No, no, no. When conversations with White Conservatives go wrong? No!
What John & Glenn describe here is not that... nor is the problem rooted in either the individual's skin color or presumed political allegiances. The problem is not 'when conversations with White Conservatives go wrong', it's when we have conversations with idiots and assholes. Not to put too fine a point on it.
As Glenn himself said, such conversations (and much more typically they're monologues and not dialogues) are "the result of social ineptitude, clumsiness, and mild ignorance." And I susupect he's being nice.
Based on my own experience, such unfortunate interludes are the result of the Other (whatever social, racial, cultural, educational, experiential categories they happen to fill) believing themselves to be much brighter, much more perspicacious, much wiser than they actually are....while simultaneously believing you to be a naif (untutored, less-experienced, clearly not as wise, and badly in need of in the keen & piercing insight the Other KNOWS they can provide). God save us!
Such conversations are always painful -- regardless of whether it's 'Craig Husock' or 'that one guy' who's always somehow at your elbow at the neighborhood get together, or the woman who shows-up at every HOA meeting, or or or or. These people are not limited to Cringe Moments with White Conservatives. I wish they were, they'd be easier to avoid. They're everywhere.
And...truthfully...if we're honest with ourselves....sometimes We is They. As Prof. Pogo himself sagely observed, "We have met the enemy and he is us!" Sometimes, God forbid, WE are That Guy. Sometimes it's our voice we hear rattling around the room....and we then, if we're honest, we take a deep breath: "And you may ask yourself, "Am I right, am I wrong?" And you may say to yourself, "My God, what have I done?"
Next time, we say, we'll do better. Next time we'll be a bit more self-aware. Next time, maybe we'll really try to listen more and talk less. Next time, maybe. But in the meantime, God, please keep all the earnestly obnoxious 'Craigs' as far away as possible ...regardless of skin color, politics, college program, age, size, sex, etc. ... because none of that really matters... what matters is the idiocy which burbles forth.
Very true. And equally true, we've probably all played both roles more than a time or two.
Easy to forgive the awkward & clumsy. (There but for the grace of God, etc.) Harder to be that generous with the Pontificators, the Pronouncers, the Potentates (the "Ted Baxter's" of the world, if you happen to remember The Mary Tyler Moore Show!)
No, no, no. When conversations with White Conservatives go wrong? No!
What John & Glenn describe here is not that... nor is the problem rooted in either the individual's skin color or presumed political allegiances. The problem is not 'when conversations with White Conservatives go wrong', it's when we have conversations with idiots and assholes. Not to put too fine a point on it.
As Glenn himself said, such conversations (and much more typically they're monologues and not dialogues) are "the result of social ineptitude, clumsiness, and mild ignorance." And I susupect he's being nice.
Based on my own experience, such unfortunate interludes are the result of the Other (whatever social, racial, cultural, educational, experiential categories they happen to fill) believing themselves to be much brighter, much more perspicacious, much wiser than they actually are....while simultaneously believing you to be a naif (untutored, less-experienced, clearly not as wise, and badly in need of in the keen & piercing insight the Other KNOWS they can provide). God save us!
Such conversations are always painful -- regardless of whether it's 'Craig Husock' or 'that one guy' who's always somehow at your elbow at the neighborhood get together, or the woman who shows-up at every HOA meeting, or or or or. These people are not limited to Cringe Moments with White Conservatives. I wish they were, they'd be easier to avoid. They're everywhere.
And...truthfully...if we're honest with ourselves....sometimes We is They. As Prof. Pogo himself sagely observed, "We have met the enemy and he is us!" Sometimes, God forbid, WE are That Guy. Sometimes it's our voice we hear rattling around the room....and we then, if we're honest, we take a deep breath: "And you may ask yourself, "Am I right, am I wrong?" And you may say to yourself, "My God, what have I done?"
Next time, we say, we'll do better. Next time we'll be a bit more self-aware. Next time, maybe we'll really try to listen more and talk less. Next time, maybe. But in the meantime, God, please keep all the earnestly obnoxious 'Craigs' as far away as possible ...regardless of skin color, politics, college program, age, size, sex, etc. ... because none of that really matters... what matters is the idiocy which burbles forth.
We fear silence and say silly things to avoid dead air. Silence is often the best policy.
To your point, there are idiots and there are the awkward.
Very true. And equally true, we've probably all played both roles more than a time or two.
Easy to forgive the awkward & clumsy. (There but for the grace of God, etc.) Harder to be that generous with the Pontificators, the Pronouncers, the Potentates (the "Ted Baxter's" of the world, if you happen to remember The Mary Tyler Moore Show!)