“True fact,” as they say in some parts of the South: In Boston, there is one holiday party for “elected officials of color” and another that is — well, desegregated. My old-fashioned heart thinks this stinks. I lead my Impromptus today with this subject. There are more. See what you think.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a climate-change protest at the Metropolitan Opera. The protesters interrupted a performance of Tannhäuser. I was present. (I was not one of the protesters, I hasten to say. I was there to review the performance.) In a column, I had some thoughts on the protest.
A reader writes,
Dear Jay,
. . . You commented that the protesters were true believers. Yeah, I imagine they are. I can respect a strongly held belief, even while I strongly hold an opposing belief.
Further on, our reader offers two things to consider.
One, offending someone or being obnoxious is not a winning argument, and only pleases those who already agree with you. The audience at the opera is a case in point. Their reaction was to be furious. Naturally so, since they had not gone there to be part of a political debate or protest.
Two, I think this kind of tactic, while it might indicate true belief, also indicates that they don’t have a winning argument. They know they are right, but they can’t get other people to “know” it as well, so they throw what is in essence a public tantrum.
Changing opinions takes time. It takes treating people with respect.
In a column yesterday, I asked, “Where were you on November 23, 1984?” That’s when Doug Flutie, the quarterback for Boston College, threw “The Pass” — the Hail Mary that is also known as the “Hail Flutie.” I said, “I will never forget.” I was at my uncle’s, in Crofton, Md. We went nuts. So did America at large.
A reader writes,
I was in a hardware store in Alamosa, Colo., and had wandered over to the TV area and the game was on with four minutes left. There were about 20 of us gathered around the two demo TVs when “The Pass” was thrown. For a moment, all 20 of us were BC fans in shock and awe.
A reader and friend from Carmel, Ind., writes,
Just got back from visiting the Christkindlmarkt — where two sausages and two hot chocolates set me back $45.
Must be paying for the festive atmosphere!
The large building on the left is the Palladium — a spectacular concert venue. You really should visit it. Lincoln Center, it’s not, but it’s pretty good for Carmel.
Behold:
