Fox News has the full story, "Boxer, the U.S. Senator, Chides Brigadier General for Calling Her 'Ma'am' ":
No one deserves the slimeball hatred of the Internet comment threads, but General Walsh doesn't appear disrespectful toward Senator Boxer. And check out Andrew Malcolm:
Truth be told, even on Capitol Hill, Walsh has taken a few years of service to his country to earn those general stars too. But Boxer did not deign to call him general. Nor did she bother with a please. Of course, the general complied with the Democrat's wishes immediately without complaint.
I think all of my readers should call me Dr. Douglas. "It's just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title."
And NOT to be missed: Lindsay Beyerstein adds this flourish: "It's amusing to see insecure men howling in vicarious indignation over Sen. Boxer's mild dominance display."
Yeah. Right.
As Betsy Newmark might say, "Barbara Boxer: awfully full of herself."
13 comments:
I think she asked nicely. Is this really news or something to make a big deal out of?
You misspelled my name, Dr. Douglas.
I didn't work hard for the "a" in "Lindsay," but as Marlo Stanfield on said, my name is my name.
Lindsay: Didn't you want to say, "as Marlo Stanfield once said"?
This woman, seeing that I am a Troop, pissed me off. The military customarily uses the terms "Sir" and Ma'am" out of respect.
This cretin used the Troops as a political football and she has a "special place" in our hearts - and it is very dark there.
Out of respect for Mr Douglas, I will not place my comments here but you can read them here:
http://tinyurl.com/nmxznk
My Mentor, a Phd.
Would correct everyone
"I respond to Dr."....he would say.
Vanessa, she was not polite! She was impolite, ignorant, arrogant and inappropriate! I watch many of the senate meetings, and the military routinely call Senators sir and ma’am, unless the whole name is pronounced – then it would be Senator Boxer. Both Democrats and Republicans are very respectful to high ranking military that protect our country in all branches of service. This is an outrage! In a Senate committee meeting important information is being exchanged, the General is being appropriately polite referring the way military men do, “sir,” and “ma’am.” JUNIOR Senator Boxer makes it all about her. This is disgusting and egotistical beyond belief.
She worked hard to become a senator? Well she only has a bachelor’s degree, and I would bet that Dr. Douglas has worked harder for his doctorate. I was always impressed that I knew Donald for a few months before I found out through his blog that he had a doctorate. I also, love that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas flew half the way home in coach before the football players next to him knew who he was. That is most of the charm of that story, that he was interested in them, not showing them how important he was. When you are confident and authentic you don’t have to try to take a brigadier general to task. By the way, if it had been a male Senator that said this, look out world! Titles don’t make the man, and they don’t make the woman.
As a Southerner I have to say that Walsh was right to call her "Ma'am".
Yes, she's a self-important, pompous windbag but what do you expect? She's a United States senator. They pretty much all act this way, regardless of party affiliation.
Wow, that is some filthy stuff in the first para.
What I had contemplated doing is writing an internal dialogue from Senator Boxer's standpoint, as she sits on her Olympian perch and publicly uses a brigadier to indulge her Elektra Complex.
If I had Dave Burge's email address, I'd put him on the case. I think the Iowahawk could find just the right blend of sarcasm and borderline pornography to bring it out.
Me, I just don't have a mean enough spirit.
"Out of respect for Mr Douglas, I will not place my comments here but you can read them here:"
Good Lord, man! He just got through telling you he wanted to be called Dr. Douglas. Then again, I want to be referred to as Supreme Baker Robbins because of my effort at perfecting my craft. No one is indulging me either.
I didn't see the General's calling her ma'am--or the Senator's request that he call her Senator instead--as being all that remarkable or newsworthy. As others have noted, people have those kinda conversations about names and titles all the time. (It wasn't like Liz Becton, who deserved to make the "weird news of the day" files everywhere she did, and more).
The misogyny and viciousness of that youtube thread however, which Dr. Douglas rightly joined with Echidne in condemning (but "alleged commentary"? Either it's there or it's not; and as Dr. Douglas notes, it's there. As of when I looked, the word "cunt" alone had ben used 16 times, in almost as many comments.) was well worth discussing.
Never let it be said that some folks on the right are not vile, just like some individuals on the left. Echidne's post discusses both the vileness of these disgusting youtube commentors, and Senator Boxer's request itself, from a feminist perspective and, along with some of the people who commented there--including Lindsay Beyerstein--notes that there often is a misogynistic lack of respect for women in power, and those nasty youtube comments are the most "fringe" expressions of an all too common situation.
Well, at least one of your readers has regularly addressed you as Dr Douglas. :)
Of course, this is one reason I'm not a general, since I would have complied by addressing her as Senatrix Boxer.
Boxer is a self-important wast of oxygen.
Gen. Walsh should have responded, "Sorry, Your Highness."
-Dave
Dr.D,
Pomposity is a pain. US Senators are pompous and that's their deal. They really think they have ascended rather than being elected. That being said, when you are elected you respect the electorate, when you ascend you respect no one and fall in love with power. I respect precious few politicians. They should all be turned out of government and be forced to start over.
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