Impolitics

One day Vincent was surprised when I didn’t react to something that he expected a reaction to. I don’t remember what it was, but I do remember telling him that grown-ups in America politely ignore aberrant behavior.

Remember that scene in “The Exorcist” when the kid walked into the living room in her nightgown during a party and stood there peeing on the carpet? Of course you do. Remember how the guests reacted? Like it wasn’t happening. Now, make the kid the Bush administration, the carpet the world, and the guests Americans…

I sent out an e-mail the other day containing the same message that appears in Analyze this to 35 friends of long acquaintance who are (for the most part) comfortable, educated, liberal, and worldly people. The next day I got three e-mails: one “A woman was walking down the street…” joke; a book recommendation; pictures of car-windshield-dust art with the note, “Take a break and have a laugh.”

These were from my two closest girlfriends. It was nice of them not to ignore me completely, although I kinda got the feeling I was being offered a lollipop to stop my tantrum…

Not a word from the other 32.

No one said, “My thoughts exactly, let’s do it.”
Or “Can’t deal, having nervous breakdown, glad you’re on top of it.”
Or “I love you but will you please stop sending me this kind of thing?”
Or even “You’ve got me all wrong, I don’t want to impeach him, I think he’s hot.”

In our culture it’s aberrant to be vociferous, to rant, make a scene, get in people’s faces, be impassioned (except in the name of religion, of course). Don’t insist. Don’t persist. It’s impolite. Definitely unladylike. That must be why my e-mails of this kind are usually politely ignored. And, in our culture, it’s normal to look the other way in all kinds of touchy situations… Which must explain why we’ve let Bush get away with murder.

Maybe I’m stating the obvious. But I’m sure there are Americans who aren’t consciously aware that we are culturally reluctant to pitch a fit, or that we tend to ignore it when somebody does something that makes us uncomfortable. I think these characteristics are largely to blame for our current political and environmental nightmares. We need to break out of this cultural mold if we want things to change.

So, unseemly though it may be, I’m just going to keep spewing this stuff and hope that one more person will vote or encourage someone else to; get green or pressure someone else to; write a letter or ask someone else to; pull a head out of a hole in the sand…

One day Vincent was surprised when I didn't react to something that he expected a reaction to. I don't remember what it was, but I do remember telling him that grown-ups in America politely ignore aberrant behavior. Remember that scene in "The Exorcist" when the kid walked into the living room in her nightgown during a party and stood there peeing on the carpet? Of course you do. Remember how the guests reacted? Like it wasn't happening. Now, make the kid the Bush administration, the carpet the world, and the guests Americans... I sent out an e-mail the other day containing the same message that appears in Analyze this to 35 friends of long acquaintance who are (for the most part) comfortable, educated, liberal, and worldly people. The next day I got three e-mails: one "A woman was walking down the street..." joke; a book recommendation; pictures of car-windshield-dust art with the note, "Take a break and have a laugh." These were from my two closest girlfriends. It was nice of them not to ignore