|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| Back To All Blogs | Blog 69 of 170 | Prev Next |
|
DEFERENCE
Published On 09-13-2008 , 9:43 PM
WHAT started as a simple search for T-shirts ended in an understanding of what Sen. John McCain's Republican presidential campaign wanted the news media to afford their vice-presidential candidate in interviews.
Brandi and I headed for South Lake Avenue, where she said she'd seen the office for the Democratic Party's headquarters.
"Obama, Obama," she chanted, intertwining her voice with the tune on her iPod, as we cruised at low speed looking for the place
Hey, she was right. There it was a stone's throw from Ross - the low-cost store. Forget that image of this political party being elitist.
Following the kid's directions, I turned left, made another left onto Shopper's Lane, found a spot and parked the car.
We made our way to the front of the office from the back door entrance.
As we left the place, Brandi made a mockery of my use of the word "deference."
"I think you mean `difference,"' she said with a voice that only a know-it-all who has at last reached the magic age of knowing she knows more than almost everyone else when it comes to vocabulary.
There's nothing better than helping the younguns get back in their place.
Using the back door at Headquarters meant, once inside, we had to walk about a third of a city block to get to the front. The office appeared well staffed, with many folks behind desks as we walked the gauntlet.
Should the folks at headquarters have provided Brandi and I the same deference the Republicans had been demanding the media grant Senator John McCain’s running mate in this presidential campaign ?
What's with the Democrats on South Lake? How come my kid and me couldn't get polite respect - that is, putting our interest in a first-place category? Our interest, according to the meaning of deference, should have come before the paper pushing the folks at the desks continued to do as we walked past - both entering and exiting.
A simple smile and a quick word of welcome? No such courtesy.
"Difference," insisted Brandi.
Over on Lincoln Avenue, on the colored side of town, we stopped at a not-so-great looking shop that had a large picture of Obama painted on the south side of the building and a scrubby-looking sign propped on the sidewalk that said "Register to Vote" with an arrow pointing toward the door.
We left this place with four Obama T-shirts, an Obama hat and an order for the shirt the teenager in charge said he could get for us.
"Oh, you're talking about the shirt that has my man's picture on the front and the word `change' across the bottom with sequins," the teenager explained to me with utmost deference when I had trouble describing the shirt I wanted but he didn't have on the shelf.
Actually, the lady at the front who was in charge of shirt sales in the South Lake headquarters did acknowledge our presence and provided information on the shirts we didn't want because they weren't as flashy as those we'd seen people wearing.
"Difference versus sameness," said Brandi, who was still arguing as we pulled into our driveway claiming I had cut her off earlier and she didn't get to express her true feelings about the problem on South Lake.
The T-shirt lady was the same as we are - black. The other people in the office were different - white, seemed to be Brandi's reasoning.
How often the color issue enters the picture when it shouldn't be there. A white friend of mine tells me he visited the headquarters with his two blonde children. They took the same walk, passing all the people sitting at all the desks. No one spoke to them. They left without asking for the information they had gone there for.
Knowledgeable people have told me that volunteers staff the headquarters.
Oh, is that an excuse?
Both my friend and I spotted Jon Furman, the area Democrat honcho, sitting at one of those desks.
Deference is the word, Ms. Brandi.
| |
| |
Comment
| | 1. | Here's a thought - instead of all your complaining about how all of the VOLUNTEERS are doing their jobs - why not help?
Ridiculous you would berate the people that sit in that office day in and day out - what nerve.
These VOLUNTEERS are not being paid, they are not retail clerks - they are people that want to make some contribution. And since no good deed goes unpunished, if caught on a bad or busy day - they can be sure and get this sort of "thanks". Gee I wonder why it's so hard ot find people to step in and help.
I think I am going to start a blog..."The ungrateful, do- nothing complainers and why they have an inflated sense of entitlement from regular volunteers that are trying to ADD something instead of taking away".
You think it will do well?
You should be ashamed...it's as if you haven't even been paying attention. You probably shared Palin's contempt for community organizers, who needs those people if you can't getyour t-shirt quick enough.
PATHETIC!!
- by stop whining - start working!, 09-16-2008, 8:17 AM
| | 2. | I, too, had the same experience as you when going to the DNC on Lake. Workers/volunteers there totally ignored the visitors and after walking the gauntlet to the front of the store, I discovered everyone was being treated as non-existent.Another lady was there and inquired of them where the RNC was. They did not respond, but I happened to know and told her %28I was on my way there also%29. Long story short, I met up with that lady at the RNC and we compared notes: both of us could hardly wait to get out of DNC due to the cold welcome, etc. She was a teacher getting things from both camps. By the way neither of us are "colored" and I personally take offense at your comment about the "colored side of town" because I happen to live there by choice for over 40 years!
- by LS, 09-15-2008, 3:56 PM
| | 3. | when I wear my Obama shirt I get lots of thumbs up and people want to know where I bought it. My shirt is black with the Time Magazine cover that has a picture of him on the front and then it says "Change we can believe in" on the back with pictures of the flag and Obama, again. Everybody ought to wear Obama shirts. For Halloween I think I'll get an ugly Sarah Palin costume. That can just be a Barracuda face.
- by Brandi, 09-14-2008, 11:48 AM
| | 4. | Hey Shirlee, Nice to see what was going to be just another family experience left unknown to the rest of the world put to good use. Lisa told me this morning that a friend of hers took her 18 yr old daughter there on Lake for the same reason as you and Brandi. They got the same service you two did. Daughter later said to mom "they're all volunteers" but then stopped herself mid-sentence and said - "wait, that shouldn't matter, should it?" Bright girl, got a perfect or near-perfect score on her SATs and is headed to U of Chicago on a scholarship. Mom is the outgoing type and is thinking of volunteering, since they obviously need help in the welcoming dept. Let's see what kind of welcome they give her.
- by Bruce, 00-00-0000, 12:00 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
