BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -- The debate over health care reform got rowdy again Tuesday, this time in Brevard County. The legislation in front of Congress right now has led to a lot of angry debates across the country.
Tuesday, the AARP tried to answer questions from some angry residents there. They all came here to be heard and, with no other public forum offered by congressional leaders in Brevard County, they turned to the AARP to demand answers.
"Why wouldn't AARP insist the government fix Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security before we discuss anything?" one attendee asked.
More than 300 Brevard County residents packed the Senior Resource Center in Viera. A resounding majority of them told the AARP they did not want the so-called "public option," where the federal government provides an insurance plan to compete with the private sector.
Many fear companies will drop private insurance and force them into the government plan and one senior wanted to know why the AARP hasn't publicly opposed it.
"I want to know why you have not done that. I resent that you have not done that," one senior said.
When one woman stood up to say she endorsed a plan that would provide health care for everyone she was heckled and called a communist.
"I want universal health care for everyone in this room," the woman said before being met with angry response.
Florida's head of the AARP said the group has not endorsed any health care proposal and is only lobbying for specific areas of health care reform and said she would take what they heard at the meeting to their lobbyists in Washington.
People at the meeting, though, were very skeptical. Not only did many of them say they don't trust the government, they questioned the AARP's association with unions and whether they were looking out for the interest of their own insurance arm rather than their membership.
Our Central Florida Fascist Congressman Alan Grayson has come out of hiding to hold a town hall meeting. It is set for tonight at 7:45, at a Union Hall at 820 Virginia Drive in Orlando. But be there early.
It's easy to get to. Take I-4 to Exit 85, Princeton Street. If coming from South, turn right, eastbound at exit. If coming from North, turn left under I-4 to go eastbound on Princeton.
Proceed 1/4 mile east on Princeton to first traffic light at North Orange Avenue. (Big enclosed 7-11 on Corner) Turn right to go southbound on North Orange Avenue about 1/2 to traffic light at Virginia Drive. Virginia Drive only goes to left. There is a big diner restaurant and Harmon's Photo on corner.
Turn left eastbound onto Virginia Drive. You will immedirely cross RR tracks. 820 Virginia Drive will be about 1/3 mile on left, corner of Dauphin Lane.
If you get to North Mills Ave with 7-11, Circle K and carwash on corner, you have gone 1/2 mile too far on Virginia Drive.
Get there early. If asked by union goons who or what you support, say you are undecided.
I will try to get an FR banner or sign past the union gooms. Watch for it. Wear an FR label once you get into place with friends.
Bring signs, (no sticks) little airhorns, whistles, cameras, flags. Fight you way to the front and get into groups. Be ready to support each other. Wear bright colors, as much red white and blue as possible. Be sober!
Be polite when Grayson starts to speak. Let him thank us for being there, As soon as he gets into lying about how good Obamacare is, whoop it up.
When one of our prople speaks, keep everyone quiet. Get to microphones. I will try to bring a portable PA.
If someone attacks one of our people, defend them, get the cops involved asap, press charges.
Be polite to news media. Have a few smart sound bites ready. Things like "Ms Pelosi calls us an angry mob of criminals. We actually are group of Americans that have simply taken enough bad government and opprssive laws and we won't take it or their lies any more!"
....However, wished I'd thought of it first! The poster is spreading nation wide like wildfire from California to the Ronbo Heartland of Central Florida. I predict this poster will become an icon of The Second American Revolution.
THE ORLANDO SENTINEL
Clermont police interview suspect in Obama 'Joker' posters
Anthony Colarossi
Clermont police have interviewed one suspect who is admitting to putting up the dozens of posters pasted around the city depicting President Obama as the Joker character from the Batman film The Dark Knight, city officials confirmed.
Assistant City Manager Darren Gray said city officials have an individual "admitting to putting up 500" of the posters.
Clermont Police Capt. Eric Jensen said the male individual has admitted to putting up some signs, but investigators suspect others were involved and their investigation is continuing.
"We have talked to an individual," Jensen said. "He only admitted to some of it...We're still tracking down leads and talking to folks. We have not arrested anybody."
At this point officials are not sure how much damage was caused by the signs or the dollar amount associated with the clean-up.
Dozens of the posters were pasted around the city earlier this week. A pair of the posters were pasted to a Clermont Post Office collection box. They prompted the postmaster to contact the Postal Inspector's office, which is looking at potential federal crimes for defacing federal property.
City officials, meanwhile, are trying to determine what local crimes might be associated with the posting of the images on public and private properties. They've also been busy ripping down the sticky signs because they're a violation of city ordinance regarding illegal signs.
Jensen said he doesn't have a good count on the number of posters put up because, he said, "People are going out and tearing them down."
In a press release put out late today, Jensen said the suspect "also asked if he could video tape the encounter with the officers." Clermont Police declined that request.
"Currently we are still conducting interviews of victims, witnesses, and other suspects who were placing the Obama Joker Poster throughout our city," Jensen said in the statement. "We believe that the postings are the result of multiple suspects. We are hopeful that we can develop enough information to present charges of vandalism to the State Attorney's Office for review."
He did not have a specific reason why the individual who admitted to putting up the posters spent so much time sticking them to surfaces around the city, but Jensen suspects it may have something to do with a contest linked to the image of the President in white face and smeared lipstick, like the Joker.
This plea from a young girl will melt the hardest of hearts!
THE ORLANDO SENTINEL
She looked more like a timid child clinging to her protector than an Ohio teen runaway brazen enough to flee her Muslim family out of fear for her life.
The girl, who turned 17 on Monday, is at the center of a custody dispute in Orlando, where she sought help from a family she barely knew -- a pastor and his wife willing to take in a teen who feared her own family's retribution because she converted to Christianity.
The Orlando Sentinel is not identifying the teen because of her age.
The girl appeared before a crowded courtroom full of lawyers and spectators on Monday when an Orange Circuit Court Judge ordered her into Department of Children and Families emergency custody.
It was another in a series of legal decisions in a complicated case: Beyond the girl's religious preferences, the court must solve jurisdictional issues related to child services and courts.
In addition, the teen, a native of Sri Lanka, is not a U.S. citizen.
Her dispute with her family became news several weeks ago when the girl ran away from her home in Columbus, Ohio. She hitch-hiked to a Greyhound station and boarded a bus to Orlando.
Once here, she borrowed a cell phone to call Beverly Lorenz, who with husband Blake Lorenz is a pastor of Global Revolution Church in Orlando. The Lorenzes met the girl through a prayer group on Facebook.
Although the girl was a stranger, Beverly Lorenz told her they would house her. The teen told the Lorenzes she feared her family would hurt her, kill her or send her back to Sri Lanka, Beverly Lorenz said.
"We are doing everything we can to protect her," said Blake Lorenz, who said he has been told his life may be in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, the girl's parents reported to Ohio law enforcement authorities that their daughter was missing. They put together a flier, with her picture on it, asking for tips to her whereabouts.
Beverly Lorenz said they called an abuse hotline, prompting a visit on Friday from the Orlando police. Officers picked up the girl to be placed in state custody.
The Lorenzes appeared in court with the teen Monday, as did her father from Ohio.
When the petite girl walked into court, she immediately bolted for Beverly Lorenz, who held her. The teen then joined Blake Lorenz at a table with lawyers. He comforted her throughout the entire hearing with his arm around her shoulder.
Rosa Gonzalez, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, told Orange Circuit Judge Gail A. Adams the teen is in fear for her life. The sight of her father makes the teen "frantic and hysterical," Gonzalez said.
The teen's father said little during the hearing.
Reached by a Sentinel reporter by phone, the girl's mother said little. "Yes, of course" her daughter would be safe should a judge eventually order her back there, she said.
And her father would not harm his daughter if she wanted to be a Christian, the woman said. She referred other questions to her husband. He did not answer his cell phone after the hearing.
Gonzalez said her organization, which sends pro bono lawyers to work on cases involving Christian issues, is concerned the teen could be returned to her parents.
"We don't take those threats lightly," she said.
Imam Hatim Hamidullah, with the Islamic Society of Central Florida, said the Muslim faith does not call for a father to hurt his child, should she convert to another religion.
"It is not Islam for the father to bring harm upon his blood daughter or any other human being because of anger," he said. "Our position is to exhaust all measures that would bring peace and harmony back to the family," Hamidullah said. "Being angry and threatening the life of someone is not one of those methods."
A DCF spokeswoman said the agency is working with Ohio officials to ensure the teen's "safety and well being."
Attempts to talk to the teen after the hearing were unsuccessful -- her legal guardians ushered her out of the building without letting her speak to a reporter.
On a baby sitter Web site, the girl described herself this way: "One of my favorite things to do in my spare time is cheerleading for my high school and of course tumbling as well. I have a little brother who is about to turn 5 years old. With this, I have had a lot of experience with toddlers and many years of sitting for him."
Blake Lorenz, who retired after serving as pastor at Pine Castle United Methodist Church for several years, said the teen believes her dad will kill her.
"We are doing everything we can to protect her," he said.
Lorenz said he has been told his life may be in jeopardy.
After Monday's hearing, Blake Lorenz said he was relieved the teen is not returning back to her family in Ohio immediately, but he's still cautious. He's "very concerned that the system will let her down."
