It has been nearly two weeks since Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr's staffer Ann Mega violently attacked two of Pascrell's peaceful constituents -- one of them a senior citizen, the other... me -- at a public forum in Montclair, New Jersey on August 9th -- and Pascrell continues to show his support for his thug employee in several ways (refusing to fire her, sending out his spokesman to lie about what happened, etc.)
Did Pascrell also enlist a public relations (PR) flack to spread falsehoods about his employee's violent behavior?
Four days after the incidents -- on August 13th -- an article appeared on Baristanet.com entitled "Mid-Term Election Season Shoves Off -- Or Does It?" As of this writing, this article can be accessed via:
http://www.baristanet.com/2010/08/mid-term_election_season_shove.php
As I read through the article, it became clear to me that its author -- Erika Bleiberg -- was spinning everything in it in Pascrell's favor. For example:
* The article's title subtly suggests that perhaps nobody was physically shoved -- even though a Montclair Times reporter personally witnessed the senior citizen in question being shoved, and nobody in Pascrell's camp denies that this happened.
* Bleiberg apparently contacted Paul Brubaker, Pascrell's spokesman: "When Baristanet talked with Paul Brubaker...". No such attempt was made to contact me, even though I am easily found through Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
* Bleiberg swallows whole the obvious fiction that Ann Mega shoving me is a "'he said/she said' scenario" -- when in fact there were multiple witnesses, and multiple witnesses have come forward backing up my assertion that Pascrell's employee violently attacked me. And in fact, Mega has not publicly commented on the matter at all, preferring to hide behind Pascrell via Pascrell's spokesman. Contrast this with my approach -- since (unlike Pascrell and Mega) I have nothing to hide, I have been very open and public with my comments that I was physically attacked. In other words, this is not a 'he said/she said' scenario at all!
* Bleiberg apparently never gets around to one highly obvious question any curious person would think to ask of Pascrell's spokesman: why should we believe that Mega never shoved me, when just 10-15 minutes earlier, she shoved a senior citizen, an action witnessed by a reporter for the Montclair Times, and an action which nobody denies -- not even Pascrell or Mega?
* Bleiberg quotes Pascrell's spokesman as saying that "People's focus should be on the fact that Congressman Pascrell had a great meeting..." blah blah blah, but never points out the opposite view that people's focus should be on the fact that Congressman Pascrell's employee violently attacked two of his peaceful constituents, and that this powerful congressman is supporting his violent employee. Fair and balanced writing by Bleiberg? Obviously not!
* Bleiberg quotes a spokeman for the senior citizen who was physically attacked saying that he "didn't feel physically threatened and wasn't bothered by Mega." At no point in the article is the point made that I most definitely felt physically threatened -- it actually went beyond threats, too, as multiple witnesses and I have indicated, I was physically shoved -- and I was most definitely bothered by Mega's violation of my free-speech rights!
But then I did a bit of research on Erika Bleiberg... and a light bulb went off inside my head.
As it turns out, Bleiberg is a professional PR flack!
According to Bleiberg's personal profile on LinkedIn.com, she has held a number of public relations positions:
* "Principal at EB-PR"
* "Public Relations Director at C.C. Sullivan Strategic Communications"
* "Marketing/Public Relations Director at Fines Herbes, Inc"
And more... and, on top of that, she is "Currently enrolled in the PR/Digital Marketing Certificate Program at NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies, focusing on social media and technology."
Groups she belongs to on LinkedIn include:
* "Social Media Marketing"
* "Public Relations and Communications Professionals"
* "PRSA-NY (PRSA New York Chapter)"
* "Public Relations and Communications Jobs Community"
She also lists her industry as "Public Relations and Communications," and one of her current positions as " Writer Baristanet.com (Broadcast Media industry) June 2010 — Present (3 months) Cover local news and public affairs stories."
So it's clear that Bleiberg to a large extent views herself as working in public relations, and clearly views media outlets -- for example, Baristanet.com -- as places in which to disseminate her less-than-fully-truthful spin. How pathetic of her. I wonder how folks like this sleep at night.
Now, it is possible that Bleiberg decided to write all this on her own. That said, it seems highly unlikely. For one thing, I did not see her at the Montclair forum. So somebody who was there must have told her about what happened -- and she has freely admitted that she was in touch with Pascrell's spokesman.
Is Pascrell so afraid that the truth will come out about his employee's affection for violence -- and his support for her and her actions! -- that he directed his staff to contact a professional PR flack to write a far less than fully truthful (not to mention rather lame) article on Baristanet.com?
*** The North New Jersey Tea Party Group continues to call on Congressman Pascrell to do the honorable thing, by immediately and permanently firing Ann Mega from his staff, and by sincerely apologizing for her thuggish behavior -- and his shameful support of it. ***
To date, no such actions or apology have been forthcoming.
For additional information about how Pascrell shows his contempt for the governed, please click on the following links:
"Congressman Pascrell Supports Staffer Who Shoved Senior Citizen"
"Eyewitness Describes Physical Attack by Congressman Pascrell's (D-NJ) Employee at Town Hall Meeting"
"Calling on Congressman Pascrell to Immediately Fire Staffer Ann Mega for Physically Attacking Two Peaceful Constituents"
"Must-See Video: Democratic Congressman Arrogantly Insults Senior Citizen"
*** The North New Jersey Tea Party Group is the largest New Jersey-based tea party organization on Facebook in terms of members, with over 4,500 of them combined in our two group pages. ***
*** As always, feel free to pass on the above information! ***
Mark Kalinowski
North New Jersey Tea Party Group
Liberty, Free Markets, and Individual Rights
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=172402990061
and
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111373848903476
E-Mail: nnjteaparty@gmail.com
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Congressman Pascrell Supports Staffer Who Shoved Senior Citizen
Fellow Tea Partiers,
There is at least one aspect of what happened at Congressman Bill Pascrell's August 9th Forum on Senior Issues -- a forum open to the public, and held in a public building -- that is not getting nearly as much attention as it should: nobody disputes that Pascrell staffer Ann Mega physically attacked a senior citizen at this forum. Given this context, it is disgusting that Pascrell continues to show his support for his employee by not firing her, and by not apologizing for her thuggish behavior.
The reason that Pascrell and his staff know they can't get away with lying about what happened with regard to the particular senior citizen who was attacked is simple. A reporter for the Montclair Times personally witnessed Mega shove this senior citizen, and the reporter was honest enough and brave enough to write about it. Here is some of what the Montclair Times reporter wrote:
* "Ann Mega, Pascrell’s field representative, physically pushed [the senior citizen] out of the chambers..."
* "When [this senior citizen] ventured into the chambers, Mega put her hands on him and pushed him out of the room, an action witnessed by a Times reporter."
At no point in this Montclair Times article -- or a subsequent follow-up -- do Pascrell, his spokesman Paul Brubaker, Mega, or anybody connected with Pascrell's campaign deny that Mega physically attacked a senior citizen.
In fact, a thorough Google search of the internet turns up absolutely no evidence whatsoever of Pascrell, Brubaker, Mega, or anybody else associated with Pascrell's campaign denies that Mega physically attacked a senior citizen at the August 9th Forum on Senior Issues in Montclair!
In other words: their silence about the matter is their tacit admission that it happened.
This of course is bad enough -- Mega has no right to physically attack a senior citizen.
But it gets worse. By now -- more than a week after this incident -- Pascrell should have fired Mega, and sincerely apologized for her actions (which, after all, were undertaken in her role as Pascrell's field representative).
Pascrell's refusal to fire Mega, Pascrell's refusal to offer an apology for his employee's actions, Pascrell's refusal to do ANYTHING to right this wrong show that he supports her actions, and hopes that they blow over without any serious repercussions to him or to Mega.
In the private sector, Mega likely would have been fired by now. For one thing, companies don't want to risk potentially costly lawsuits by showing support for unhinged, physically violent employees.
But in Washington D.C. -- or at least, the part of Washington D.C. that Bill Pascrell Jr. inhabits -- apparently shoving senior citizens is permissible.
I find this reprehensible, as any fair-minded American would. Senior citizens do not deserve to have the use of physical force initiated against them by any government employee -- much less a key staff member of a powerful United States congressman!
For more information about the two -- yes, two! -- peaceful constituents that Pascrell's employee attacked in separate incidents on August 9th, please refer to the following blog posts:
"Eyewitness Describes Physical Attack by Congressman Pascrell's (D-NJ) Employee at Town Hall Meeting":
http://njteapartiesunited.blogspot.com/2010/08/fellow-tea-partiers-as-you-may-have.html
"Calling on Congressman Pascrell to Immediately Fire Staffer Ann Mega for Physically Attacking Two Peaceful Constituents":
http://njteapartiesunited.blogspot.com/2010/08/calling-on-congressman-pascrell-to.html
Details in these links include the identification of and some additional details about the two individuals who Ann Mega physically attacked. Media outlets are encouraged to learn more by contacting the second individual attacked -- me -- by e-mailing me at:
nnjteaparty@gmail.com
The North New Jersey Tea Party Group continues to call on Congressman Pascrell to do the honorable thing, by immediately and permanently firing Ann Mega from his staff, and by sincerely apologizing for her thuggish behavior -- and his shameful support of it.
To date, no such actions or apology have been forthcoming.
*** The North New Jersey Tea Party Group is the largest New Jersey-based tea party organization on Facebook in terms of members, with over 4,500 of them combined in our two group pages. ***
*** As always, feel free to pass on the above information! ***
Mark Kalinowski
North New Jersey Tea Party Group
Liberty, Free Markets, and Individual Rights
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=172402990061
and
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111373848903476
E-Mail: nnjteaparty@gmail.com
There is at least one aspect of what happened at Congressman Bill Pascrell's August 9th Forum on Senior Issues -- a forum open to the public, and held in a public building -- that is not getting nearly as much attention as it should: nobody disputes that Pascrell staffer Ann Mega physically attacked a senior citizen at this forum. Given this context, it is disgusting that Pascrell continues to show his support for his employee by not firing her, and by not apologizing for her thuggish behavior.
The reason that Pascrell and his staff know they can't get away with lying about what happened with regard to the particular senior citizen who was attacked is simple. A reporter for the Montclair Times personally witnessed Mega shove this senior citizen, and the reporter was honest enough and brave enough to write about it. Here is some of what the Montclair Times reporter wrote:
* "Ann Mega, Pascrell’s field representative, physically pushed [the senior citizen] out of the chambers..."
* "When [this senior citizen] ventured into the chambers, Mega put her hands on him and pushed him out of the room, an action witnessed by a Times reporter."
At no point in this Montclair Times article -- or a subsequent follow-up -- do Pascrell, his spokesman Paul Brubaker, Mega, or anybody connected with Pascrell's campaign deny that Mega physically attacked a senior citizen.
In fact, a thorough Google search of the internet turns up absolutely no evidence whatsoever of Pascrell, Brubaker, Mega, or anybody else associated with Pascrell's campaign denies that Mega physically attacked a senior citizen at the August 9th Forum on Senior Issues in Montclair!
In other words: their silence about the matter is their tacit admission that it happened.
This of course is bad enough -- Mega has no right to physically attack a senior citizen.
But it gets worse. By now -- more than a week after this incident -- Pascrell should have fired Mega, and sincerely apologized for her actions (which, after all, were undertaken in her role as Pascrell's field representative).
Pascrell's refusal to fire Mega, Pascrell's refusal to offer an apology for his employee's actions, Pascrell's refusal to do ANYTHING to right this wrong show that he supports her actions, and hopes that they blow over without any serious repercussions to him or to Mega.
In the private sector, Mega likely would have been fired by now. For one thing, companies don't want to risk potentially costly lawsuits by showing support for unhinged, physically violent employees.
But in Washington D.C. -- or at least, the part of Washington D.C. that Bill Pascrell Jr. inhabits -- apparently shoving senior citizens is permissible.
I find this reprehensible, as any fair-minded American would. Senior citizens do not deserve to have the use of physical force initiated against them by any government employee -- much less a key staff member of a powerful United States congressman!
For more information about the two -- yes, two! -- peaceful constituents that Pascrell's employee attacked in separate incidents on August 9th, please refer to the following blog posts:
"Eyewitness Describes Physical Attack by Congressman Pascrell's (D-NJ) Employee at Town Hall Meeting":
http://njteapartiesunited.blogspot.com/2010/08/fellow-tea-partiers-as-you-may-have.html
"Calling on Congressman Pascrell to Immediately Fire Staffer Ann Mega for Physically Attacking Two Peaceful Constituents":
http://njteapartiesunited.blogspot.com/2010/08/calling-on-congressman-pascrell-to.html
Details in these links include the identification of and some additional details about the two individuals who Ann Mega physically attacked. Media outlets are encouraged to learn more by contacting the second individual attacked -- me -- by e-mailing me at:
nnjteaparty@gmail.com
The North New Jersey Tea Party Group continues to call on Congressman Pascrell to do the honorable thing, by immediately and permanently firing Ann Mega from his staff, and by sincerely apologizing for her thuggish behavior -- and his shameful support of it.
To date, no such actions or apology have been forthcoming.
*** The North New Jersey Tea Party Group is the largest New Jersey-based tea party organization on Facebook in terms of members, with over 4,500 of them combined in our two group pages. ***
*** As always, feel free to pass on the above information! ***
Mark Kalinowski
North New Jersey Tea Party Group
Liberty, Free Markets, and Individual Rights
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=172402990061
and
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111373848903476
E-Mail: nnjteaparty@gmail.com
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Eyewitness Describes Physical Attack by Congressman Pascrell's (D-NJ) Employee at Town Hall Meeting
Fellow Tea Partiers,
As you may have heard by now, this past Monday, August 9th at a public forum in Montclair, New Jersey hosted by Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), I was physically attacked by Pascrell's employee Ann Mega.
Although there were multiple witnesses to this attack, Pascrell and his staff are choosing to lie about this incident, hoping that it will go away. For example, a story on the Montclair Times website notes that "Paul Brubaker, Pascrell's spokesman, said he spoke to Mega, who denied touching Kalinowski."
Pascrell and his staff are sorely mistaken if they think that they will get away with such blatant lies.
Toward that end, we have interviewed one of the eyewitnesses to the attack, Patricia Kehlback. (Thank you very much Patricia for your responses to my questions.) Read for yourself what this eyewtiness has to say about Ann Mega's attack on me, and Pascrell's support for her:
***
Question 1. Yes or no -- did you personally witness Congressman Bill Pascrell's employee Ann Mega physically attack me -- not just my reaction to her attack, but the actual attack itself -- at Pascrell's Forum on Senior Issues in Montclair, New Jersey on August 9, 2010?
Patricia's response: "Yes; at that time; I was looking around the room to see if [Patricia's friend] Ellen had arrived yet; as I always save a seat for her and saw you walk in; and I saw this woman come right at you; and forcefully push you... you appeared stunned."
***
Question 2. Would you characterize Mega's touching of me as gentle and friendly, or something more rough and sinister?
Patricia's response: "Oh, she was like a Bulldog and approached you as one."
***
Question 3. Do you think Mega was trying to grab me, push me, or something else?
Patricia's response: "She pushed you to get out of there."
***
Question 4. The Montclair Times notes that "Paul Brubaker, Pascrell’s spokesman, said he spoke to Mega, who denied touching Kalinowski." What is your reaction to Mega's claim that she didn't touch me?
Patricia's response: "That is a complete lie; she most certainly touched you."
***
Question 5. My immediate response to Mega physically attacking me was to shout at her, "Get your hands off of me!" Shortly thereafter, Congressman Pascrell shouted at me that "You don't talk to a lady that way!" Do you consider it to be ladylike behavior to physically attack a peaceful American citizen? Why or why not?
Patricia's response: "She was out of order; as was Pascrell. What right does a Woman have, to behave in this manner; yet, if it were the other way around; (the man touching a woman) the man would be arrested."
***
We will have much, much more to say about Ann Mega's physical attacks on two of Pascrell's peaceful constituents -- the other of whom is a senior citizen -- and Pascrell's support for her, in coming days. In the meantime, for more information about these attacks, please refer to the following August 12th blog post:
http://njteapartiesunited.blogspot.com/2010/08/calling-on-congressman-pascrell-to.html
The North New Jersey Tea Party Group continues to call on Congressman Pascrell to do the honorable thing, by immediately and permanently firing Ann Mega from his staff, and by sincerely apologizing for her thuggish behavior -- and his shameful support of it.
To date, no such actions or apology have been forthcoming.
*** The North New Jersey Tea Party Group is the largest New Jersey-based tea party organization on Facebook in terms of members, with over 4,500 of them combined in our two group pages. ***
*** As always, feel free to pass on the above information! ***
Mark Kalinowski
North New Jersey Tea Party Group
Liberty, Free Markets, and Individual Rights
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=172402990061
and
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111373848903476
E-Mail: nnjteaparty@gmail.com
As you may have heard by now, this past Monday, August 9th at a public forum in Montclair, New Jersey hosted by Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), I was physically attacked by Pascrell's employee Ann Mega.
Although there were multiple witnesses to this attack, Pascrell and his staff are choosing to lie about this incident, hoping that it will go away. For example, a story on the Montclair Times website notes that "Paul Brubaker, Pascrell's spokesman, said he spoke to Mega, who denied touching Kalinowski."
Pascrell and his staff are sorely mistaken if they think that they will get away with such blatant lies.
Toward that end, we have interviewed one of the eyewitnesses to the attack, Patricia Kehlback. (Thank you very much Patricia for your responses to my questions.) Read for yourself what this eyewtiness has to say about Ann Mega's attack on me, and Pascrell's support for her:
***
Question 1. Yes or no -- did you personally witness Congressman Bill Pascrell's employee Ann Mega physically attack me -- not just my reaction to her attack, but the actual attack itself -- at Pascrell's Forum on Senior Issues in Montclair, New Jersey on August 9, 2010?
Patricia's response: "Yes; at that time; I was looking around the room to see if [Patricia's friend] Ellen had arrived yet; as I always save a seat for her and saw you walk in; and I saw this woman come right at you; and forcefully push you... you appeared stunned."
***
Question 2. Would you characterize Mega's touching of me as gentle and friendly, or something more rough and sinister?
Patricia's response: "Oh, she was like a Bulldog and approached you as one."
***
Question 3. Do you think Mega was trying to grab me, push me, or something else?
Patricia's response: "She pushed you to get out of there."
***
Question 4. The Montclair Times notes that "Paul Brubaker, Pascrell’s spokesman, said he spoke to Mega, who denied touching Kalinowski." What is your reaction to Mega's claim that she didn't touch me?
Patricia's response: "That is a complete lie; she most certainly touched you."
***
Question 5. My immediate response to Mega physically attacking me was to shout at her, "Get your hands off of me!" Shortly thereafter, Congressman Pascrell shouted at me that "You don't talk to a lady that way!" Do you consider it to be ladylike behavior to physically attack a peaceful American citizen? Why or why not?
Patricia's response: "She was out of order; as was Pascrell. What right does a Woman have, to behave in this manner; yet, if it were the other way around; (the man touching a woman) the man would be arrested."
***
We will have much, much more to say about Ann Mega's physical attacks on two of Pascrell's peaceful constituents -- the other of whom is a senior citizen -- and Pascrell's support for her, in coming days. In the meantime, for more information about these attacks, please refer to the following August 12th blog post:
http://njteapartiesunited.blogspot.com/2010/08/calling-on-congressman-pascrell-to.html
The North New Jersey Tea Party Group continues to call on Congressman Pascrell to do the honorable thing, by immediately and permanently firing Ann Mega from his staff, and by sincerely apologizing for her thuggish behavior -- and his shameful support of it.
To date, no such actions or apology have been forthcoming.
*** The North New Jersey Tea Party Group is the largest New Jersey-based tea party organization on Facebook in terms of members, with over 4,500 of them combined in our two group pages. ***
*** As always, feel free to pass on the above information! ***
Mark Kalinowski
North New Jersey Tea Party Group
Liberty, Free Markets, and Individual Rights
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=172402990061
and
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111373848903476
E-Mail: nnjteaparty@gmail.com
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Calling on Congressman Pascrell to Immediately Fire Staffer Ann Mega for Physically Attacking Two Peaceful Constituents
Fellow Tea Partiers,
During the August 9th town hall meeting hosted by Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. at the township of Montclair's Municipal Building, Pascrell's field representative Ann Mega physically attacked two of his constituents. These constituents had a right to attend the public forum, were acting peacefully, and were attacked at least in part because they were exercising their unalienable moral right to free speech.
*** As such, the North New Jersey Tea Party Group calls on Congressman Pascrell to do the honorable thing, by immediately and permanently firing Ann Mega from his staff. ***
Pascrell serves as the congressman from New Jersey's 8th congressional district. During the start of Pascrell's town hall meeting in Montclair -- which was billed on his website as a "Forum on Senior Issues" -- Pascrell staffer Ann Mega physically attacked Roland Straten, a constituent and resident of Montclair who happens to be Pascrell's opponent in this November's general election.
According to the Montclair Times, "Ann Mega, Pascrell’s field representative, physically pushed Roland Straten, Pascrell’s Republican challenger, out of the chambers as Straten attempted to distribute campaign literature to the roughly 90 people attending the forum." The Montclair Times further notes that, "Straten, who is seeking to unseat Pascrell this November, stood in the hallway outside the Council Chambers before the forum began, handing out campaign literature. When he ventured into the chambers, Mega put her hands on him and pushed him out of the room, an action witnessed by a Times reporter."
Approximately 10-15 minutes after this attempt by Mega to deny one of Pascrell's constituents his unalienable rights at a forum open to the general public, I arrived at the town hall meeting. As the meeting had started several minutes prior to my arrival, I quietly headed to the back of the room, pulled out some homemade tea party fliers from my backpack, and started to peacefully distribute them to whomever in the room wanted them.
(Those of you receiving this message by e-mail will find the relevant flier attached; those of you receiving this message by Facebook can obtain the flier by sending an e-mail to nnjteaparty@gmail.com. Feel free to copy, print, and distribute the flier as you see fit. Unlike Ann Mega, I have nothing to hide.)
Shortly after I started quietly distributing the fliers, Mega rushed up to me and forcefully placed her hands on me, attempting to either grab me or push me. My natural reaction to this unexpected violation of my First Amendment rights was to shout "Get your hands off of me!"
At that point, Pascrell himself starting belligerently asking me questions such as -- according to video I've obtained of the incident -- "Do you have a problem?" He also berated me, for example yelling "You don't talk to a lady that way!"
Apparently when a woman physically attacks a man, Pascrell thinks that speaking up about it in an effort to stop the attack is ungentlemanly.
In other words, when one of Pascrell's staffers physically attacked me, his shameful response was to defend her, and yell at the person who was physically attacked!
I informed Pascrell that -- since his meeting was open to the general public, and since taxpayers were paying for it -- I had every right to be in that room, and every right to exercise my First Amendment rights in it (for example, by passing out a homemade flier). I also said "she put her hands on me, she has no right to do that, no right."
Pascrell's response to that? "We're having a meeting here." In other words, Pascrell showed absolutely no concern at all that his staffer had physically attacked me -- only 10-15 minutes after she had attacked another peaceful constituent in that very same room.
Following this, at some point, according to the Montclair Times, "Paul Brubaker, Pascrell’s spokesman, said he spoke to Mega, who denied touching Kalinowski. 'He practically accused a 4-and-a-half-foot-tall woman of assault in the middle of a public forum.'"
Mega's denial that she touched me is a blatant lie, as anybody in the back of the room at the time who was paying attention knows. It is disgraceful that Pascrell would permit his staff to physically attack two of his constituents. It is even worse that he would then permit them to lie about at least one of those attacks shortly afterward.
(Brubaker's comments do bring up some questions. For example: do Pascrell and his staff think it's morally permissible for government employees to physically assault their peaceful constituents, so long as those employees are female?)
And of course, the proper context to think about Mega's thuggishness is not that she happens to be a woman, which is completely irrelevant. What's relevant is that Pascrell's job is to protect his constituents' rights, and it's his staff's job to help Pascrell accomplish this. In general, government's reason to exist is to protect the unalienable rights of all individuals, and as such, this renders it especially disturbing when any government employee -- and in particular, a congressman's staff member -- acts to violate the very rights that they are entrusted to protect.
*** Based on her multiple initiations of force against peaceful constituents, Ann Mega has proven herself totally unfit to hold any government position. As such, the North New Jersey Tea Party Group calls for her immediate and permanent dismissal from Pascrell's staff. ***
And regarding gentlemanly behavior... it would be gentlemanly if Pascrell sincerely apologized for his staffer's thuggery, and for his staff's reprehensible attempt to cover up at least one of these attacks with an obvious lie. (As of this writing, I have yet to receive any type of an apology from Pascrell, Mega, or anybody else connected with Pascrell or Mega.)
We await word from Pascrell, and will have more to say (and do) about all of this should he -- not his staff, he -- fail to directly respond and address this unfortunate and regrettable situation to our full satisfaction. Pascrell can reach me at any time through e-mail at:
nnjteaparty@gmail.com
*** The North New Jersey Tea Party Group is the largest New Jersey-based tea party organization on Facebook in terms of members, with over 4,500 of them combined in our two group pages. ***
*** As always, feel free to pass on the above information! ***
Mark Kalinowski
North New Jersey Tea Party Group
Liberty, Free Markets, and Individual Rights
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=172402990061
and
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111373848903476
E-Mail: nnjteaparty@gmail.com
During the August 9th town hall meeting hosted by Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. at the township of Montclair's Municipal Building, Pascrell's field representative Ann Mega physically attacked two of his constituents. These constituents had a right to attend the public forum, were acting peacefully, and were attacked at least in part because they were exercising their unalienable moral right to free speech.
*** As such, the North New Jersey Tea Party Group calls on Congressman Pascrell to do the honorable thing, by immediately and permanently firing Ann Mega from his staff. ***
Pascrell serves as the congressman from New Jersey's 8th congressional district. During the start of Pascrell's town hall meeting in Montclair -- which was billed on his website as a "Forum on Senior Issues" -- Pascrell staffer Ann Mega physically attacked Roland Straten, a constituent and resident of Montclair who happens to be Pascrell's opponent in this November's general election.
According to the Montclair Times, "Ann Mega, Pascrell’s field representative, physically pushed Roland Straten, Pascrell’s Republican challenger, out of the chambers as Straten attempted to distribute campaign literature to the roughly 90 people attending the forum." The Montclair Times further notes that, "Straten, who is seeking to unseat Pascrell this November, stood in the hallway outside the Council Chambers before the forum began, handing out campaign literature. When he ventured into the chambers, Mega put her hands on him and pushed him out of the room, an action witnessed by a Times reporter."
Approximately 10-15 minutes after this attempt by Mega to deny one of Pascrell's constituents his unalienable rights at a forum open to the general public, I arrived at the town hall meeting. As the meeting had started several minutes prior to my arrival, I quietly headed to the back of the room, pulled out some homemade tea party fliers from my backpack, and started to peacefully distribute them to whomever in the room wanted them.
(Those of you receiving this message by e-mail will find the relevant flier attached; those of you receiving this message by Facebook can obtain the flier by sending an e-mail to nnjteaparty@gmail.com. Feel free to copy, print, and distribute the flier as you see fit. Unlike Ann Mega, I have nothing to hide.)
Shortly after I started quietly distributing the fliers, Mega rushed up to me and forcefully placed her hands on me, attempting to either grab me or push me. My natural reaction to this unexpected violation of my First Amendment rights was to shout "Get your hands off of me!"
At that point, Pascrell himself starting belligerently asking me questions such as -- according to video I've obtained of the incident -- "Do you have a problem?" He also berated me, for example yelling "You don't talk to a lady that way!"
Apparently when a woman physically attacks a man, Pascrell thinks that speaking up about it in an effort to stop the attack is ungentlemanly.
In other words, when one of Pascrell's staffers physically attacked me, his shameful response was to defend her, and yell at the person who was physically attacked!
I informed Pascrell that -- since his meeting was open to the general public, and since taxpayers were paying for it -- I had every right to be in that room, and every right to exercise my First Amendment rights in it (for example, by passing out a homemade flier). I also said "she put her hands on me, she has no right to do that, no right."
Pascrell's response to that? "We're having a meeting here." In other words, Pascrell showed absolutely no concern at all that his staffer had physically attacked me -- only 10-15 minutes after she had attacked another peaceful constituent in that very same room.
Following this, at some point, according to the Montclair Times, "Paul Brubaker, Pascrell’s spokesman, said he spoke to Mega, who denied touching Kalinowski. 'He practically accused a 4-and-a-half-foot-tall woman of assault in the middle of a public forum.'"
Mega's denial that she touched me is a blatant lie, as anybody in the back of the room at the time who was paying attention knows. It is disgraceful that Pascrell would permit his staff to physically attack two of his constituents. It is even worse that he would then permit them to lie about at least one of those attacks shortly afterward.
(Brubaker's comments do bring up some questions. For example: do Pascrell and his staff think it's morally permissible for government employees to physically assault their peaceful constituents, so long as those employees are female?)
And of course, the proper context to think about Mega's thuggishness is not that she happens to be a woman, which is completely irrelevant. What's relevant is that Pascrell's job is to protect his constituents' rights, and it's his staff's job to help Pascrell accomplish this. In general, government's reason to exist is to protect the unalienable rights of all individuals, and as such, this renders it especially disturbing when any government employee -- and in particular, a congressman's staff member -- acts to violate the very rights that they are entrusted to protect.
*** Based on her multiple initiations of force against peaceful constituents, Ann Mega has proven herself totally unfit to hold any government position. As such, the North New Jersey Tea Party Group calls for her immediate and permanent dismissal from Pascrell's staff. ***
And regarding gentlemanly behavior... it would be gentlemanly if Pascrell sincerely apologized for his staffer's thuggery, and for his staff's reprehensible attempt to cover up at least one of these attacks with an obvious lie. (As of this writing, I have yet to receive any type of an apology from Pascrell, Mega, or anybody else connected with Pascrell or Mega.)
We await word from Pascrell, and will have more to say (and do) about all of this should he -- not his staff, he -- fail to directly respond and address this unfortunate and regrettable situation to our full satisfaction. Pascrell can reach me at any time through e-mail at:
nnjteaparty@gmail.com
*** The North New Jersey Tea Party Group is the largest New Jersey-based tea party organization on Facebook in terms of members, with over 4,500 of them combined in our two group pages. ***
*** As always, feel free to pass on the above information! ***
Mark Kalinowski
North New Jersey Tea Party Group
Liberty, Free Markets, and Individual Rights
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=172402990061
and
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111373848903476
E-Mail: nnjteaparty@gmail.com
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