The Need for Non Political Space Part II

Tip of the Hat to Wheat and Weeds for this bring this to my attention.

I posted last month an item by Jay Nordlinger on a concert he attended and how the conductor interjected politics. A very Liberal kind. I noted at the time this happens in all sort of settings and mostly it is liberals bashing conservatives, republicans, or religious folks. I find it all rude myself. It appears that his post had a huge response with many readers giving examples of what they experienced. See My Kingdom for a Safe Zone

He is one

Hello, Jay:

Your item on the concert is right on target. A friend of ours was killed last winter (2007) when his twin-engine plane crashed on takeoff out of Wilmington, Dela. He was a good pilot, but no match for a combination of strong winds and a faulty flap mechanism. He was 40. We’d just gone to his birthday party a few weeks before. He had been married only two years and they had an 18-month-old baby girl.So we’re at the service. He was Jewish, and the rabbi is presiding over this “celebration of life” for Dan.

And she says something to the effect of, “At least he won’t be around to see more of Bush’s errors in judgment.” The audience tittered.The thing is, I knew that Dan was pretty darn conservative and admired President Bush in many ways. We often spoke about it.

The rabbi knew nothing about his politics. But she did know her audience — at least a majority of them. The rest of us didn’t count, I guess.I have often thought of contacting this rabbi and telling her how inappropriate and just plain offensive her comments were. But I’m not Jewish and don’t even know her name. Like you, I believe that censure must come from the constituency of the speaker to make an impact.The memory of that remark still saddens me.