Here is another slice of American life in the age of wokeness. Consider this incident, reported to the Washington Post’s Carolyn Hax during an online discussion:
The other day I was in a store when a woman of a certain age tore into the checkout clerk (20-something male) when he called her "ma'am." I thought the clerk was making an effort to be polite, but the woman reprimanded him for blatant sexism and ageism. I could tell the clerk was embarrassed but was so dumbstruck by her outburst that I couldn't find the words to intervene. Would you have stepped into this if you'd been there?
So, certain deranged individuals, the better to honor the late Justice Ginsburg, have decided to turn the most trivial interactions into high political drama. What gives her the right to denounce someone for addressing her with a polite formal expression of respect? What gives her the right to harass a young supermarket clerk? Does she honestly imagine that her behavior will promote comity between the sexes? Does she know that a man who is dressed down in public might hold a grudge and might take it out on someone else? One suspects that the woman is product of America's culture wars, which shows you in a nutshell what is wrong with America.
Publicly humiliating a young man for being polite might feel empowering, but in truth, it signals weakness and stokes antagonism.
I recognize that this minor incident is a minor incident, but surely it tears at the fabric of civil society. It coarsens the most trivial everyday transaction, in the name of political wokeness.
Now, Hax explains that she might not have intervened. At times, Justice Ginsburg once opined, it is better to ignore loutish behavior, the better not to fan the flames of political madness. And, she added, the better to persuade others of the validity of your point of view.
Most of the participants in the Hax forum were perfectly happy with the use of the term, Ma’am. Some had no idea how anyone could have felt offended. Hax herself recommended “vintage lady” as a respectful alternative.
Apparently, Sir is not acceptable, unless of course the lady is transgendered and transitioning. Though the clerk could certainly have replied: Sorry to offend you, Sir.
And then the best comment, which very few young clerks would have thought at the moment was this: “It beats the hell out of bitch.”
In fairness, and according to proper Washington Post standards, the last word in that retort was rendered: b----. I hope I did not exercise too much poetic license in filling in the blanks.
I once intervened with a young female SJW who was loudly berating a thirty-something professional male on a commuter bus to NYC. Her verbal abuse of him started a minute after he'd politely asked her to end her very loud cell phone conversation because it violated bus company rules and interfered with his work. A minute after his polite request, she got up from her seat, walked over to his, loudly accused him of exercising his "older, white male power" on her and of being incredibly rude, etc., etc., and walked triumphantly back to her seat. When she seemed to think the interaction was over, I calmly told her that the male she'd been berating had actually treated her MUCH more politely than most other people on the bus would have, and that she owed him an apology. In return, of course, she called me the "older, white male" name and worse, but I didn't back down. I accused her of knowing full well what the bus rules on cell phone conversations were (because there were large signs ALL over the bus), and told her she was a spoiled brat who knew nothing except how to parrot the lies and propaganda she was fed at school. It finally ended when the bus driver told us both to quiet down or get off the bus.
ReplyDeleteMy psychic reward (and delighted surprise) came a minute later when the little old lady sitting directly behind me touched my shoulder and whispered, "That was great. I wanted to tell her off, too."
So I encourage people to intervene when SJWs heap abuse on normal, innocent people -- as long as you keep your cool, and the abuser doesn't appear armed.
I have a technique. It’s a magic word. Never fails, but you must use it judiciously. This is for special occasions only. Used properly, this magic word, when said with the right cadence, and with the proper tone and grin, will put a harpoon right in the solar plexus of any women who has lost her decorum. White women especially, the more “civilized” the better. Leaves them sputtering and speechless, and a fragment will remain with them for the rest of their lives to remind them of their transgression. It’s the female equivalent of when a man gets his ass beat for thinking he can say anything to anyone he chooses. This magic word can be effectively used by select women as well. Careful. Be on the lookout for white knights.
ReplyDeleteSince decent society doesn’t exist anymore, don’t feel too bad about lowering the bar. Look who runs our media and our institutions. Just win, baby.
GB? What is that "magic word"?
ReplyDeleteMaybe he should have called her "senator".
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0CprVYsG0k
This woman is a harpy looking for a victim. She probably has a million reasons to tell someone off. She just chooses one and goes nuts. I wouldn't say anything to her (useless) but I would tell the clerk, "What a fruitcake!"
ReplyDelete