The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. Notably, there are no instructions for exactly how to petition the government, and no limits on what kind of grievances for which citizens may seek redress. Which is why it’s totally constitutional and patriotic that a lady lit into Florida Governor Rick Scott in a Starbucks.
Video has surfaced showing Gainesville resident Cara Jennings telling Governor Scott exactly what she thinks of his policies as he stood in line to get coffee.
“You cut Medicaid so I couldn’t get Obamacare,” Jennings is heard to shout. “You’re an asshole. You don’t care about working people. You should be ashamed to show your face around here.”
Jennings went on to lambaste Scott for signing a law limiting women's health services, saying, "You stripped women of access to public healthcare. Shame on you, Rick Scott! We depend on those services.”
Governor Scott tried to defend himself by saying something GOP-ish about job creation, but Jennings wasn’t impressed. She asked the governor where those jobs were and if anyone in the cafe had one.
The Governor slinked off — without coffee — after the exchange.
I think this whole exchange was perfectly awesome. More politicians should make random coffee runs and come face-to-face with their constituents. Maybe if they heard more unguarded reactions to their policies, they’d have a better handle on how their decisions in office affect those of us in the real world.
