A friend’s adopted son recently officially became a US citizen. The family went to DC so he could recieve some documents at the White House. When the kid was told he’d be given his stuff in front of a portrait of the president (and pictures would be taken for publication) he declined.
His parents were proud of him, as was I. The functionary who handled all this confided that this sort of thing was common now.
The Nobel does. Plus, you have to make a [del]speech[/del] lecture. I do not know if they can revoke the prize if you make it a political lecture.
I would accept the award, and go on a speaking tour ripping the person who presented it. Not the organization who awarded it, the person who presented it. (Assuming the distinction can be made.)
In a way, it would be as if I were black and on trial for something, and I knew the judge was calling me a n*gger in chambers. Then I am found not guilty, and the judge says I am free to go. I’m not going to refuse the verdict because of the person who recognized it.
Regards,
Shodan
I hope it’s an award for getting shot in the butTOCKS.
For an award of the status being mentioned, that’s something I would value for a lifetime. Well worth 20 minutes of my time, which would perhaps be spent rolling my eyes or whatever.
If it’s an award more like a “certificate of participation – yay everyone!” that would hold no value for me, I’d decline it on the basis that who cares.
NO.
I attended an event and a surprise guest was the Congressperson that represented my home in Congress. As she came by I put out my hand for a handshake and pulled it away at the last second and walked away. A few minutes later one of her suits came up to me and told me that what I did to Ms. Dunn was not very nice. I replied that was Ms. Dunn is doing to the people she represents isn’t very nice either.
I would love to do the same to Trump.
I get the award, with the hopes that I can get a picture taken with my “I’m with Stupid” t-shirt on.
If it’s Trump he wouldn’t do it in chambers. I’d accept it anyway, and if it came with being able to give a thank-you speech I’d want to go after Trump, if only to point out that calling me a bad hombre indicates a serious problem with his eyesight (substitute appropriate reply for whichever stupidity he came up with).
If you win an award, you generally don’t have to attend some kind of award ceremony to get the award. The decision of who to award has already been granted, and the honor (and prize, if there is one) is yours, whether or not you show up for the cameras and the speeches.
I’ve never heard of an award where they’d actually not give it to you if you didn’t show up on their schedule to be handed it.
OP, are you positing that that’s actually the case?
Here’s an article about Bob Dylan accepting his Nobel. He did it in a private ceremony, and has to provide his “lecture” at some point in the future, which could be a recording. So, there’s no requirement to go to a particular award ceremony or have it presented by a particular individual.
Assuming this is like awards in the real world, I can imagine refusing to have the award presented by someone I disliked sufficiently. That’s a political statement that could be worth making.
If this is some kind of major monetary award where I’m effectively getting paid a significant sum to shake the hand of someone I dislike and stand next to them for photographs, well, I’d probably do it, then badmouth them afterwards. Because money.
The award would be presented by the office, not the officeholder. Accept it from the President, not from Donald Trump.
In the military, they say “Salute the uniform”.
I can see that for literally every other president in this history of the United States. However, with this guy in office, we must take every opportunity to remind the world (that should need no reminding) that something has gone terribly wrong.
I’m pretty sure the OP made this a condition so that people don’t have the option of saying, “I’d take the award, but not if Trump (or whoever) gave it to me,” which would defeat the point of the question.
I’d take the award and MAKE the opportunity to speak out, graciously but unmistakably, e.g., “Mr. Trump, I’m honored to receive the Congressional Medal of Freedom from my country. I pray that writers will always be free to write the truth, even when it’s unflattering to the President or other political leaders. I also pray that you find the integrity, compassion, and wisdom to at last make your leadership of this country something our Founders would recognize, our allies applaud, and even those Americans who’ve been marginalized and oppressed by your previous policies would approve.”
Something like that, anyway.
If Trump had ever worn a uniform, I might feel differently. Maybe.
I still wouldn’t shake his hand under any circumstances.
If I’m getting a CMoH and my chain of command has decided The Commander in Chief will present it, then of course I attend. The Commander in Chief gets a very formal and ceremonial salute, Donald Trump gets no handshake, and no smile, no chit chat apart from a mechanical 'Yes sir, No sir, Moving sir". He is just part of the military machinery and deserves no more emotion than would my vehicle, uniform, or other gear.
If it’s some sort of civilian award, I just go and play nice but do the crossed fingers thing for the photo op.
From a military perspective, he IS wearing the uniform.
I’m not familiar with the intricate minutae so I don’t know, however, the whole point of the hypothetical is that you have to go through Trump (or some other figure you dislike) in order to get the award.
If I was on a Super Bowl winning team I would certainly decline this White House’s invitation the award was winning the super bowl and meeting the President is more a one of the perks of winning the award. In this case the perk is more like Here’s a million dollars and you can accept or decline getting kicked in the balls afterwards.
Now if this was something more like the Nobel prize or an Academy award where the guy handing me the trophy was incidental to getting it and the show was about my accomplishments I’d accept it from them and I’d probably even be gracious. I think the difference is what is the ceremony about me or them I have no need to attend a ceremony honoring someone I hate even if they are only 50% of the billing but I’m OK with it if they are incidental.
I believe that if a college is offering you an honorary degree, and you don’t make a speech at graduation upon accepting the degree (or show up) you don’t get the degree - which means the degree is a cheap lecture fee. Any award like this is no award at all.
Since punching the traitor in the face is probably out of the question, I say no.
Let’s assume you have no other reason to decline the award. Then declining because of the presenter you hate is going to stay with you the rest of your life (not having the award to point to on a resume or whatever), and affect the community that feels the award is important (some of the less informed members might be unaware or less aware of your work). That is a big negative impact on both you and the community that has the award. If you decline because of the presenter, few people will hear about it, and even fewer will remember it. In the case of Trump, you have already got the news media and late night comedians in lock step bashing him ad nauseum. Your little “statement” will be a drop in the bucket that will add nothing. And further, you might become de-brainwashed or otherwise change your mind and think the presenter is ok, or even admirable at a later date. So definetly accept the award, unless you have another reason to decline.
Fair enough. Your original post, wondering how people might possibly say no, made me think that you were wondering about people’s actual behavior, since some people have actually refused to meet with Trump (or other award-giving people). In most cases, those people didn’t actually turn down the award. They just turned down the award ceremony.