GOP Tells Students To "Go Home", Don't Worry About The Government

A statement from a senator who obviously forgot who his constituents are:http://wonkette.com/447142/iowa-gop-legislator-tells-young-people-not-to-worry-about-government-go-home

Let's focus on two particularly deafening statements:
"I do not like it when students actually come here and lobby me for funds." - Iowa State Senator Shawn Hammerlink (R-u surprised?)

You don't like it? You don't LIKE it?? Way to come off sounding like a three-year-old toddler who "doesn't like it" when mommy takes his toys away. Let's actually take a close look at what you don't like: You don't like when the people who are affected by the laws you pass come to you and tell you what they need. They are your bosses! They elected you! Do you really think it would fly with any other boss if you responded to them with "I don't like it when my boss actually comes here and tells me what to do"? How long would you have lasted in any other job?

You don't like hearing from students, I don't like hearing from stuck-up politicians who have their heads so far up their asses that they have forgotten whom they are accountable to. I guess we'll both have to deal.

Second -
"But actually spending your time worrying about what we’re doing up here, I don’t want you to do that."

Now granted, I don't know how old these kids are, but if the video is showing one of them, they aren't that far off from 18, the legal voting age in the U.S. Just to be clear, Hammerlink tells kids who are close to voting age not to worry about what the government is doing and to just go home. He is telling the people who are almost old enough to elect him to go home and that he doesn't like hearing from them.

Senator Hammerlink, when those kids go to the polls in a few years to cast their all-important vote, what do you think they will remember? Do you think that your haughty, condescending attitude contrasted positively with the understanding words of the Democratic senator who "understands exactly where [the students] are coming from"? Do you think they will vote for someone who all but tossed them out of the meeting? What about their parents, their teachers, their friends, their families, and now, thank the universe, the Internet?

I am interested in viewing the entire video if anyone has it. I'd like to see what the "intense discussion" was. Did they get into a shouting match? How badly did Senator Hammerlink mistreat these kids, whose intention was to lobby for funds for their education? They are asking to be taught, asking to have the materials to be taught well, and Hammerlink is telling them to go home and not worry.

The scary part to me is the appeal that the kids "not worry" about what the government is doing. What, exactly, Mr. Hammerlink, do you want us to not worry about? What are you doing that you don't want your constituents worrying about? Iowans are your bosses, Mr. Hammerlink; would you expect a boss not to worry about what his subordinate is doing?

I'm a take-action kind of gal, so here is the link to Mr. Hammerlink's official Iowa Legislature page:http://www.legis.iowa.gov/Legislators/legislator.aspx?PID=7489

Here is his contact information:

Legislative Email: shawn.hamerlinck@legis.state.ia.us
Home Phone: 563.843.3922
Home Address: 802 Davenport St., Dixon IA, 52745
Occupation: Education, Adjunct Professor - Augustana College

Feel free to tell Senator Hammerlink your opinion of how he handled the meeting with the students.

Bonus: This is the same senator who apparently referred to state employees as "bottom feeders". http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_ee86a284-9073-11e0-b753-001cc4c03286.html