I remember a cliche situation of someone apparently being invited to a cookout or to dinner and discovering it was 5 minutes of cookout or 15 minutes of dinner and 1 hour of Amway or 1 hour of a church outreach meeting. For those who have had such experiences as I have had, it is hard not to feel used and manipulated. Bait and switch ethics. Have you ever felt this?
Is it just me? Is it just Purdue? Or is it just in election years? I do not know. But I know I've experienced this now twice in less than a three week window since campuses started up this fall. And both times it was at the hands of Obama partisans. At Purdue student organizations are SUPPOSE to clearly state the sponsoring group behind events. PC political groups of the partisan persuasion most in line with university power structure ideologies are apparently excepted.
The two events I speak of are these. The first was after one of the home football games, sidewalks were chalked nicely, promoting a free concert and associated activities. It was an Obama fest voter registration event. Someone mentioned to me that I should have known since all the 'chalkers' were wearing Obama shirts but my point is that none of the adverts in chalk even remotely mentioned 'Democrat', 'Obama', or 'Politics' though there may have been some vague reference to community (as in community organizing, perhaps?). It was evasive.
Then the other day at a religious leaders meeting an impassioned plea was made to come to the Memorial Mall and see the boots of soldiers from Indiana and the tiny shoes of Iraq (guess none died in Afghanistan) war victims and just think about this. Now admittedly it was mentioned that the 'reflection' event was sponsored by 'Friends' and another group that anyone with informing theological knowledge would recognize are pacifists, anti-war, and for the candidate they believe will most likely bring all wars to an end (even as he speaks of stepping up war efforts in Afghanistan and maybe even Pakistan!).
After nearly a 100 religious leaders heard the impassioned promotion of the 'religious reflection' event on the mall, and the group was dismissed, I drove by at a high student traffic time. What I saw was only a large Obama banner, very large, and three or four people (were they students, I do not know) at the booth including inquiring persons. I suspect most memorialize the sacrifice our military make on Memorial Day and on the 4th of July and on Veterans' Day and Flag Day and were proud of our young men and women who died for freedom's cause rather than from binge drinking, or are recovering from post traumatic stress from being groped at fraternity and dorm and beach bar parties in campuses across the USA.
Some may have resented the use of someone other than the soldier tagged, boots being USED to represent those of an actual USA military personnel in this liberal, leftist, politically partisan, but billed as merely an open minded religious reflection event. Again, it was an Obama fest.
Like Obama's answers on how both political houses which make the laws that govern among other things the financial scene that is sagging these days. And his response to how those houses have both been dominated by his own Party for the last full election cycle...and haven't been part of any solutions. But HAVE been part of emotional demonizing of any solutions or attempts at bi-partisanship to any problems by the current President who they love to sensitively hate. Evasive. Using Sheehan then saying he'll step up troops in Afghanistan. Manipulating Hillary supporters then dumping them for Biden. And now, well I guess I shouldn't be surprised at how the followers are not clear in advertising, manipulative, using people for their cause. I'm just glad I do not live in Milwaukee where alternative political operatives had their poll running tires slashed. All for the 'cause' of peace and sensitivity.
I've no problem with free speech and campaigning and clearly the campus is a buzz with such almost every year. But deception, manipulation, false advertising, evasion of sponsorship or event intent, well it doesn't strike me as modeling the kind of ethic reform that American campuses, Wall Street, student organizations, religious groups, or anyone really, would benefit from.
Have you seen this bait and switch on your campuses or in factories or union shops or teachers unions or other contexts? I'm sure there are some small, less organized number of military personnel that sometimes go too far in lobbying while serving, and the GOP has its issues as does Ron Paul postings everywhere, but it just seems like when they do their thing, it is super clear right up front. Is this really just super sophistication again? Ivy League nuancing? Law school complexity? What are you seeing these days? Or is discernment the vanishing spiritual gift? If the turnout on the Memorial Mall yesterday was any indication, there is more discernment than we may think, and for this we can be grateful.
