More than once in my life I have been told in a peremptory way by someone superior to me to do something I was already doing or just beginning to do. It happened often enough to become a pet peeve.
Why does this always happen to me, I wondered. Do I bring this upon myself? Turns out maybe I do since in hindsight I notice a pattern.
Once I identify a problem, I consider ways to address it which I might begin testing it out and mention to a friend, colleague, or superior later. Or I might bring the problem and proposed solution to a superior for approval before implementing the solution.
More often than I'd have liked, the response of the person I bring this to has been, “Well! You should do X,Y,Z!” “Yes,” my hurt response would be. “That's exactly what I am already doing/was asking to do with your approval.” Then I typically would slouch off all bent out of shape and hurt.
This pattern in my past is perhaps the reason why I felt so angered and hurt this morning watching an America Divided episode about Appalachia on Epix when narrator Nick Offerman directed a snide remark at Hillary Clinton. The episode was specifically about the coal industry.
During her 2015-16 presidential campaign, Hillary said some sentences that were lifted from context and used as rallying cries against her. I guess this happens to many candidates. She was my candidate, so it bothered me.
What everyone heard was something like, “A lot of people are going to lose their jobs.” That was the sentence that was carried like a banner against her. It was the sentence that Offerman singled out. The only one.
What he and many missed was that she also proposed replacing fossil fuel energy with clean renewables and bringing that industry into coal country where miners could be retrained to work in clean energy production.
Later in the Epix show, Offerman interviewed a woman who was implementing exactly the kind of program Hillary had proposed. He was impressed. Small comfort for his “Geez HRC,” earlier. No comfort since he did not credit her with her suggestions.
Where was the disconnect? Many Hillary supporters have complained that the media did not highlight her agenda. Maybe that is it. CNN and MSNBC carried her major policy speeches and campaign rallies. But the next day on the plane, the questions from the press were not about the policies she was proposing. They always fell back on her email. Or John Podesta's email. Or somebody else's emails to her.
Did Offeman miss out on Hillary's full coal country message? I guess, like many Americans, he did. As he is the host of a documentary show about politics in this divided nation, I hold him more responsible than most Americans to know what her full message was. It is, after all still available on her website.
I suppose it angered and hurt me personally because the whole gestalt so
closely parallels my pet peeve. He dissed Hillary and liked what a
program was doing when that program was actually following a blueprint
Hillary had proposed. I would not be surprised to find that Hillary was
in communication with those very principals during her campaign.
“She already proposed doing that,” I wanted to yell. But it was useless.
Hillary is not president and hasn't done a single thing to hurt Appalachia. She did not shut down the coal industry. It did itself in, and cleaner, greener alternatives have arisen which Hillary proposed importing to areas hurt economically by the decline of coal.
So, GEEZ, Nick Offerman! Do your research before you go on camera with partial truths.
I could not help but notice that Gretchen Carlson is a co-producer on this show, so I am going to lay part of the blame on her, as well. Shouldn't someone have familiarized themselves with Hillary's policy before slamming her in this documentary? Can't say I can vouch for their thoroughness or fairness.
Perhaps, given the title of the show, the intent is to ensure future seasons by misrepresenting facts thereby keeping America divided. Knowing the plan linked below is part of the job before you slam Hillary Clinton on this issue.
