Protest, Vol. 21, Issue 13

It would be so much more comfortable to write about a more traditional etiquette subject today — say weddings or tea parties or when to drink wine from green-stemmed glasses while wearing gloves* — but a couple different news items about political protest have bubbled up to the top of the pot. Like scum, they need to be skimmed off. Darn it.

Freedom of Speech remains our most valuable freedom because, as Etiquetteer has said and said, it really helps us identify ourselves. So using Freedom of Speech responsibly and without carelessness is essential not only to Perfect Propriety, but to one’s reputation — especially for leaders. Last week’s State of the Union speech was marred by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) heckling the President at a particularly ill-judged moment, when he was about to refer to his dead son. Reports indicate that she received bipartisan boos, so this definitely gets counted as a fail on her part. Her bad manners have obscured her (bad) message.

Of course different venues call for different manners. You don’t ask for lemon for your water in a dive bar**, but you don’t hog call across the room in a fancy restaurant. How one behaves in a dive bar in, say, Colorado, is very different from how one behaves in Congress. Understand your surroundings.

And speaking of surroundings . . . for weeks anti-vaccine protestors have been vigorously using their Freedom of Speech and literal reading of local noise ordinances to stage loud protests in front of the home of the mayor of Boston. Far from getting them the results they want, they have only reinforced a negative opinion of people who share their views. At long last, the mayor has proposed a ban on residence-based protest between 9 PM - 9 AM. Etiquetteer has said it and said it, but here it is again. If all you want is to express your anger, well, hop to it. But if you actually want to effect change, this form of protest is ineffective. And really, Etiquetteer just isn’t a fan of residence-based protest anyway. It may make the protestors feel better, but it doesn’t get the desired results. Stop it at once!

*The correct answer is never. Gloves should be removed before eating or drinking.

**Etiquetteer has witnessed this. Attempt and you’ll earn the just scorn of your waitress.

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