Congressman Graves Shuts Out Activists & Constituents

This afternoon a social media blast from a former teacher, farmer and current Missouri Democratic Party PAC leader is garnering a great deal of traction, comment and discussion. 

Jess Piper shared her story about a visit to the Kansas City office of Congressman Sam Grave and she was shut down by security and staff. 

She provides more details on the sitch and goes on to note that she brought 200 friends with her.

Moreover . . .

In her online testimony she reveals that quick exchange with the Congress dude where he downplays the importance of public meetups.

OF COURSE . . . This is sparking a lot of public debate BUT we notice more support for her remarks than anything else . . . The open question that actually deserves an answer from both sides: 

In an increasingly dangerous & divisive world: What's the best way for elected officials to meet with their constituents???

Maybe it's not meeting with hundreds of people who decide to drop by your place . . . Or maybe it is . . .

Either way . . . Here's the story that some of our favorite readers have asked us to share . . .  

My Congressman is Sam Graves. He has been in office for 24 years. He wins by a landslide every two years. He hasn’t held a town hall since 2012, and last fall, when I asked him to his face when he would hold a town hall, he told me, “I don’t do those.”

Many folks in his district have grievances with his policies and his fealty to the regime, so several of us went to his Kansas City office to voice our concerns to his staffers. The event was publicized and drew over 200 people.

When I arrived at the building that houses Sam’s office, I noticed a “No Trespassing” sign. I thought it was odd. The building is large, but it houses constituent offices for both Sam Graves and Senator Eric Schmitt.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I found the visitor’s parking space and parked. As I opened my back door to grab my protest sign, a woman in an unmarked police car told me I couldn’t park in the visitor’s lot, while a man in the passenger seat of the car filmed me with his phone.

I told her to take it up with someone else. I had every right to park in that spot.

She told me the building’s owner didn’t want us there. I told her I parked in the correct spot to speak with my Congressman in the office I paid for. She told me to move my car, or I would be towed, because I was on private property.

I told her to do whatever she needed to do, but they’d have to tow dozens of vehicles. I grabbed my sign and walked toward the crowd gathering on the sidewalk.

I walked to the building to find Sam’s constituent office, and a man inside the building opened the door for me. I smiled at his courtesy, and I was about to pass through the open door when he stepped in front of me.

I looked up at his quick movement, and he asked me if he could help me.

I told him I was going in to speak to my Congressman’s staff. He told me there were no appointments that day. I stated I didn’t need an appointment…I had a sticky note to deliver. He said I couldn’t come in, and he would deliver anything I had to Sam’s staff.

And that was it. I was met by a guard at my Congressman’s door and not allowed in the building. I was denied my First Amendment right to petition my government for a redress of grievances.

I thought this was where the story would end, but what happened to me and others in Kansas City that day is happening all over the state. Missouri constituents are being met with hostility and locked doors and threats of citations and even arrest for showing up at our own Representative’s offices.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Piper For Missouri: "The more stories I researched, the more common I found this behavior. Constituents are being forcefully removed from Congressional offices."

Developing . . .