Ruestman: The people must not be stifled

In her latest capital report, Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, defends the First Amendment rights of those who have been disrupting town hall meetings on healthcare:

Recently, the news has focused around town hall meetings being held by members of Congress. After failing to pass socialized healthcare before their August break, the Democrats returned to their districts to drum up support for it. Instead of support, they are quickly learning that Americans are strongly opposed to the newest socialism scheme. So, as they did with Joe the Plumber, they are seeking to discredit the average, hard-working American.

Our Founding Fathers knew that the government can control its people if it can suppress their voices. While passing the Bill of Rights, they were sure to include our Freedom of Speech in the First Amendment.

I would like to remind everyone of the exact wording in the First Amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

For the third in my series on conservative principles, I’d like to discuss our First Amendment rights. Our nation remains great and true to its values only by keeping the power in the hands of the people.

What our Democrat Congressmen have forgotten is who can hire and fire them. When their constituents show up to oppose the healthcare bill, they refuse to listen. Instead of taking it for what it is – the voice of the people rising up – they say it’s not real, “manufactured” or a Republican conspiracy. Some of them are so adamant about not listening to the people; they are canceling their town hall meetings and scheduling manufactured conference calls where they can pick and choose who is involved. In Missouri , our Senator chose to cancel one of her meetings and one of our U.S. Representatives seemed to restrict his meeting for union members.

In these times when the elected representatives are trying to stifle our voices, we should remember the First Amendment. We have the right of free speech. We have the right to peaceably assemble. We have the right to petition our government for the redress of grievances. These Congressmen have some grievances to redress. The people must not be stifled!