YES/NO health care reform!

This weekend I had to drag myself out of bed 3 hours early to shoot people at a health care reform protest holding signs and getting worked up at various things, various speakers said. Welcome to Saturday morning in the newspaper biz.

I started the day shockingly enough with wrong directions. Once I got there I immediately felt uncomfortable. One of the first people I photographed was rude to me and refused to give her name. Then a guy with a "NEVER trust the MEDIA!" sign made sure I got a good look. The protest was a gathering of conservatives who were against health care reform and from reading their signs it seemed all things President Obama as well. As protests tend to go, the opposing liberals who support the reform bill showed up. Things were mostly peaceful, but tensions rose as a "for reform" woman tried to take center stage. An older "against reform" man yelled "Somebody get the hook and get that red-headed hag out of here!" I was appalled. Stick to the issues people! She tried to tell the crowd she couldn't get health care and has cancer. She posed the question "Would you let me die?" The answer she got came in the form of boos and angry screaming. She left the stage with tears streaming. My heart broke for her. Yes, this is a complicated issue. Yes, she had come uninvited to a conservative rally. Yes, she drew attention to herself and made comments that challenged. No, she did not deserve to be treated like a sub-human.


Health care reform protestors hold up signs Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.


Patsy Harris of Morgan County and others sing the National Anthem as they show their support of health care reform during a protest Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.


Jordan Chinouth, Congressman Paul Broun's District Director, speaks out against President Obama's proposed health care reform bill during a protest Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.


Carol Griffin, left, boos a speaker who supports health care reform during a protest Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.


A woman holds a sign reading "Fascism Happens" during a protest against health care reform Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.


Brenda Forster of Athens, left, holds a sign while waiting for a protest against health care reform to get underway Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.


Herb West of Bogart shows his support for health care reform bill during a protest Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.


Supporters of President Obama's proposed health care reform bill hold up signs during a protest Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.


Shirley White of Watkinsville, left, and Brenda Forster of Athens, right, hold signs and protest health care reform Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.




A veteran holds a sign during a protest against health care reform Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.


Larry Clack of Athens, center, and sister Carol Griffin, left, boo a speaker who supports health care reform during a protest Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, at the Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville.