A slight majority of people who took the Argus-Courier’s April 30, 2009 online survey feel that Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, was wrong in getting arrested in a protest outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C. on April 26.
Nearly 200 people participated in the survey, with 51.8 disagreeing with Woolsey’s actions and 46.7 agreeing.
The protesters were calling on the government of Sudan to allow humanitarian groups back into the war-torn region of Darfur and to end what they called Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s use of starvation as a weapon in the war there.
Here are some of the comments by those who participated in the survey:
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“I agree that the situation in Darfur is serious, but this action by Congresswoman Woolsey was purely a publicity stunt. Woolsey should be pushing to repair the rift between the U.S. and the United Nations and support the U.N. in dealing with the situation in Darfur.”
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“How much did it cost the financially-strapped D.C. police to arrest and process this theatrical bit of grandstanding? Totally irresponsible on Woolsey’s part.”
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“Nonviolent civil disobedience is a tool with a long history, and I applaud Congress-woman Woolsey’s courage in using it.”
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“She is incompetent, but we keep electing her. How stupid are we?”
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“I think it’s a disgrace to blatantly defy the laws she was sworn to uphold. Seeing her smug ‘I just took one for the team’ look makes me sick to have her cash our paycheck.”
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“Doesn’t she have anything better to do?”
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“She is a great model for taking a stand for causes you believe in!”
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“This Darfur issue warrants more decisive action by the U.S. government. But Wool-sey’s inappropriate actions, like her invitation to Cindy Sheehan to sit with her during a State of the Union address a few years back, demonstrates exceedingly poor judgment.”
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“Lynn Woolsey needs to act locally and not globally. In her very own district we have an economic crisis. She should have tried harder to get more stimulus money for her own district instead of fighting a global issue. Yes, it is a terrible situation in Darfur, but we have local issues that need the attention of Congress!”
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“This situation in Darfur is urgent. It should have re-ceived attention much earlier!”
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Lynn Woolsey’s commitment to human rights and the courage she shows in her efforts to highlight the abuses of Darfur make me incredibly proud that she is my representative!”
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“Woolsey is an embarrassment to the voters.”
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“This is what we do in this country when we are passionate about something that doesn’t seem to be getting enough attention. Ms. Woolsey has been standing up for the people of Darfur since mid-2004. This is her only arrest and I support her and her actions.”
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“Sad that it takes an arrest to bring attention to such a horrific situation in Darfur. Why is it so hard for Darfur to hit the news?”
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“Butter & Egg Days Parade on Saturday, arrested in D.C. on Sunday. Busy weekend!”
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“A civilized world should not ever allow Darfur type tragedies to happen. Someone has to speak up. Thank you, Lynn Woolsey.”
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“She is a woman of principle and courage.”
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“I admire her willingness to draw attention to this issue.”
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“Does not seem very diplomatic. Seems more like a whiny liberal tactic.”
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“Spend time on our problems and quit trying to grab headlines.”
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“I’ll be ready for a change next election.”
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“Your questions in all your surveys seem to be bias towards the conservative slant. Where do you post the results of previous surveys?” (Editor’s note: Results of previous surveys are posted at http://pulse-of-petaluma. petaluma360.com.)

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“If no one even broke the law, this country would not be such a great place. Mixed marriages were illegal not too long ago. So many of our Congress people have broken laws that are much more shameful and only for personal gain or stupidity (DUI, anybody?).”
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“A Congress person should not have to resort to ‘peaceful demonstration’ on the street in order to bring attention to an issue.”
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“It’s genocide!”
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“Get back to work.”
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“She is dumb,”
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“She of all people should not be above the law.”
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“Yea Lynn!!!”
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“This woman is deranged. Vote her out of office.”
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“I am inspired by the courage and morals of Rep. Lynn Woolsey and wish more of our representatives were like her.”
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“Woolsey is a principled person. I trust her decision.”
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“Way to go, Cong. Woolsey! Stand up for those with no voice!”
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“It’s wonderful to be represented by a woman in such a high political office who walks her talk. I’m very proud of her for taking this action.”
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“I feel it is grandstanding and there are better ways.”
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“What a fine example she sets ” what an IDIOT!!!”
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“Waste of our time and money, we have too many problems to solve here at home that Lynn should focus on.”
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“She should be held in jail. She is supposed to uphold the laws, not break them. How dare she!”
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“Anything she can do to make it part of public consciousness is good.”
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“Isn’t it time we have a new congressperson? “
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“What happened to term limits? Time to move on.”
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“Once again an embarrassment! Members of Congress are supposed to conduct business and air their opinions with dignity. Being an elected official, she has no personal time. Every thing she does and says while in office represents her constituents. I may believe in the cause of her protest but she exercised very poor judgment. I’ll not vote for her again.”
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“What good has this ever done? Sorry about Darfur, but focus on the enormous problems at home in the U.S.”
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“Our politicians need to reconnect with real life, and this just one minute aspect of ‘real life.'”
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“If she follows up in her opposition to all Islamofascisim in the world and support our Troops to win then she will earn my support in this act. If she went for face time and then puts down the effort in Iraq and Afghanistan then she will be in a bad place with peoples opinion. Any uncivilized aggression must be confronted …”
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“Having made that commitment, I wish she’d follow through, and stay in jail.”
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“Lock her up and throw away the key, the most inarticulate legislator in the House.”
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“Expects us to obey the law – but she can’t. Bad Example!”
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“Oh, for crying out loud, as if that’s going to accomplish the time of day. I have no idea what to do for them, but I doubt a protest is going to have any effect.”
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“Poor representation of those she represents … do something good to be recognized …”
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“Stupid libtard.”
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“She is an embarrassment to her constituents.”
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“I hope she was not on the clock at the time.”
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“I like my representatives to use civil disobedience.”
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“Keep her nose in her business right here in Ca. “
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“Extraordinary actions are needed.”
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“There are so many other things that a person in her position can do to influence the situation.”
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“If she has so much time on her hands – not doing the job she was elected to do – maybe she can get a second job to earn money to help save a few lives in Darfur. I am not making light of the terrible Darfur situation, but she should put her efforts and time toward something that will produce results. i.e. kick the U.N. into action.”
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“The situation in the Sudan is critical. At the finish of the Holocaust catastrophe, it was promised never again. Yet it is happening again in the Sudan. Its time to protest! Thank you Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey. Eileen Asher.”
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“Her job is to represent our local interests.”
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“Congresswoman Woolsey should be applauded for her courage. As a journalism graduate and lawyer, I find it appalling that the Argus reported her arrest without a sidebar explaining the intolerable situation there. If more people knew the extent of the crisis, they would be joining in her protest of the atrocities there.”
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“Glad to see some spirit, some conviction, and some courage coming out of Congress! Why is that so unusual?”
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“She’s a well-known ‘kook.'”
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“She might want to protest the conditions in Petaluma with high unemployment and crime rate.”
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“This is how she spends our money and time?”
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“It is good to have a congressperson with a spine who will stand up to her and our convictions. Go! Lynn!”
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“Lynn Woolsey is the people’s representative I have always wanted. Thank you, Congresswoman for standing up (and sitting down) for a better world.”
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“I doubt this does anything to improve Petaluma’s representation in the nation’s capitol. If the demo was on her own time, fine. If Congress was in session at the time of the demonstration, not fine.”
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“She has demonstrated to highlight inhumane treatment in Darfur.”
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“It’s good to see someone take a stance in Washington. Plus, I think her actions would be approved by most of her supporters.”
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“She is just stupid.”
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“She should be impeached for being stupid.”
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“On the one hand, it is a situation that needs attention – and a solution. On the other hand, Congresswoman Woolsey seemed to be doing a bit of grandstanding. Perhaps she could have used other means.”
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“We do not pay Congresswoman Woolsey to behave like a college student in 1964. What she did was an embarrassment and she owes the voters an apology!”
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“A four letter word: Joke.”
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“She’s gotten my last vote. We need change.”
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“It took courage and true commitment to stand up for this.”
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“Lynn Woolsey is a little crazy, so I am not sure.”
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“She blew it, I have respect for her.”
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“Lynn Woolsey … where do I begin? I think I’ll just sigh and shake my head. “
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“Time passes, People die, The rest of move on and forget.”
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“Seems quite childish, but then again what do you expect.”
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“I believe that she has some power to bring attention to the public through other ways. Woolsey, based on her actions in the past (or inactions), have done nothing to show her views on the problems in Darfur, so to go from no known opinion to an extreme action shows a juvenile approach to political action. I asked all my coworkers who are between the age of 21-28, they said they didn’t even know she was still in office! She should be fulfilling her job as being a REPRESENTATIVE of the people in THIS country before trying to use her political “power” to make herself known to another. I hope someone else decides to run against her in the next election. “
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“She needs to perform her duties for the 6th District, not the world!”
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“That was stupid of her.”
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“She is a one trick pony.”
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“Ms. Woolsey should concern herself with the economic crisis in California.”
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“She is brave and we admire her for helping to bring Darfur to the news! Thank you Lynn.”
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“Yes I feel she has a right to protest as a U.S. citizen. But I feel she could have did a better by using her office.”
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“I’m sick of her radical leftist garbage.”
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“I think her activities as a politician should focus on governmental fiscal responsibility. “
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“Take care of starving people in your voters area.”
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“Funny, most protests are people wanting changes in government. She is the government.”
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“So should pro-life lawmakers get themselves arrested in front of abortion clinics? What would Lynn Woolsey say about that?”
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“It’s about time we started standing up for what we believe in … We’ve been passive too long. If you let others make all the decisions for you … then you can’t complain.”