As President Obama went to Iowa City March 25 to campaign for his already signed health care “reform” bill, he was greeted by non-violent, but angry protesters.
Eli Saslow of The Washington Post profiled one of those protesters on March 26. That man, Randy Millam, did nothing violent at the rally, yet Saslow referenced “death threats” and brick throwing in his article.
Saslow, who was named an Obama “slobberer” by media critic Bernard Goldberg, followed Millam, a rural Iowan, who made the trek to Iowa City to join people protesting at the president’s speech. He brought an American flag, a homemade sign that read “Chains We Can Believe In” and a megaphone. He also wore a cap with the Second Amendment written on it.
From the very first sentence Saslow portrayed anti-health care protestors as violent and portrayed Millam as a rare exception, “He had no plans to throw bricks, issue death threats, spit in faces or scream racial slurs. But Randy Millam, 52, intended to make a scene.”
Millam said that being civil was his goal and there was no need for violence. Even though no there was no violence reported at the Iowa, Saslow hinted that Millam might not stay as peaceful in the future. He quoted Millam saying, “I'm not ready for outright violence yet. We have to be civil for as long as we can.”
Saslow also made sure to link tea parties to violence saying that Millam visited a tea party Web site “where he was inspired by a Thomas Jefferson quote about how bloodshed might be necessary to protect a country from tyranny.”
Yet, Millam did not become violent at all. Using his megaphone, he rallied the crowd and even tried to convince some President Obama supporters to come join his side. He also talked about the difficult economy and let one college student borrow his megaphone to discuss how his father was unemployed.
But in the next to the last paragraph Saslow hinted that Millam might not remain non-violent. The Post staff writer said, “His words died out. The rally was over. He turned off the megaphone and walked to his car. While the president flew back to Washington, Millam drove home on the rural highways of Iowa. He wondered: What would it take to be heard, and what would he try next?”
The media have been up in arms about the cases of vandalism at Democratic offices following the health care reform bill’s passage. All three broadcast network newscasts began their March 25 programs with the Democratic narrative of violent ObamaCare critics – attempting to discredit conservatives and blame Sarah Palin.
