Comments on: “Profound regret” http://tolovemercy.com/frank_joseph_blog/2007/02/03/profound-regret/ TO LOVE MERCY portrays 1940s Chicago from the South Side to Riverview -- with stops at Comiskey Park (White Sox), Bronzeville, Midway Airport, Maxwell Street and the Loop -- with a focus on two boys, one from Bronzeville, one from Hyde Park. Fri, 18 May 2012 21:48:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Maria_Thompson http://tolovemercy.com/frank_joseph_blog/2007/02/03/profound-regret/#comment-24 Maria_Thompson Sun, 04 Feb 2007 03:16:30 +0000 http://tolovemercy.com/frank_joseph_blog/2007/02/03/profound-regret/#comment-24 "complimented Barack Obama for being a presentable black candidate. (Boy, Joe, me too -- it's about time.)" Frank, You are not suggesting the Shirley Chisholm and Carol Mosely Braun were unpresentable, right? I have always found Jesse Jackson debonair, and even Al Sharpton has been well groomed over the last decade or so. "It is not that the dog dances well, so much that he does it all." Is this how Biden would have described any other young up and coming male in the US Senate? I think not. Are we normally amazed that a past president of Harvard's Law Review, who is now a member of the world's greatest debating society, the US Senate, is articulate? No, unless the person is not a Caucasian. Frank -- the whole thing stinks. I have had too many people say to me, with a touch of wide eyed wonder, "you're so articulate," more times than I could ever count. (So what were they EXPECTING of a woman with a BS and Masters from New York University?) Gimme a break. It was like my present company ignoring my CPA and status of a Charter Financial Analyst to say to my face, "We didn't know you have quantitative skills" when the failed to consider me for a position, but then asked me to train the new appointee. Did Biden intend to be insulting? I don't think so. Was he insulting just the same? Yes, very. In Biden's case, he does not intend to sound less than fully accepting of his colored colleague, but he has not yet learned how to say that in ways that are not offensive. The person who said, "That's such a cute little coon baby," on seeing an African-descended child was also truly offering a compliment. The problem is that the person just did not take the time to think of the right words or was ignorant that better words were available. Which ever it is with Biden, I think we have better choices available for President. The really unfortuate thing is that instead taking this as a learning moment, most Caucasians who did not immediately wince at Biden's his words are still telling each other that the people taking offense are "too touchy." The fact that a person does not feel any pain when stepping on the toes of another does not make it any less painful for the recipient. Before an apology can be accepted, the foot ON the toes needs to be removed. Maria “complimented Barack Obama for being a presentable black candidate. (Boy,
Joe, me too — it’s about time.)”

Frank,

You are not suggesting the Shirley Chisholm and Carol Mosely Braun were unpresentable, right? I have always found Jesse Jackson debonair, and even Al Sharpton has been well groomed over the last decade or so.

“It is not that the dog dances well, so much that he does it all.” Is this how Biden would have described any other young up and coming male in the US Senate?
I think not.

Are we normally amazed that a past president of Harvard’s Law Review, who is now a member of the world’s greatest debating society, the US Senate, is articulate? No, unless the person is not a Caucasian.

Frank — the whole thing stinks. I have had too many people say to me, with a touch of wide eyed wonder, “you’re so articulate,” more times than I could ever count. (So what were they EXPECTING of a woman with a BS and Masters from New York University?) Gimme a break. It was like my present company ignoring my CPA and status of a Charter Financial Analyst to say to my face, “We didn’t know you have quantitative skills” when the failed to consider me for a position, but then asked me to train the new appointee.

Did Biden intend to be insulting? I don’t think so. Was he insulting just the same? Yes, very. In Biden’s case, he does not intend to sound less than fully accepting of his colored colleague, but he has not yet learned how to say that in ways that are not offensive. The person who said, “That’s such a cute little coon baby,” on seeing an African-descended child was also truly offering a compliment. The problem is that the person just did not take the time to think of the right words or was ignorant that better words were available. Which ever it is with Biden, I think we have better choices available for President.

The really unfortuate thing is that instead taking this as a learning moment, most Caucasians who did not immediately wince at Biden’s his words are still telling each other that the people taking offense are “too touchy.” The fact that a person does not feel any pain when stepping on the toes of another does not make it any less painful for the recipient.

Before an apology can be accepted, the foot ON the toes needs to be removed.

Maria

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