they were working
against their own best interests and they kept waving the Constitution.

The fury and rancor in the faces of the right wingers at the town
meeting made it clear that this was not about health care only. It is
about fear and raw anger, already inside them, now directed toward the
health care debate. They see defeating health care legislation as their
opportunity to re-visit the Presidential election.