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THE rr
/
' VIEW FROM (0^T
A Sfc ANCE Sa
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BY PAUL DUFFY m\\mWM
Love in a time of
bombast
Once, it was possible for
people to have a conversa-
tion,to trade ideas,to express
feelings, to talk. But that was
a long time ago, before we
entered the Age of Sound-
ing Important While Saying
Nothing.
Now, there are two modes
of communication only and
neither one of them allows for
plain talk about things that
matter.In the first mode, the
one used for subjects of Import
and Significance , which these
days isjust about everything,
we engage in A Meaningful
Dialogue. All else falls under
a catch-all rubric known as A
Frivolous Exchange.
Most of what passes for
discourse in this Time of
Bombast , especially as it is-
sues from politicians and the
puffed-up types who often run
corporations and universities,
from the TVtalk-slingers, and
even from sports natterers like
Tim McCarver, the baseball
bore, sounds something like
this:
"Our people have been try-
ing to establish a meaningful
dialogue with their people ,
but their people don't want
to hear what our people are
saying. Maybe after we have
reduced their capital city to
more manageable proportions
and shown a firm hand to
another several hundred thou-
sand of their brethren they'll
start paying closer attention.
Our people on the ground say
it's impossible to establish a
meaningful dialogue withter-
rorist-types and everyone in
that country is aterrorist-type
or terrorist-like. At the end
of the day we will only have
done what was in their best
interests,but meanwhile what
passes for important com-
munications has only been a
frivolous exchange."
The foregoing might have
come from the State De-
partment , the Pentagon , the
White House , the Senate ,
the House or any number of
Washington blathermouths.
Under analysis, it will be
found to be composed of an
unidentifiable mushymaterial
strung together in meaning-
less sentence-lik e structures ,
which, when joined together
in abundle resemblingapara-
graph, gives an impression of
coherence while it is, in fact ,
utter gibberish.
On amore personal level,we
are likely to hear something
quite different and yet sicken-
ingly similar:
"I came down here with
your vote of confidence to get
a job done for you and all the
American people who yearn to
breathe free. I hope that you
willjoin with me to carry for-
ward with aprogramwe can all
get behind and push over the
top and down the other side
and up the next hill and over
the mountains of attainment
as we strive to go forward and
not backward. I believe it was
Abraham Lincoln who said, in
his second inaugural, "Asknot
what you can do for the aver-
age American, ask what the
average American wants and
then promise it to him."
People who get elected say-
ing thingslikethisusuallytalk
about having a "mandate ,"
much as ordinary folk talk
about having a job. A man-
date, of course, exists on a
much higher plane than a
mere job and is akin to a holy
calling. Mandat e and destiny
often ride in the same gilded
linguistic carriage. Among
American politicos there is a
brisk trade in mandates, not
unlike pork bellies and corn
futures. "The people have
given me a mandate and it is
my destiny to carry it out."
The only verb arrangement
that seems to go with man-
date is "carry out ," although
"carry out" when not coupled
with "mandate" has wide ap-
plication including "carry out
your plans"and "carry out the
garbage."
Why anyone would want to
go around burdened with a
mandate is aquestion best left
to those who seek our votes,
but the question is certainly
the stuff of A Meaningful Dia-
logue and would not result in
A Frivolous Exchange. It is
impossible to be frivolous
about a mandate,just as it is
impossible to talk of love in A
Time of Bombast. Unless, of
course, you're talking about
your country. In that case
you can use the word "love"
as often as you can get it in,
leaving room enough, need-
less to say, for "mandate "and
"destiny."
That would look like this:
"Asknot whether anAmerican
loves hiscountry.Askwhether
it is his destiny to carry out
his mandate." And don't ask
what this might mean.
%\
)t Barnstable patriot
— Founded in 1830 —
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EDITORIALS
Human rights commission off to good start
They like them. They really like
them.
It wasn't quite a Sally-Field-
at-the Oscars moment Nov. 15
when the Assembly of Delegates
received the first full report from
the Barnstable County Human
Rights Commission, but there
was an air of pleasant surprise as
several delegates offered heartfelt
praise.
There was more good news for
the commission in the recent
decision by the health and hu-
man services committee of the
Assembly to move forward with
a recommendation that the word
"pilot" be removed from the enti-
ty'sdescription and that it emerge
as a continuing part of the county
government.
Public recognition that there
are human rights violations even
in such a seemingly idyllic place
as Cape Cod has been a big step
forward for the region's leaders,
and one hopes that their under-
standing will spread among their
constituents as the rights com-
mission does its work.
And what a large chunk of work
the group has chosen to accept.
Even with the hiring of a con-
tracted administrator, members
will be putting in plenty of their
own time.
Its outreach to the Brazilian
community has been one of the
early successes of the commission.
Members ' willingness to wait out
the awkward moments before
enough trust is established to
let residents feel comfortable in
sharing their concerns has been
admirable.
The tenacity of the commission
is another plus. Discovering the
significant roadblocks encoun-
tered by Brazilian residents in
dealing with the state Registry
of Motor Vehicles, commission
members scheduled public meet-
ings and pursued individual cases
as best they could in the "pilot"
stage of their existence.
Now,their clout growing, they've
managed to snag the state'sReg-
istrar of Motor Vehicles, Anne
Collins, for a meeting on driver's
licenses for immigrants and tem-
porary international workers, to
be held Dec. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at
the Federated Church of Hyannis.
Collins will speak about licenses
and about the new state driver's
manual, and will take questions
about her department's proce-
dures.
The Commission has arranged
for the presentation to be given
in English and translated simul-
taneously in Portuguese and
Spanish.
"Translating"iswhat the human
rights commission is all about.
It's translating often unspoken
concerns about discrimination
into quantifiable information that
can be acted upon, helping those
involved move from resentment
to resolution.
Commission members have said
they want to stand on their own
feet as much as possible, and a
Friends group is forming that
could accept donations for their
work. It's unrealistic, however, to
expect that such goals can be car-
ried out on behalf of Barnstable
County and its people without
some county financial support.
The county commissioners be-
gan their departmental budget
reviews this week, and sounded
a warning about counting on ac-
tivity at the Registry of Deeds to
fund new initiatives or even afully
level budget in the coming years.
Message received , but failure to
provide for some support of the
human rights commission, the
newest arm of county government,
would raise the familiar charge of
"last hired, first fired ," and that's
something we truly can't afford.
Supporters of the rights com-
mission are passionate about the
need for this work, but they've
done a good job so far of playing
by the rules. We hope all involved
in guaranteeingthe survival of this
county function will proceed with
patience, and keep their eyes on
the prize.
EFM
editor@barnstablepatnot.com
EARLYFILES
BARNSTABLE PATRIOT ARCHIVE PHOTO DECEMBER 5. 19%
ALL INTHE FAMILY- Three generations of the Dever family gathered for Christmas caroling Sunday evening at West Parish
Church in West Barnstable. Barbara and Eugene Dever flank daughter Lauren and grandchildren Katie and Perry.
1836
The Barnstable Journal ,like the
Barnstable Bank , is hereafter to
make its issues from Yarmouth.
The apparatus belonging to the
Journal has been removed to
Yarmouth! What strange moti-
vations have attended the rise,
progress and declination of this
namby-pamby concern! It com-
menced its career here some
nine years since, under the most
encouraging auspices - as a neu-
tral paper - and neutral indeed ,
it was. It was a money-making
concern, undoubtedly, to itsf irst
proprietor, although it has (since
it was obliged to throw off its
neutral mask, and show its true
colors, as aPirate in politics -and
everything else) been the source
of bankruptcy to its subsequent
owners.
1866
(Advt) S.H. Murdock, dealer
in The C-O-D Man's Boots and
Shoes.Barnstable,Mass.Mr,Mur-
dock has been appointed agent
for the sale of the C-O-D Man's
Boots & Shoes in this village, and
now has a large and varied stock
on hand, to which he invites the
special attention of the public.
These boots and shoes are guaran-
teed to be asrepresented , and are
the very best and cheapest now
manufactured!... Boots and shoes
made to order at short notice, and
repairing of all kinds neatly and
promptly executed.
1896
(from theBoston SundayGlobe)
Yachtinghas been given quite an
impetus on South Shore during
the past yearandwiththe Hyannis
Yacht Club,under the auspices of
which it is likely some regattas
will be sailed next season, and
the Woods Hole YachtClub,which
will have a series of regattas next
year, the yachtsmen along the
south side of Barnstable are busy
preparing for the time when their
favorites can be tested. Crosby
Bros, of Osterville have several
good-sized cat-boats under way
and they have given estimates on
a number of other big boats on
which they expect to begin work
in a few weeks.
1916
(Advt) Nickerson Bros. Garage,
Hyannis Mass. Agents for Paige,
Hup and Scripps-Booth Cars.
Storage,Vulcanizing,Welding and
Washing of Cars a Specialty.
1926
(Advt). FREE RADIO Service
Guaranteed For One Year.Grebe ,
Day Fan, Fada, Kolster, Atwater
Kent , Zenith , Stewart-Warner ,
Radiola , Priess. HOME RADIO
CO. Hyannis.
1936
All schools in the Town of
Barnstable willclose at 12:15noon
Friday for the funeral services
of Principal-emeritus Louis M.
Boody, which will be held at the
Federated Church at 2:30 p.m....
Rarely does any citizen become as
beloved in the community as has
Mr. Boody during his more than
40 years as a school master.
1946
Miss Eunice Kennedy, daughter
ofMr. and Mrs. Joseph P Kennedy
of Hyannis Port and Palm Beach ,
Florida,was one of the passengers
who returned from Europe on the
luxury liner, America. Because of
a severe crossing, Miss Kennedy
missed being a bridesmaid at the
wedding of Miss Harriet Boynton
Wells in New York, but arrived in
time for the reception.
1956
Champions of the Large School
Division of the Townof Barnstable
Elementary School Soccer League
by virtue of their 1-0 victory over
Hyannisinthe finalgame arethese
members of the Osterville School
team:LarryEvans,goal;John Can-
ning and Don Hallett, fullbacks;
Russell Milne, David Fraser and
JimmyMcEvoy, halfbacks; Robert
McAllister, Robert McPherson ,
Dana Hinckley,Dale Peterson and
Charles Flanagan, forwards.
1966
Services were held here yes-
terday at Doane, Beal and Ames
Funeral Home for the Rev. Mrs.
Harriet I. (McCoy) Grace , a
founder and former pastor of Zion
Union Church in Hyannis. Mrs.
Grace was a resident of Pleasant
HillLane,Hyannis,havingresided
on the Cape for 39 years. She was
born in Boyden County, N.C. She
was ordained a minister at Zion
Bible Institute more than 30
years ago. She served the Hyannis
church in mission activities.
1976
The winsome charm that has
endeared Betty Ford to millions
throughout her years as the na-
tion's First Lady was very appar-
ent Tuesday afternoon when she
made her first visit to Cape Cod
to participate in the cornerstone
layingand dedication of Cape Cod
Hospital'snew $11.5 million addi-
tion, now well under way.
1986
(Advt.) Hyannis - two-bed-
room condominium. Three years
young, large kitchen-dining-liv-
ing room area, cathedral ceiling,
skylight, sliders to deck. Fully
applianced (electric). Low condo
fees, $89,900.
1996
Political maneuvering moves
to the forefront tonight as the
Barnstable town council begins
the business of electing new
officers for the next year... Men-
tioned as possible successors to
(President Harold) Tobey have
been town councilors Richard
Clark,who is being nominated for
president by Tobey, and Jacalyn
Barton, expected to be nominated
by another colleague.
j Next Week in flftE ^latriOtT^ [[
m Christmas Strolls
The villages sparkle with lights and
special treats to counter the darkest
days of the year. We'll tell you where to
fill your cup with cheer...
www.barnstablepatriot.com
THE BARNSTABLE PATRIOT
ISSN 0744-722 1
Pub. No. USPS 044-480
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Published weekly at 4 Ocean Street . Hyannis . MA 02601
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THE BARNSTABLE PATRIOT
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© 2006, The Barnstable Patriot, a division of Ottaway Newspapers Inc.
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