By BECKY CRISSMAN
PERRY — Protesters lined the street in front of the Miller-Murphy-Howard building at the Georgia National Fairgrounds here Tuesday.
That was the scene as Georgia congressmen arrived at the fairgrounds for the annual Georgia Chamber of Commerce Congressional Luncheon.
In the protesting crowd were citizens from all over the state of Georgia. Many senior citizens were there to let the Congressional delegation know just how they feel about President Obama’s healthcare reform proposal.
“It’s just crazy, that’s what it is,” said seventy-five year old William Causey of Poulan. “People need to say NO to the Obama plan.”
Causey, who walked the picket line with the use of a cane was helped along by two friends, Jimmy Cross of Sumner and J.C. Gaddy of Sylvester.
Each of the men held signs reading “NO OBAMA PLAN” and “VOTE NO ON GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE.”
As congressmen entered the building they were met with chants of “JUST VOTE NO!” coming from the crowd of protesters. Some seemed to let the chants fall on deaf ears, but others braved the walk across the street to meet the protesters and answer some of their questions.
“They went to a lot of trouble to come here,” said Senator Johnny Isakson. “This is the silent majority coming out. Healthcare is a personal issue and this has really struck a chord with people. This is their country and we work for them.
“We have to respect the rights of every citizen. I happen to agree fully with them on issues such as the cap and trade and healthcare.”
Among the citizens he shook hands with was Dooly County resident Debra Swindall who carried a sign bearing the words “Under the name of liberalism, we will not adopt socialism.”
“We just want our voices to be heard,” said Swindall. “Attending these protests is a way for us to make sure that our members of Congress, our senators, and representatives know what we think.”
Some were upset that Representative Sanford Bishop did not make the walk down the picket line. He did receive chants of “Just Say No” as he entered the building.
One picketer brandished a sign which read: “Sanford Bishop- If you vote YES to Healthcare reform.... We will vote NO to your re-election.”
Tom Hebert, a Vietnam veteran from Americus, and his wife Margaret were also in the picket line.
“What gets me is them talking about the euthanization of older people,” said Hebert. “I do not think that anybody has the right to choose who lives and who dies. What if they decide to start slipping things into medication.
“It is OK for expectant mothers to choose whether or not an unborn child should live or die and they want the taxpayers to start paying for that. I do not want some bureaucratic doctor making decisions for myself or my family. I want my own doctor that I choose on my own.”
While the protesting went on outside, inside the building congressmen, members of local area city and county governments and chamber representatives from all over the state met for the luncheon. Also attending were representatives from such companies as AT&T;, Delta Airlines, Georgia Power, and Georgia EMC.
After lunch Mike Garrett, 2009 chair of the Chamber of Commerce introduced U. S. Representatives John Barrow, Sanford Bishop, Nathan Deal and Lynn Westmoreland for a panel discussion on a variety of issues.
Both Crisp and Dooly County were represented outside and inside during the luncheon. A number of city and county government officials from Cordele and Crisp County attended the event, along with Crisp Chamber representatives.
