Self-serving protests

Since the nationwide elections of Republicans, there have been many types of public demonstrations by the opposition.

One of them that concerns me is the planned disruptions of representatives’ constituent meetings. These planned disruptions are undermining the ability of those of us who would like to meet with our representatives, hear them speak and carry on a meaningful dialogue. The same people causing the disruptions then criticize our representatives for not holding meetings.

A recent example was Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner’s town hall that was put under assault by a planned disruption. Criticism also has been made of Rep. Paul Ryan not being able to meet with his constituents. Last year, Ryan could safely meet with his constituents, but since the Republican victories, it is a mission of the opposition to shut down any meeting.

The disrupters claim they are not doing it for self-interest, but to express their moral outrage. No, they have their self-interest at heart. The nation witnessed an extreme public demonstration and our government shut down when Gov. Scott Walker passed Act 10. Our Capitol was put under assault by the Democratic Party and public unions representing their self-interests, vs. the taxpayers’. This feigned moral outrage and insistence on politically correct speech always is a self-serving effort to shut down public discourse.

It was Voltaire’s belief that “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

John Surinak Delavan