But we are pleased that it did not rise (or sink) to the level of that has characterized many such meetings around the nation this month, where senators, congressional representatives and others have been drowned out or overwhelmed by efforts to essentially shut down the meetings.
Clearly, there was a hint of that at Thursday night's session at N. C. Central University's B.N. Duke Auditorium. The Herald-Sun's Monica Chen reported "frequent shouts and boos as well as cheers and applause," and at one point the organizer had to admonish the crowd that the session was "not the Jerry Springer show."
Nonetheless, the bulk of the audience appeared to be intent on having a substantive discussion of questions and concerns about the health care reform proposals taking shape in Washington.
U. S. Rep. David Price, the Democrat who represents this district, was able to respond to many thoughtful and detailed questions. While some of them reflected hostility toward the plans, many comments were supportive of change.
Gary Greenberg, a Raleigh physician, for example, offered the observation that "the problem is deep and complicated and systemic. We don't have a health care system. We have a health care marketplace."
It is a measure of the interest in this critical debate that the meeting had to be moved from its originally planned venue to a larger hall -- and even then, many people had to wait outside the door for seats to open up as others left the hall.
Passions are deep, not surprising given the magnitude of the problem and the scope of the changes that are being discussed. And some individuals and groups have seen the political profit in using the health care debate to inflame deep-seated reservations about the current administration and government in general.
Against that backdrop, the boisterous nature of Thursday's session was to be expected.
It is to our community's credit that even with that, we were able to follow through with an earnest airing of many viewpoints.
