Fight mars town hall

Editor’s note: This is reporter Brittany Whitley’s first-hand account of events at the town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers.

Wednesday afternoon, I went to a town hall meeting hosted by U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers expecting a lively, heated debate, because, let’s be honest, things all across the U.S. are lively and heated.
What I didn’t expect was to see a fight break out in Auburn, at Monarch Estates, a retirement home.
But it happened.
The event started tamely enough: Rogers gave a brief synopsis on policy discussions in Congress, including cap and trade policy, the stimulus plan and lastly, health care reform.
He then opened the floor for questions and comments. That is when the debate started.
Although the room, which was filled to capacity by young and old, was mostly packed by Republicans, there was a minority of Democrats, and they voiced their opinions.
“I didn’t come here to make nice,” said Allen Norman, one of the first speakers. “This issue (health care) got the citizens to come out and protest with their hair on fire. It’s not about health care. It’s about the federal government being out of control … Is everyone entitled to free health care from the cradle to the grave? Who’s going to pay for it?”
From the back of the room, “It’s a basic human right.”
One woman’s hands shook as she explained that she supported the public option. She was answered with snorts and groans from some in the audience, while some tried to quiet others so she could speak.
The fight came at the end of the meeting. As people got up to leave, a man in the audience said the U.S. was on its way to becoming a dictatorship.
A man from the back of the room disputed the notion, saying the U.S. would not become a dictatorship.
Another man sitting in front of me quickly left his seat, muttering something under his breath, moved around my aisle, stepping on my purse on the way, and got in the man’s face.
The exchange happened quickly and was stopped promptly. The man who instigated the confrontation by leaving his seat was quieted by other attendees, and the man who was confronted promptly left.
When the meeting ended, I got up to gather names and ask a few more questions. Right behind me, the man involved in the initial confrontation was swinging at another man. He hit him, and after a scuffle, was pulled off.
People quickly began to leave. As I was walking out, one man confronted me, saying I didn’t need to put what I had just seen in the paper.
“That was a pretty big part of the story,” I said.
Back at the office, an employee of Monarch Estates told another reporter that they did not think the fight involved their residents, but they said they were going to investigate.
By press time, the Auburn Police Division had not received word of the fight, according to assistant chief Tommy Dawson.

The following statement was issued by Rep. Mike Roger’s office following the events:
“Folks across East Alabama are engaged and passionate in the health care debate, which is exactly why Congressman Rogers has been holding forums across his district so that folks can express their concerns openly and freely.”