I have a coworker who is a jingoistic, pro-America in every situation, Republican. She is boycotting the French, etc. For contrast, I am…well, we share virtually no political views. I’m a member of the Green Party. I’ve lived abroad, and have the heretical (to her) viewpoint that other countries can be just as good as the US. We sometimes tease each other about our differing views, but considering how opposite they are, it usually stays pretty good-natured.
She just went over the line, and I am PISSED.
She handed me a computer printout of some senators saying the pledge of allegience. The funny was, one of the senators was putting the wrong hand over his chest. Behind him was Hillary Clinton. She didn’t have any hand lifted. My coworker commented on this, and I said “Well, I don’t say the pledge of allegience.” Not like I really ever have the opportunity, not being in fifth grade any more, and our company doesn’t yet (probably to her disappointment) require a daily recitation of the Pledge. But I haven’t said it since I was a little kid and it occurred to me that I didn’t feel the necessity to prove anything to myself or anyone else by saying the Pledge.
Her response: “Then you’re not an American.”
WHAT. THE. FUCK?
I pulled my passport out of my bag and held it up. “This says I’m an American.”
Her: “But you’re not in heart and mind, and that’s sad.” And she walked out. (She had to run an errand.)
Although it is kinda neat that my coworker can see into my heart and mind, my main response is a big FUCK YOU.
You’ve gotta be shittin’ me. HTF does she know that you’re not a JW or that saying the Pledge violates your beleifs in some other way? Not to mention WTF made her an arbiter of “Americanism”?
Anyone who reads my posts know there is no bigger flagwaver than I, but there is no point in allowing the freedom to dissent if we don’t allow people to, you know, DISSENT? Being a bunch of lockstep automatons who pledge their loyalty to the nation under coercion is NOT what being an American means!!
Tell that silly bitch to move to North Korea, where they share her ideas about mandatory allegiance to the state.
Petty, stupid and silly. I agree she has no clue about what it is to “be an American.” I say the pledge proudly, myself. If you don’t want to, that’s fine too. While, frankly, I won’t think the better of you for it, I’m not going to call you “unamerican” either.
In terms of reaction, however, IMHO it’s not as over the line as you seem to feel. I myself would tend to blow it off with more feeling of pity than anger.
But that’s just what I think, and since I DO respect the things that make a real American, I applaud your right to be as pissed as you wanna be!
Well, she knows I’m Jewish. On a separate rant, at Christmastime, she was really annoyed with me when I didn’t want to play the CD of Christmas carols she made. She told me it would “get me in the spirit” and that I was a “grinch” for politely refusing her offer. My reminders that I don’t celebrate Christmas made no noticeable effect.
Kyla, your Christmas carol story reminds me - I knew a person who kept badgering a Jewish friend of mine about Christmas. This mental giant did not realize - and yes, there are people out there who are like this and it is a frightening thought - why Jewish people don’t celebrate Christmas. Really. Not a clue.
Well, she’s still on her errand, so I can’t. This is probably a good thing. We work in a small office, and she’s been here much longer than me. I don’t really want to have rancor. I just wanted to vent. When she gets back, I might calmly ask for an apology, but since I doubt she’d give it, that might not even be a good idea.
Maybe you should talk to a supervisor. Her comment really breeches the boundaries of what should be appropriate workplace interaction (so does the “Christmas spirit” badgering, for that matter).
Saying that you’re “not a real American” is just as insulting and out of bounds as if she had told you to fuck off. She really needs a wake up call about how to behave in a workplace.
I’m serious, don’t take that shit from this bitch, complain to somebody.
(I would say the same thing about anyone who called a coworker a “warmonger” or some similar lefty insult. Thw workplace is not a forum for poltical harrassment)
You know, in reading this, I was thinking to myself that this is exactly what you should do. I understand your reluctance given your situation, but she doesn’t have the right to insult you. That’s completely unprofessional behavior and merits an apology, at the least.
I hope you can resolve it calmly with her, but I do think you should resolve it, for your own benefit (and possibly for hers, if you think it’ll open her mind up a crack).
If someone working for me did this I’d perform a formal disciplinary action. Verbal, written, or out-the-door, depending on whether or not they’d been disciplined before.
That’s harassment, pure and simple. I would not tolerate it. Take it to your boss.
I have mouthed off at great length about my opinions, re: the President. I’ll spare you all by saying I don’t think much of him.
The people around me know this. Some agree, some don’t. Life goes on.
…but since the war started, I have taken considerable flak for not changing my opinion. Why? Because there’s a war on, and we gotta be patriotic and support the troops.
Huh? I am, and I do. I support those guys all the way. I hope they are allowed to do their job quickly, efficiently, and well, and I hope we get as many as possible home in one piece. This doesn’t change how I feel about the guy who put them there.
…and because of this, at least one person I considered a friend has gone spare on me about “being a traitor to one’s country.”
There is something about the times that really seems to bring out the jingoistic idiot in some folks. All I can say is that under the circumstances, to be angered by idiocy is to partake of it…
