Posted on 06/12/2009 5:14:30 AM PDT by markomalley
GREEN BAY - Organizers said about 1,000 people lined the east side of Packerland Drive Thursday morning to protest President Obama's stop in Green Bay. Stretching four blocks long, the protest parked itself along the motorcade route between Austin Straubel Airport and Green Bay Southwest High School.
Most of the protestors were part of a grassroots movement that calls itself "The Party of Know." Jerry Bader, a conservative talk show host on WTAG 1360, helped organize the rally. Most protestors said their purpose Thursday was to let President Obama know just exactly how they feel about a government backed health care system.
"It doesn't work," Dawn Papapetru said. Papapetru said she feels an obligation to speak out. She now lives in Green Bay but was born and raised in Canada, a country that provides universal health care for its citizens.
"I know what the free health system is all about. It's wrong. Taxes will go up, gas will go up and the lines get longer in hospitals," Papapetru said.
President Obama has said he wants to model American health care reform after the Canadian system. The plan is designed to extend health care coverage to millions of uninsured Americans by offering a government backed health insurance option.
"The government has no need to get involved in my health decisions. I don't want a government board telling me when and how and if I'm going to get health care," Peter Soransen, of De Pere, said. Soransen was one of the hundreds of people who showed up hoping to have his voice heard.
He worries government backed health care would increase insurance costs for everyone.
"I had to take off work to do this but freedom isn't free," Soransen said.
While most of the protestors lined Packerland Drive south of the school, a small group of anti-abortion activists gathered near the northside of Southwest High.
"When doctors are supposed to provide abortions up to nine months pregnancy and my tax dollars pay for it, that's part of his health plan and I don't agree with it," Jenny Lowery, one of the anti-abortion activists, said.
As President Obama's motorcade passed down Packerland Drive, protestors only had a few moments to express their feelings. But their opposition to his health care plan was loud and clear. Many people booed and offered a thumbs down.
The protest broke up quickly after the President's arrival at Southwest High School. Police tell us no one was arrested.
Conservative grassroots movements don't pay for Rent-a-mobs like the so-called Liberal "grassroots" do, and they don't bus in Union thugs and the homeless to these events. Then the Libs have the audacity to call our organizing "astroturfing." Our people have real lives and JOBS, so seeing any people gathering at all is a huge deal.
You go, Green Bay! Rock on!
“When it is tens of thousands, then we can get excited.”
That’s 1% of the G.B population, extrapolate that out to Chicago and you get 80,000 folks.
I dunno - glad to see these folks showed up.
I really would like to know how much travel he's accrued so far - as compared to Bush in the same time frame of his first administration.
What's Obama do - spend one day a week in Washington (resting up, I suppose) and then off on a another trip on that cool aeroplane.
Very glad also, and that wasn’t my point. When we see tens of thousands in the streets, in protest, that means bye-bye bama.
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