Excuse Me, But I Think You Need To Learn Some Manners

Constant Readers,

Maybe it's because I grew up in Georgia. Maybe it's because, in my family, neglecting to say "Sir" and "Ma'am" was the same as saying, "Please, Mom, give me a beating right here in the grocery store." For whatever reason, I am so upset by State Senator Pat Wiggins' disrespectful behavior in this video...I, I don't know what to say...

In an informational hearing on how California will cut emissions that cause global warming, a very nice Pastor Robert Jones form the Oak Park United Methodist Church sits down and starts talking about how any new regulations should take into account the concerns of poor and minority populations whose communities could suffer. About 1:48 into his speech, Senator Wiggins, a Democrat, says: "Excuse me, but I think your arguments are bullshit."   

Allow me to repeat: "Excuse me, but I think your arguments are bullshit." 

I swear. See it for yourself.

Wiggins claims she wants to apologize, but you can bet she's just sorry she's in office during the age of YouTube. Even if she had legitimate reasons to disagree with Pastor Brown,the Senator's public display of unprovoked, rude and demeaning behavior (aimed at a Pastor, of all people!!) is inexcusable.

Obviously, my Mom needs to make a trip to Sacramento.

--Melissa

Comments

[VenerableBede]

What's the line from "No Country for Old Men"? "It starts when you begin to overlook bad manners. Anytime you quit hearing "sir" and "ma'am", the end is pretty much in sight."

[vansmack]

Me thinks she's been raiding the Migden medicine cabinet....

[el Greco]

A lot of these folks have forgotten that they are supposed to be "public servants". Add Chris Daly to the category of elected officials who think they can treat the public any way they please. Even if Pastor Jones was dead wrong, he is still entitled to speak his mind and receive a hearing from our "public servants".

[brittney]

I was just telling my boyfriend about how failing to say "Yes, ma'am" or "No, sir," even when merely addressed by name, meant either a hairy eyeball or a backhand, depending on where we were at the time of said transgression. Funny.

[generic]

The second-by-second expressions on the pastor's face are priceless. You learn a lot about the inner decency of people in those unguarded moments when they're publicly insulted. He has a split-moment of shock, then offense, and then a kind of amused embarrassment. He's probably a very good pastor.

And he's actually right on the merits. Those with a lower income are going to be bearing a disproportionate cost with regard to higher gas prices, cap & trade, etc., (in the short term at least, until we get some infrastructure up to mitigate the burden.) It's, um, bullshit, to think we shouldn't still do it.

But that's not what he was saying. He was saying we should take his community into account when we make those decisions ... the same thing practically everyone says during these kinds of testimonies.

Remind me why is this woman a state senator again?

[Be_Devine]

LOVE her!

With Migden being booted from the Senate in disgrace, we need to have at least one crazy Senator who will spew Tourettes-like utterances that make no sense and leave everyone asking "did she really say that?"

Now all we need is for the good Senator Wiggles, in perfect Migden form, to deny that she cursed and call Melissa on her cell phone to demand a retraction.

[sfmike]

Well, she did start with, "Excuse me." And you can't imagine the number of times I've wanted to use the exact same phrase to the Reverend Amos Brown when he was on the Board of Supervisors.

As for "aimed at a Pastor, of all people!!" there have been far too many pastors publicly consigning myself and my friends to hell over the last 50 years for being a homo, to respect that particular job title. In fact, the most screwed up of my classmates throughout childhood and puberty tended to be the offspring of teachers, psychiatrists and, yes, pastors. Go figure.

[Rachel]

Hey now, I think Sen. Wiggins just wanted to get on to the really IMPORTANT stuff on her agenda:

"Wiggins Bill Updating State Definitions of Olive Oil Headed to Governor’s Desk"

http://tinyurl.com/wiggywiggins

[Marilyn]

Senator Wiggins must have studied at the Chris Daly school of public office. It's amazing how quickly public officials forget they work for the people. The man deserved to be heard and she was rude and disrespectful. Her behavior is a poor reflection on her office and she should be called to task for it by her colleagues in the Senate.

[Beth Spotswood]

So, I uh, crashed last night at the folks. I woke up this morning (after sleeping in my brother's bed. His room is basically a shrine to Alex Spotswood's teen years) and wandered into my dad's office (my former room, now a shrine to Dick Spotswood's 40s.)
"Bethy! Do you know who Pat Wiggins is?"
"Yeah, Daddy. Didn't you read Misty's blog?"
"Oh, Melissa is writing about this? Terrific!"
Turns out, dad knows Patty Bullshit, called her office and asked her press guy if she's on meds.
Reason Number 5893 why I love my dad.
But quickly, to SFMike, whom I love and adore and worship and look forward to being invited back to your lovely apartment for more martinis, I'd like to throw in. We shouldn't be nice to Pastor Bob just because he's a Pastor. We should be nice to him because the man showed up in a fabulous ensemble and politely asked that poor people be considered in policy making.
I mean, I'd step on a hobo to make a crosswalk signal and deplore those that order the "house red" and even I, proudly on my way straight to hell am a little "aw shucks" at Pastor Bob...