The DNC: Now I'm the One Making Assumptions

There's a lot of room for misunderstanding here, and I've just discovered I'm guilty of it.

The guy in this picture is Ray, a Clinton delegate from San Diego California. Ray was next to Gloria Allred at the California Delegation breakfast I blogged about yesterday. He and Gloria were making the point that the Clinton delegates were being silenced. As I said in my post, Gloria had a scarf tied around her mouth as a gag.

Ray was next to her, wearing the mask you see in this photo (it was over his nose and mouth, covering half of his face).  I assumed the mask was part of the protest. Ray was the guy last night at the Pepsi Center who got angry that an Obama delegate wouldn't take a Hillary/Unity sign, and he expressed that anger while wearing that mask. I assumed Ray was still in protest mode, and I'll admit to you now, embarrassedly so, that I began to think of Ray as a wacko.

Well, I just ran into Ray here in the lounge of the hotel. Since he was still wearing the mask, even though this is "down-time," i.e. nothing official happening, no audience for protest, I asked him about the mask. He sat down and said, "Thanks so much for asking. I have a medical condition..." which he proceded to describe. And then he said he has lived in NYC and a republican stronghold in SoCal, and in neither place have people made an issue of his mask. But here at the DNC with liberal democrats as far as the eye can see, he is encountering ridicule.

So I told him that I had jumped to conclusions about the mask, because my first encounter with him was connected to a protest about Clinton delegates being silenced. The mask looked like a prop. We then discussed how the Obama/Unity and Hillary/Unity signage at the Pepsi Center actually fueled the polarization, and how unfortunate that was. We talked as human beings, not as delegates from a particular camp. Ray was in tears because I was giving him an opportunity to be heard, about his medical condition, and about how he has felt as a Clinton delegate. I was in tears because I'm always in tears here in Denver, it seems.

Since the end of the primaries, Ray has longed for the Obama crowd to reach out to him and try to bring him into the fold. That finally started to happen for him last night after the speech.

And it continued in our conversation this morning.

Comments

[Interested American]

"And then he said he has lived in NYC and a republican stronghold in SoCal, and in neither place have people made an issue of his mask. But here at the DNC with liberal democrats as far as the eye can see, he is encountering ridicule."

Ah, further proof, the most prejudiced group of Americans are Democrats. Democrats point out color, race, religion, sexual orientation - making sure all of those things are known, which contributes tremendously with the problem of prejudice in America. What a tragedy.

[jaelithe]

Interested American, I cordially invite you to take a look at some photos of the DNC delegates. In fact, look at lots of photos, so you get a good sense of the sorts of people who have been elected to represent all Democrats by their Democratic Party peers.

Then take a look at some photos of the Republican delegates when the RNC rolls around. How well-represented will minority groups and people with disabilities be at the RNC, do you think?

I am guessing not nearly as well as they are here at the DNC.

[Interested American]

Thanks for proving my point: you look at people for their color, race, disability, or other minority affiliation. I look at people as people. By pointing out so many differences, you contribute to the problems of prejudicial thinking. That's what I find tragic. Political correctness and affirmative action have done more harm to everyone (minorities especially) than good by far.

[Lisa Stone]

Wonderful post - brave of both of you.

Now here's a question, as I type from home in my sweats and miss everything happening on the floor of the DNC: What do you mean when you type "We then discussed how the Obama/Unity and Hillary/Unity signage at the Pepsi Center actually fueled the polarization, and how unfortunate that was." For this viewer, watching the signs comingle on the floor in photos and videos, I didn't get the sense this fueled the polarization you describe. Can you explain for me, take me there?

Thanks mucho -

[Catherine]

Something to consider

http://www.sefermpost.com/sefermpost/2008/09/sarah-palins-sc.html