The US Alliance is our Best Defense

I was at the City Recital Hall this evening and after the debate “The US Alliance is our Best Defense” they threw it open to the audience for questions. There would have been about 6-8 men who got up to ask their question and we could see another 10 or so men standing in queues behind the 4 microphones. Finally, we heard from a woman who made a very reasonable and succinct question. And my point isn’t that women are better than men but simply that there was a variety of speakers amongst the men and they all needed their voice heard in its many forms.

There was one man who spoke beyond the one-minute bell indicating his time was up and he kept speaking… he kept speaking even when the audience clapped to indicate to him it was time to finish… and the clapping stopped… and he was still talking… and then we started clapping again. He got the message. But what I am saying is that in this domain – and many others – men will assume the role of contributor while women will comfortably sit back and have the men speak on their behalf.

Anyway, the convener made the bold move to comment on this disparity and in order to balance the mix, he offered for any woman who wanted to ask a question to stand up and go to the front of the queues behind the microphones. Two women took advantage of this – one made a comment rather than making a question and the other asked a great question.

Time was running short and the final women were told they could speak next and one young male in a purple shirt from a minority ethnicity. The two older white baby-boomers behind him jostled a little, obviously disgruntled at suddenly losing their powerful position of privilege and one of them bullied the younger male into asking his question for him in addition to his own.

Interestingly, this young guy in the purple shirt paraphrased his ignoble question and unintentionally made the older guy look petty and egocentric.  The shoe seemed to be on the other food and I wondered if that was the first time that older white male had someone else speak on his behalf.

…

Outside of all that the debate was effective. It swayed the audience away from a majority ‘for’ vote before the debate to a majority ‘against’ vote after the debate. Major General Jim Molan was the most effective speaker and convinced… well, some of the audience… that we needed to stop with the insecurity and the free riding and to have a stronger defense force of our own so we can protect in our own right if push came to shove.

Baby-boomers are such a paradox… on the one hand manipulating and egocentric and the other clever and succinct and if I had a third hand, supportive and standing in solidarity. I guess that is just another good case for avoiding stereotypes.