This is the genius of allowing a society freedom of speech. It provides not only support through information but respectful dialogue. We are better informed through access to each other and the ability to discover the facts and decide how they would impact us. By taking the hands off the reigns we become stronger.

To be prevented from doing so either through outright or through less blatant suppression has caused leaders of nations to have sanctions imposed on their governments by the international community. These are the tactics our politicians point to when discussing the oppressive regimes of other countries. These are the methods of repression so often decried as examples of the difference between the freedoms Americans enjoy versus those under dictatorships.

Anyone attempting to thwart the right of dialogue and discussion trespasses on ground reserved for the bounty of liberty. When this is a planned attempt to take away free speech especially from a civilized constructive discussion it is wading into the murky waters of unconstitutionality. Whether carried out through deceptive manipulation or outright force this should be called out for the illegal behavior it is.

During the recent spate of town hall health care discussions it's no wonder ordinary citizens were upset with the behavior of people planted like car bombs in audiences by lobbying groups for the purpose of preventing discussions among ordinary citizens from happening. The town halls were and are meant for discussing and debating the issue of health care solutions and what people want or don't want.

When lobbying firms masked as non profit grass roots organizations start arming people with disinformation, sending them out with agendas based on those lies to locations meant for Americans to participate in the political process with the express purpose of stopping the process that is a direct attempt to curb and even repress human rights. This becomes a blatant case of those in positions of power trying to thwart the freedoms of the little guy (you and me) when it turns out the lobbyist groups are paid by representatives of large lucrative health care industry corporations who have a direct stake in keeping prices, rates and the ability to withhold pay outs in tact.

The people screaming, shouting, heckling and shoving were depriving not just folks from the left from participating in town halls, but folks from the center and right as well. Rachel Maddow of MSNBC recently pointed to the website the Plum Line (http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/on-private-conference-call-tea-party-organizers-say-no-reform-at-all-is-goal/) and on it excerpts from a conference call involving some of the highest organizers of the corporate fueled protests. She pointed to specific quotes from the call such as one organizer stating flat out, "the purpose of (the mobs) is not to find a solution to the health care crisis."

Maddow further quoted the moderator of the call who stated, "the goal is not compromise, and ANY bill coming out this year would be a failure." This lays out blatantly the agenda of these disruptions of our political process which is to stop open discussions and reaching some form of consensus among those who pay health care industry corporation employee bills - Americans paying for health care. And, after all if the health care industry case were so strong why resort to such low tactics. The facts should be enough - right?

These lobbying firms are in it for money. They make money by representing the interests of health care corporations in this case who are also primarily motivated by the bottom line. Being as these firms all together spread false information to in essence sell their product this is a tacit form of false advertising. I mean they are paying people to go out and lie in order to continue marketing their wares.

They keep their wealthy lifestyles via ludicrous price tags for drugs, high service charges and denying coverage. In one case an insurance company denied a melanoma patient care who dutifully paid premiums for years because they failed to report what the corporation said was a pre existing condition. That condition was having had pimples. Here again they are purposefully engaging in actions which seek to deceive the public for the express purpose of making money.

No matter where you fall on the issue - reform or not or something in the middle - as a voting tax paying citizen you should be able to participate in the process without being accosted by special interest mobs. I mean the actual townsfolk are there to listen and ask any questions they wish in a civilized manner. They don't owe the health care industry anything not that anyone could deserve such behavior. Yet they have no legal recourse for the experience corporate mobs put them through.

Congress should view the videos, investigate and find out who there were paid lobbying representatives looking to stop freedom of speech as opposed to those who really were just citizens. Those who are found to have been plants should be charged and arrested and those lobbying firms and their executives should be charged as well. There is no excuse for disrupting democracy even if for a few dollars more. Money is not a problem, depriving people of constitutional rights in order to amass a little more wealth is.

Those politicians who defended the ctions of corporate plants attempting to keep American citizens from speaking over the interests of their own constituents should be ashamed of themselves. Their names should be filed away and remembered. Election season is just around the corner.

To read about my inspiration for this article go to www.lawsuitagainstuconn.com.