Healthcare reform advocate punched by opponent at Nelson event

A 65-year-old man rallying in favor of healthcare reform was knocked to the ground by a man who disagreed with the call for a government-run health plan outside of a Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce meeting headlined by Sen. Bill Nelson.

Luis Perrero of Coral Gables was standing among about 40 Democratic activists and union workers when a man in a Ford pick-up truck pulled up to the rally at Jungle Island and began arguing with the crowd. The man, who only gave his first name as Raul, said Perrero called him a Spanish curse word. He punched Perrero in the face. Perrero fell to the ground and lay motionless for a few minutes.

"I'm amazed the way this has become such a politicized issue,'' Perrero said, while still sitting on the ground but sitting up. "It shows that people who are against the public option will resort to anything, including battery on a senior citizen to prevent healthcare reform.''

Wilhelmina Ford, another healthcare reform proponent at the rally, said, "It was totally uncalled for. The guy may have had words with him but he didn't have to hit him in the face.''

Fire rescue responded to the scene, where a Herald reporter was present.

-- TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA

Comments

[basher72]

Republicans are going to feel like they've been punched in the face when this is over with. Loud doesn't make a majority. Only small-minded people (and I use the word "people" loosely) behave this way. Change is coming. Get ready.

[John]

God bless these patriots speaking out at these events! NO ONE CARES ABOUT HEALTH CARE! Just a lib dem scare tactic to distract that Hussein Obama has never given a birth certificate! Fellow Republicans, keep pushing on this because we have them on the run. They have no answer to this basic fact: no proof of natural born status. VOTE REPUBLICAN AS IF YOURE LIFE DEPENDED ON IT! IT PROBABLY DOES!

[grem]

my point proven--this shows just how mean-spirited those on the far right really are...

[Ron Slade Sr.]

Diversity for the sake of difference is the greatest boondoggle ever sold the American people.
No more failed citizens of failed societies. My country is not a dumping ground for the surplus populations of the Third World.

[thought about it]

In Response to this one sided rant:

Please explain this to me: Why was it NOT fascism or tyranny when the Bush administration was torturing people, setting up secret prisons, giving contracts to gun runners, and SPYING ON THE US PEOPLE? What exactly is the more tyrannical things that Obama is doing?

AND-
Obama is spying on the American people, taking over banks and corporations, surely you can see he is focused on special interest groups and our tax dollars are going to "friends". Read and connect the dots. He is no better than Bush.... maybe much worse. In just a few months he has alienated the people more than Bush did in 8 years.

The logic fails here. It's clear that the GOP and the conservatives are RACIST DINOSAURS. They don't know what socialism is, they don't know the dynamics of capitalism, they have absolute collective amnesia about a government that LIED us into a war that most Americans agree we don't need.

AGAIN-
The Race Card is played. And Obama lies about things everytime he opens his mouth. I don't understand why so many people legally and illegally come to the US if capitalism is so bad and their own communist/socialist/democracies are so good?

RACIST DINOSAURS. As the so-called "TruePatriot" on this blog shows, they are a bunch of easily led, hateful, and terribly misguided white people who aren't strong enough to handle a changing world.

-OH BOY
Race Card again. And is it just stupid white racists that are not blindly being led by Obama and his czars. A man should look at himself in the mirror once a day. If the new change is full of hateful people like yourself - I don't want that either. I thought democrats were supposed to be tolerant of all races, religions, and gender orientations?

They would be laughable if they weren't attacking elderly people and brandishing firearms to protest the President.

Think about it right-wingers, and I mean THINK (don't just react!). Maybe read some books on economics? Democracy? Health care systems around the world? SCIENCE? Otherwise enjoy the being perpetually in the Dark Ages.

SO-
Please check the real stats of world healthcare - please talk to people from other countries. Do you know some countries do not count a child that dies at 1 year of age or more as a mortlilty or live birth. Research it.
Premature babies are not counted as live births in many countries. Research the stats.

You didn't know there was a black man at a protest with a gun?

ALAS-
I am however tired of seeing the race card pulled. Race has nothing to do with disagreement with Obama policies and ideals.
Please stop chanting about Race. It does no service to you, me, your country, or President Obama himself. It is sad and pathetic. No better than a hate spewing kkk member. I thought dems were better than that?

FYI -I am not a republican and I am actually an atheist. I am however 3/4 white. And I still disagree with Obamas policies. That doesn't make me a racist.

[Jesus]

"Violence is the last recourse of the unimaginitive" - attributed to somebody I admire

[TJ]

Doesn't anyone other than Harvard Professors in their own homes get arrested anymore?

[KFLO]

Just proves that the anti-health care mob has no clue what they're talking about so they resort to screaming and violence. So very pathetic.

[Tom]

Why has everyone jumped to the conclusion that this man is affiliated with the GOP. If you look at the current polling data there is a large number of people who didn't associate themselves with the GOP who oppose the current proposed legislation. So jumping to this conclusion as a means to throwup your anti republican speach should say something about you. Also, just because someone opposes the current legislation doesn't mean they are against health care reform. It just means they don't believe the proposed legislation is the answer. Can you point to one government run program of this scale that has stayed within the proposed budget. Can you specifically point to a European country who has public health care that you think is so great. Please explain why you feel this is a better system, please keep in mind, cost, quality, taxes, timeframe for care. Why have we not tried to propose legislation that will take care of all the unfunded entitlement of Medicare before we advocate expanding this type of system. I think that the problem is that people on the left blindly drink up everything Obama says as fact. "Obama says we will all have access to healthcare at lower cost and it will be deficit nuetral", it's ok to think for yourself and read into his claims, and what the CBO and leading economist say. Obama also said he wouldn't have lobbyist, sign a bill with earmarks, and give the public time to read the bill online. How has that worked out. For people who tout themselves as intelectuals you seem to blindly follow like sheep. The problem with the right is they are to focused on sticking it to Obama and not proposing alternatives. Please don't assume some guy named Raul is tied to the GOP. Unless the Black panthers who intimidated old white ladies from voting are part of the DNC.

[jonomixon]

People in South Florida know full well what Socialism is--they saw it from across the water when Fidel nationalized all the industries, shut down the opposition media, jailed the dissidents and homosexuals, and teamed up with the Soviets to export the revolution abroad. What does all of that got anything to do with giving poor people access to better medicine? Frankly I just don't understand what kind of person thinks their neighbors and countrymen don't deserve to have health care coverage. Just like good teachers and safe schools. America won't be worth much if the majority of the population are sick, dumb, or dead.

[Craig]

America's Health Monopoly is a FAILURE, it's criminal, it's FRAUD in fact it's MURDER!

The "Corporate Health Monopoly" has been not only assaulting but murdering seniors for years, we have around 20,000 Americans die for lack of healthcare, another 150,000 die from mistakes!

New Study Finding
In-Hospital Deaths from Medical Errors at 195,000 per Year http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/iatrogenic/message/1451

[Laugh Out Loud]

I agree with Whatta Joke: this "news" smells fishy. A Herald news reporter was on the scene, but
the license plate was not taken down by one of the many, many observers?
the perpetrator was not blocked or stopped by the many, many other advocates?
no cell-phone snapshots or vids? Honestly ???
the police made no inquiry or effort to arrest the perp?

Democrat activist groups are organized specifically to block speech and cause commotion at such meetings. They have been identified and arrested at other events for beating up other Democrats with whom they disagree. So why is it news?

[Hank]

Rethugs always blame the victim and come up with wild stories that the whole thing was staged while insisting on the lie that there were WMDs in Iraq. This country won't be going back to segregation days and the KKK and more people will care for each other than these Rethugs who claim to be Christians but worship Mammon after leaving Sunday worship. Such hypocrites. Your days are numbered as this nation becomes more diverse. Great White Hope my foot.

[Dave]

*I was on-site when this happened.*

We were trying to encourage Sen Nelson to take a position on this topic because we think that the real message has been lost with lies such as 'Death Panels', 'Socialist', 'Nazi', etc. Back to the 'politics of fear'. The conversation has gone to the lowest levels of distortions, fear, name calling and physical threats (ie, gun toting at Obama Town Halls). The other side had 8+ years to do something about this problem facing america, and chose to do nothing. Now we are in control, trying to invite the opposition into the discussion, but they aren't negotiating in good faith. They are playing politics, and trying to destroy the Obama presidency.

If you have something to say, it is a free country, and democracy is about having your voice heard. If you want to talk to me about whether we can afford it, I am 100% open to having that intelligent discussion. If you want to talk to me about whether it will improve care, I am 100% open to having that intelligent discussion. But this guy didn't.. This wing-nut pulled off the Macarthur Causeway to confront our us ranting that Obama is Hitler.

We were a completely non-confrontational / peaceful group trying lend our support to those without a voice. This notion of violence is uncalled for and completely unnecessary. Why is it that the 'other' side is always about anger and violence?

The guy was a major ******* and when the cops drove him away, they rolled down the windows and let us wave goodbye to him as he was carted off to jail.

Agree with us or not, violence is not appropriate for adults trying to work out a problem.

[Chris]

You miss the point Ohio. The Nazi party in Germany would have never gained power if it was not for the German conservatives under Hindenburg. When Hindenburg, a conservative, was elected president he chose Adolf Hitler as his Chancellor even though he had never gotten the votes of more than a third of the electorate. Hitler would never have taken over Germany and started a war that killed 55 million without the aid of conservatives. Conservatives are doing the same thing now. Conservatives have aligned themselves with American Fascists when it suits their purposes just like the German conservatives did. As you can see from the article the un-American fascists even have their own brownshirts out to try to intimidate the opposition. I am sure lots of Nazi browshirts beat on old people too.

[Doc]

This has nothing to do with healthcare reform or with Rightwing or Leftwing or Republicans or Democrats. It has to do with not insulting your opponents and keeping your anger under control.
Ethnic insults only beget violence.
If Luis hadn't uttered his "offensive Spanish expletive", Raul wouldn't have hit him. Of course, Raul shouldn't have hit him.
But it's a lesson toward knowing when to keep your trap shut and not insulting your opponent. And knowing to keep your fists to yourself.

[gaetano]

health reform we need.very true.But when I sign a contract I look at the small print. Maybe you democrats need to learn a little about the things you want to agree to and don`t believe every thing obama and his nincompoots tell you. OH! and by the way,maybe we can use the billons of dollars that we give to obamas acorn prostituion ring money to help pay for health reform.

[WOW]

The true magic of this is the pure form of communication embodied in a fist! No matter what language you speak, or even if you dont speak at all, there is no confusion about the meaning of a fist. Not only will the receiver of the fist clearly understand the message, but he will no doubt reply in a similar manner, thus ensuring open and honest communication.

[HealthCare Reform]

Either Obama is right and he can truly cut $500 billion of waste, fraud and abuse out of the Medicare budget or Medicare dependent seniors must die when $500 billion is cut from muscle and bone because there really wasn’t that much fat.

[Anon E Mous]

Maria K - So, people who get PhD's at seminaries are not religious?

Considering some liberal denominations, you may be right!