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Story Archives: Protestors welcome Landrieu to Twin Cities


Protestors welcome Landrieu to Twin Cities
by Scott Rogers - posted Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 @ 10:49 pmE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
About 50 local residents braved the heat Wednesday at Monroe Civic Center to voice opposition to healthcare reform initiatives advocated by President Obama and a Democratic-controlled Congress.

Gathered outside the Civic Center, the group held signs and invited people to sign their petition as local officials and others headed indoors to hear U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu speak about healthcare reform.

Monroe resident Nell Bradley has spearheaded several local Tea Party events held recently to oppose several of the measures currently being debated in Congress.

She was one of the protestors at the Civic Center Wednesday.

"I'm a Democrat, but I oppose where our country is going," Bradley said. "Our tea parties are for concerned citizens - Democrats, Republicans, liberals, conservatives - anyone who is concerned where this country is going."

"We don't like where we're going," Bradley continued. "We don't want Cap and Trade and we don't want universal healthcare. We want our borders protected and our troops protected. We want to take our country back.

"People can call us rednecks, 'AstroTurfs,' whatever, but we are concerned citizens. That's why you are seeing all these people out protesting."

Bradley plans to lead a march of local residents to Washington, D.C. in September to take part in "Nationwide Tax Day Tea Party."

"We'll march with all the other tea parties across the United States," she said.

Bradley is hopeful Democratic leaders across the country have learned that many Americans are opposed to the current healthcare reform proposals.

"I think the Blue Dog Democrats are listening to their constituents," she said, referring to some members of Congress who describe themselves as conservative Democrats. Most Blue Dogs represent congressional districts in the South.

"They had better wake up because the tea party organizers are not going to let up," Bradley said. "I'm 72 years old and I've never seen something like this … this is grassroots organization, and we're with it, and we're going to stay with it."

Landrieu spoke briefly with protestors before entering the Civic Center, Bradley said.

"We asked her to fix Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and then work on the rest bit by bit," Bradley said. "She wanted to know if we were happy with Medicare and we said, 'Yeah, we're happy with our plan as it is, but we want it fixed so it won't go broke, and no more cuts to it.'"

"I told her she had better listen to her constituents because we voted her in and we can vote her out," Bradley added.

Cheryl Klopping of West Monroe also is concerned with how healthcare reform could affect her medical treatment.

"I'm a Medicare recipient and I'm a breast cancer survivor, and if they make a big change with healthcare, I may not be able to continue my treatment," Klopping said. "I really shouldn't be here today, but I've had great medical care and I want to keep my medical care," Klopping said.

Joe Street of West Monroe also is not happy with the direction of the country.

"Most people are not ready to buckle under to what they're trying to put over on us," Street said. "There are more of us than there are of them."
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