Protesters play dead for Sensenbrenner
The tombstones listed their causes of death, “Suicide, no mental health coverage;” “Chose rent over meds;” and “Killed by profits and tax cuts for Republicans.”
Situated in a small mock graveyard outside the Village Hall in Hartland on Sunday, the RIP signs weren’t real. They were made of cardboard and were carried by about 20 or so people outside a town hall meeting hosted by U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). Their point: to protest his recent vote in favor of a health care bill to replace the Affordable Care Act.
It was a so-called die-in organized by a group called Indivisible Tosa, one of more than 5,800 nationwide that follow an activism playbook, Indivisible Guide, written by former congressional staffers. Similar die-ins have cropped up in dozens of cities across the country since the U. S. House of Representatives voted earlier this month for a new health care bill.
Calling “Trump care” a “contradiction in terms,” teachers, nurses and others — including one person dressed as the grim reaper — dropped to the ground and played dead to draw attention to harms they worry will result from abandoning the Affordable Care Act.
“Killed by ignorance,” one tombstone read. “Died, no medicine for opioid addiction,” stated another.
“They say Obamacare is collapsing. It’s a lie,” said Aaron Matteson, a representative of a group called Stop Jim Sensenbrenner Indivisible. “They’re sabotaging the system so they can come to the rescue and say, ‘I saved you.’ ”
One man, wearing a red “Make America Great Again” baseball hat, said he appreciated that the protesters were being civil and not violent. But he said they would be more effective skipping the theatrics and by just sharing their concerns with Sensenbrenner.
“It ends up looking like a clown show,” he said.
The man said he is an old “cigar-smoking buddy” of Sensenbrenner’s but didn’t want his name published for fear of public reaction to his comments.
Inside, the crowd of about 100 or so overwhelmingly expressed frustration with the behavior of President Donald Trump and called on Sensenbrenner to take action.
“I’m asking you, begging you, to take a stand against some of his behaviors,” said Diane Mederson of Hartland, citing “childish name calling” and other actions by Trump.
Sensenbrenner slammed his gavel twice to keep the crowd from applauding and voicing agreement with some of the comments. After the second gavel strike he threatened to end the meeting.
“He’s responsible for what he says,” Sensenbrenner said of Trump. “I’m only responsible for what I say.”
Sensenbrenner said he agreed that Trump should focus his tweets and public comments more on policy initiatives but that he could not control what the president says.
As for the investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, he said he supports the appointment of former FBI director Robert Mueller to head the probe. He said Mueller was the “most professional” of any FBI directors he had known in his many years as a legislator and that he is “forthcoming.” But he said, the investigation would be lacking in transparency given that it is criminal in nature.
“Transparency is going to be difficult,” he said.