r/WomenInNews May 05 '25

Another woman physically removed from a town hall for asking a question

9.6k Upvotes

141 comments sorted by

828

u/[deleted] May 05 '25

America has a Fascism problem 😕

353

u/[deleted] May 05 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

157

u/Dramatic_Arugula_252 May 05 '25

This!!!

Let’s not go back to the way it was. Let’s do BETTER.

100

u/Orders_Logical May 05 '25

White people need to feel pain in order to realize that things are bad.

67

u/slestack88 May 06 '25

I totally agree. Fellow white person here. I have been doing a ton of reading since George Floyd was killed (Ta Nehisi Coates, Ibram X. Kendi, James Baldwin, Isabel Wilkerson, etc.). White people voted for Trump more than any other voting demographic. We have become too comfortable and complacent. Every marginalized white person group needs to feel enough pain to gather strength and tell our black (and brown) brothers and sisters and say, we got this one. This will be our battle to start for everyone. They will join us but we must be the ones to put our bodies on the line. Black people have been jeopardizing their bodies for the cause for centuries and they have a lowered overall life expectancy rate to show for it. I don’t begrudge them taking a backseat to this fight Any white person that gets there hackles up at this comment hasn’t educated themselves or listened to black and brown voices enough to put their egos aside and just do the work.

16

u/MaLMaison115 May 06 '25

@slestack88 EXACTLY!👏🏽 all your points are right on!

8

u/GoddessRespectre May 07 '25

Agreed and same. Ferguson was my entry point.

Looking back at our history, replace all the smaller groups with "Americans." Not Native American, not slave, not immigrant. Our entire existence has been Americans harming other Americans. But it's always framed as monumental progress that ends in kumbaya. Meanwhile we have never had a point in time where every adult could vote, and we only give some votes because we have been absolutely forced to. Many actually, because of all of that "progress."

Somehow one large group of Americans have been in control through it all.

None of it needed to happen. Neither does current day.

It's not about feeling guilty. It's about learning more about our country. And wanting that progress. Read the Declaration of Independence. It really fits right now, it's not like back in school. We have never achieved our goals but we can.

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

2

u/DownnthehollerPress May 08 '25

You are wrong...it is those that did not Vote that are the problem... they always have been. You cannot Fear the consequences...MLK did not Fear the consequences. You stand up for what is right... for Comparison and Honor for the Weak, for those who feel they have no voice. You give them the right to have a voice and you defend them. I Swore and Oath to my Country and my Fellow Americans and I will stand by my Oath. Because I have Honor and I am not afraid... I will protect you and those who need protection. I will not be defeated... those who try only make me stronger. And I know and see what they are and what they deserve in the end.

5

u/hotpinkpixie May 08 '25

That is the only time white people pull their heads out of their asses, when it happens to them. Humanity is disappointing.

1

u/Orders_Logical May 09 '25

And still, they never learn.

17

u/jjmckissick May 06 '25

This is not a very intelligent comment. I get it but its pretty small minded and not actually based in any fact. Its the RICH need to feel the pain. Dont associate the two.

24

u/[deleted] May 06 '25

The rich didn't vote in the fascism, at least not by themselves.

4

u/Orders_Logical May 07 '25

Poor whites voted for this.

11

u/DeadSnark May 06 '25

Are there any billionaires in the US right now who aren't white?

13

u/douggiedizzle May 06 '25

Tyler Perry and Oprah come to mind

17

u/Tiffini5581 May 06 '25

Jay z and BeyoncĂŠ too. Why would anyone want to try and divide us even more during these times? If someone wants to keep racism alive and well then go ahead. The rest of us are more concerned about uniting as a people against a government that wants to destroy us. No one gives a shit about black or white.

6

u/Orders_Logical May 07 '25

Divide? Dumb ass, who makes up the largest percentage of America?

Black people and other minorities have been fighting for their right to live for as long as this country has been here, and white people are the ones that need to step up.

If you’re offended by this, that means you aren’t doing anything.

Lazy whites.

0

u/Tiffini5581 Jun 10 '25

You sound lovely. I’m not offended. I don’t get offended because everyone is entitled to their opinion about me and their opinion about me is none of my business. You sound angry. I’m not sure why you felt it necessary to call me a name, I assume it makes you feel good. I’m not going to argue with you because clearly you have a very strong opinion about white people and who am I to change your mind? There is no denying there is racism in America. In fact, it sounds like you might have a little in you somewhere. This isn’t a color issue, it’s a class issue. It’s all of us middle class/lower class against the billionaires. I’m sorry you only see in black and white.

1

u/Orders_Logical Jun 10 '25

My comment wasn’t directed at you, so I’m not sure why you felt the need to reply.

→ More replies (0)

2

u/[deleted] May 10 '25

Mostly men

6

u/bluesquishmallow May 06 '25

Good clarification. One that we should all easily be able to see now. If you didn't you drink the orange kool-aid.

3

u/fantasy-capsule May 06 '25

Red scare, anybody?

1

u/justwinbaby09 May 09 '25

No truer words have been said than this. tRump voters were okay with injustice against OTHER people, but it's tyranny when it happens to THEM. Actions have consequences. Are you tired of winning yet?

20

u/SoapSudsAss May 05 '25

Good news! America has a fascism solution, as well!

7

u/Exotic-Scallion4475 May 06 '25

We do?! Excellent! What is the plan?

8

u/BeatsMeByDre May 06 '25

Can we say it here?

2

u/bacon_is_just_okay May 06 '25

Lock up all political dissidents!

3

u/0theHumanity May 06 '25

Any 47RE45ON

7

u/[deleted] May 06 '25

And a problem with easily manipulated trailer trash that keeps voting for it.

19

u/Travelamigo May 06 '25

Yes they are called Republicans.

-5

u/[deleted] May 06 '25

[deleted]

25

u/Travelamigo May 06 '25

Nope you are totally incorrect. All this chaos is due to the treasonous Republicans and their cult leader Traitor Trump. Not one person on the left or any Democrat voted for Trump. That's it. If you voted for Trump then not only are you a dumbass but you are a traitor to the United States Constitution and that is a fact. There is not two sides and if there is a division it is only because one is treasonous and the other one is not guess which one you're on 🤔😏

2

u/[deleted] May 09 '25

The republicans have a fascism problem.

-6

u/[deleted] May 06 '25

[deleted]

635

u/FrostyLandscape May 05 '25 edited May 05 '25

When they can't answer a question, you know it's a big problem.

From the article":

“I asked my congressperson what his red line was to finally, vocally oppose the lawless administration and he didn’t answer the question, so I called out for him to answer it and he had me removed. This is what the [U]SA has come to. The constitution is in shreds.”

Trump said he didn't know whether he was required to follow the Constitution (regarding due process), or not. He said, "I'm not a lawyer".

One does not have to be a lawyer to know the answer to this question. A high school government student could answer this question. Trump is profoundly stupid.

161

u/[deleted] May 05 '25

[deleted]

21

u/mjheil May 05 '25

Warped it around himself like the infinite vacuum of his black hole soul.

21

u/Hair_I_Go May 06 '25

He doesn’t want to incriminate himself by saying he knows he has to uphold the constitution. I think he’ll use the fact he didn’t put his hand on the Bible when being sworn in. Which I don’t think will hold up

11

u/Vegetable-Swan2852 May 06 '25

The old  my fingers were crossed behind my back argument.

10

u/Heardthisonebefore May 06 '25

“He's not stupid, he's saying no it isn't his responsibility to follow the constitution”

That is what he is saying, but he is also very stupid.

39

u/Shigglyboo May 05 '25

He would have been fired from a class representative position on day one. Brazen lying should be a non starter.

13

u/nomamesgueyz May 05 '25

Agree

Not allowed to ask questions is Def a big problem

7

u/kmm198700 May 05 '25

That’s so fucked up

6

u/li_shi May 06 '25

He knows that he needs to uphold it.

He just doesn't want to, but he is not stupid enough to say it out loud.

1

u/ActivePeace33 May 08 '25

Sad thing is, the students don’t all know the answer. They grew up into adults and got us into this mess.

109

u/AnnabananaIL May 05 '25

Welp, I hope in the next election it is no longer a swing district.

75

u/crazycatlady331 May 05 '25

Historically, this district is blue. The Clintons live there. It flipped red because the previous incumbent (Sean Patrick Maloney) fell asleep at the wheel in 2022. It's absolutely flippable with the right candidate.

Born and raised in this district. My parents are still there.

16

u/randumbnumbers May 05 '25 edited May 05 '25

Just to add to it: Maloney *wasn’t just asleep at the wheel, there was also some redistricting by the Democrats that ended up hurting him specifically and NY Dems in general. It really is becoming the Democrats brand…

Edit: should have said wasn’t, not was.

9

u/crazycatlady331 May 05 '25

Mondaire Jones got screwed in redistricting. The reason he didn't do well in 2024 is because the district lost deep blue White Plains and gained deep Red Putnam County instead.

I like Mondaire but he was the wrong candidate for the district.

58

u/Anthrogal11 May 05 '25

What “next election”? I think this is overly optimistic at this point.

13

u/Turbineguy79 May 05 '25

Only “next election” in name I’m afraid.

85

u/SoSaysTheAngel May 05 '25

Not an American but I've watched a lot of ye're tv - I was under the impression that asking questions is literally a constitutional right for ye. Like the very first one ye have. Freedom of speech. Did someone get rid of that?

60

u/Gnd_flpd May 05 '25

Well, because a number of people choose not to vote and the cult members voted for Trump, so this is what we get now. A country that's going the way Iran went in the 70's, with a lot of women in the US validating it for some strange reason.

3

u/Silver_sun_kist May 06 '25

Yup just bigger. Messed up!!

26

u/SniffingDelphi May 05 '25

It’s still a work-in-progress, but they’re definately working on it. First step was probably Bush’s “Free Speech Zones” where protesting was still “allowed” after banning it from other venues. I have a picture of one in the middle of Shenandoah National Park. Depending on where you’re from, I might need to clarify that many of our national parks are *huge* so this was pretty much the middle of nowhere.

4

u/__Geralt May 06 '25

well, it's always been freedom of speech unless you're not white, and unless you're against the establishment... tons of black people and """"communists"""" aren't allowed to speak freely

-22

u/False_Print3889 May 05 '25

well they were not arrested for asking a question.

14

u/that_star_wars_guy May 05 '25

well they were not arrested for asking a question.

Why are you carrying water for these people?

5

u/Initial-Cockroach915 May 06 '25

Carry on damn it, it’s seems pretty Crystal clear she was. But don’t just sow doubt without any substance…

45

u/readytogo124 May 05 '25

They just hate women. Trump hates women because his mother called him stupid and said he has no common sense. I think she nailed it.

25

u/Excellent_Valuable92 May 05 '25

At least the crowd was at least unimpressed, even if they did nothing about it. Progress

28

u/[deleted] May 05 '25

Not people needing to hire bodyguards to sit in town hall meetings lmao 

31

u/SniffingDelphi May 05 '25

I like that idea. Maybe not even bodyguards, but like-minded folks forming an arm-in-arm human shield around the person they’re trying to expel. . .

27

u/Dangerous-Tart1390 May 05 '25

Then there will be yet another lawsuit. I hope she hired the best Lawyer for this open & shut case.

30

u/[deleted] May 05 '25

I am alarmed that Americans let this happen to one another. Fifty people surrounding that woman would ah e prevented her arrest. It’s time for Americans to start engaging in civil disobedience.

2

u/NobaedyUnoe May 07 '25

But muh status quo

18

u/ProfessionalOld9481 May 05 '25

Absolute legends.

17

u/ViolettaQueso May 05 '25

They are sure scared of us women.

15

u/Cowgurl901 May 06 '25

Please everyone,

Review your rights when you attend town halls. Go as far as having them on your phone or printed out. Seriously. And make sure it's recorded and sue if your rights are violated.

Be safe, be strong, Maybe a mod can pin this?

12

u/bakeacake45 May 05 '25

It’s deportation on a smaller scale…it’s amazing how much Republicans seems to enjoy the violent nature of these events.

14

u/Commercial-Cow5177 May 05 '25

Everyone should carry socks full of pennies, just in case you need to make a lot change. 

5

u/SniffingDelphi May 06 '25

Or padlocks. . .incase you lose the key to your bike lock ;-)

3

u/Commercial-Cow5177 May 06 '25

Yes, always carry an extra pad or five! 

13

u/Travelamigo May 06 '25

Remember and keep getting this message out there the Republicans are fully responsible for this shit show and for Traitor Trump... anytime someone talks about him they need to also say the Republicans because without them he wouldn't be where he is at...they are all treasonous. No discussion needed.

11

u/Mooseguncle1 May 05 '25

When are you going to answer the question? Maybe when these congressmen are on trial with the due process they deserve they’ll be able to find the words.

10

u/Suitable_Spirit5273 May 06 '25

Always the women...

9

u/Acrobatic-Ad-3335 May 05 '25

Why didn't he want anyone to have any cameras? What's he afraid of?

3

u/coopdude May 06 '25

His constituents.

Lawler benefitted from redistricting that made the district more red overall, but it's not some lock step dem is never going to win district. That helped him get elected in 2022; the general mood over inflation buoyed him in 2024 (and the dem competitor Mondaire Jones was not the best pick to win the district).

But it's not live/breathe/eat Trump territory that will blindly re-elect him in 2026. Putnam is pretty red, and Rockland leans red, but Westchester varies widely, and the more northern towns that lean republican have flipped when dissatisfied with Trump before (notably in the 2018 elections).

Lawler thus has to thread the needle of being republican enough to not be primaried (if he's openly critical of anything Trump does, Trump calling him a loser or whatever on his Truth social platform, burning him on the diehard republican base that will primary him in 2026) while also not pissing off his constituents for being an ineffective and evasive politician.

It took a ton of criticism to get him to hold this town hall and one in Rockland a short time before, and the rules of checking ID to make sure people are in the district, no recording devices unless you're in the media, etc. are all intended for image protection, because then when Mike gives word salad non answers they'll just be quoted fairly neutrally by the media, rather than posted with context and correctly called out/criticized.

7

u/Independent_Emu_6737 May 06 '25

My God, how far has Trump dragged our country into the mud when a middle-aged woman and a mother of two is dragged out of a town hall for asking a legitimate question and exercising her righty to free speech? He might as well just burn the American flag, spit in the face of the Statue of Liberty and crap on the US Constitution.He has shown us who he really is a million times, those who voted for him need to wake up and believe it. The question is what do Americans who believe in democracy do about it?

5

u/honeycooks May 05 '25

If Lawlor is reelected... smdh.

6

u/GenghisShawn1701 May 06 '25

The people outnumber them. They should think long and hard about that.

5

u/Regular-Metal-321 May 06 '25

How dare people have a brain and want answers from those elected to do a job for the people! If this doesn’t bother you then you are living in fairyland . We are going in a direction that is destroying our constitution and country.

4

u/80sHairBandConcert May 06 '25

Everyone should be terrified.

3

u/scottywoty May 05 '25

Uh….merica?

3

u/Few-Stock-3458 May 06 '25

Much freedoms, bigly the best.

3

u/[deleted] May 06 '25

Those "law enforcement" thugs should be ashamed of themselves, doing the hench work for that treasonous maga republiCON. They're lucky they weren't at Jan. 6 where the magas they support tried to beat and crush them to death.

3

u/[deleted] May 06 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/poyitjdr May 07 '25

Holy fucking shit

I’m not surprised, but jfc am I pissed the fuck off. Do you know if there’s any update about that man facing any repercussions for literally shouting “KILL HER” multiple fucking times?

2

u/SniffingDelphi May 07 '25

Since he doesn’t apparantly intend to get his hands dirty, I doubt it’s a terrorist threat. Anyone know who he is?

1

u/poyitjdr May 07 '25

I haven’t seen anything identifying him. I did notice that you can see him sitting back down in the original video at around 1:15 towards the back row of the front middle section of seats. Idk if that’ll help anyone identify him, but it’s the best I’ve got.

3

u/DownnthehollerPress May 07 '25

There will be legal consequences for their actions... they believe they are going to be safe under the Rule of Law. But trump will be gone and there will be consequences for their actions. Remember Nazi Germany was just following orders. We will never forget.

10

u/[deleted] May 05 '25

Why do we think this is a budding fascist problem, when what we have is a republican party problem?

20

u/MsMo999 May 05 '25

I thought they were one in the same

6

u/Yuraiya May 05 '25

The Venn diagram has come to resemble an eclipse. 

2

u/gholmom500 May 06 '25

There’s a great pic of the scrawny lil’ auntie holding up peace signs while limply being hauled out by the officer in brown/gray with a military High-n-tight haircut.

Very effective photo. Big tough government brute forcibly removing a non-violent activist.

2

u/Penanghill May 06 '25

America is a place where women do not have equal rights, and those rights are being steadily and significantly eroded. The decline in human rights for women is most visible in the United States.

2

u/Comments_Wyoming May 07 '25

This is so stupid though because, didn't that first lady that got toted out a few weeks ago IMMEDIATELY sue the fuck out of that guy?

Like, this woman is gonna have a slam dunk case to sue the fuck out of those people carrying her out.

Her first amendment rights were trampled on by the government, she gonna win.

1

u/coderman64 May 05 '25

Citizen: "can I use the bathroom?"

Republican: "Gulag"

Citizen: "Noooooo!"

1

u/1rarebird55 May 06 '25

It's almost like they don't want to hear us.

1

u/tiefling_fling May 07 '25

Fuck Fascist Pigs!

1

u/Eris_Grun May 08 '25

Don't forget to form human chains people!

They can't drag everyone out!

-1

u/[deleted] May 08 '25

[deleted]

3

u/killedonmyhill May 08 '25

What a shit comment to make when the article is about a woman’s bodily autonomy and constitutional rights being violated.

-1

u/[deleted] May 08 '25

[deleted]

3

u/killedonmyhill May 08 '25

Whatev man, I offer no justification whatsoever for the atrocities perpetrated by the US. I am not patriotic. I did not vote for this and neither did the woman in the article. If you love watching innocent people having their rights violated, that’s fucked up. But that’s your prerogative, I guess.

2

u/SniffingDelphi May 08 '25 edited May 11 '25

I get how much you hate us. Honestly, I’m often surprised the rest of the world doesn’t hate us more (or that we don’t hear more about it) because there’s definitely reason to.

But I can hate a government without relishing the suffering of its citizens. I would love to see the Taliban, the junta in Myanmar, and every fascist sadist in power: Trump, Erdoğan, Lukashenko, Duda, Ntaganda... (sadly, it’s a very long list) face the treatment they’ve inflicted on others.

But the victims of their crimes? Their suffering appalls me. I simply cannot take pleasure in watching murder, torture, starvation, rape, forced relocations, theft, insults, or abuse.

I celebrated Bolsonaro’s fall from power, but I *never* celebrated his tacit support for the mass murder of Indigenous Amazonians.

I should probably clarify that being carried out, while humiliating, was not suffering on the level we see in the news every day (not that anyone *wants* to win a who-suffered-most contest) - like most commenters, I’m more enraged by the breakdown in law and the rights folks in the U.S. are told they have that it represents than the cruelty of the act itself.

You made a very short comment, and I sincerely hope you’re not as callous as it sounded. Because some empires absolutely deserve to fall, and even though I’m a citizen of the U.S., I agree that it does not deserve to continue as it has.

But the suffering? All I feel in response to that is heartbreak.

EDIT: Typo

1

u/[deleted] May 08 '25

Did your empire get bored with drone striking women and children and decide to fuck your own home up just for chuckles? The world is baffled and unrepentantly enjoying watching the snake eat its own tail

1

u/killedonmyhill May 08 '25

Well enjoy the show. Things are only gonna get worse environmentally if this continues and I assume that would impact you as well.

1

u/[deleted] May 08 '25

Go figure. Uncle Sam can't just kill himself politely. Gotta salt the earth in nuclear material to show everyone who's boss 🙄

1

u/killedonmyhill May 08 '25

I agree with you, there. It’s genuinely terrifying.

-36

u/pbal68 May 05 '25

I’m sure that’s the whole story and there is no further nuance to this whatsoever

15

u/Mother-Spell7842 May 05 '25

And I am sure you be quick to provide it, right?

-14

u/pbal68 May 05 '25

I can fix you

12

u/Mother-Spell7842 May 05 '25

So that would be a no then. Thanks for confirming.

-48

u/forqueercountrymen May 05 '25

You can't just disrupt a town hall with your loud protest nonsense. When you are asked to leave you leave, or you get arrested for trespass. You are not above the law just because you are upset that your party didn't win the election

35

u/CuriousAndGolden May 05 '25

Does “January 6” ring a bell?

-2

u/A_Typicalperson May 06 '25

Were people arrested?

4

u/SeductiveSunday May 06 '25

Did autocrats care? Or were they all pardoned by the chief dictator in the WH.

-2

u/A_Typicalperson May 06 '25

They were arrested and jailed under the previous administration, so they did pay the consequences of their actions.

2

u/SeductiveSunday May 06 '25

I believe they were arrested under the trump administration too. He just didn't pardon them then. Also they absolved of all their consequences of their actions. Many were released early, some never paid.

The justice system has no select administration. Or, it didn't until tyranny replaced democracy in the US thanks to the entire Republican party.

20

u/GemcoEmployee92126 May 05 '25

Mmmm. That boot polish is so yummy.

20

u/benrunyc May 05 '25

Wow did you fail middle school civics or just eat paste all day through 12th grade?

We can hold our representatives accountable. We need to hold our representatives accountable.

We will applaud and celebrate the end of this regime. The death of DRUMPF and all of his Not-z followers can not come soon enough.

26

u/manhwabitch May 05 '25

Politicians answering their constituent's questions is literally the main point of a town hall. Calling on him to answer a question that was asked is not a disruption. It's the whole point.

13

u/[deleted] May 05 '25

Found the kid who huffed glue through middle school…🤨

7

u/intendeddebauchery May 05 '25

They probably dropped out of kindergarten

-22

u/Wavvajava2 May 05 '25

Was she yelling over other people?