Barbara Boxer: Address me as senator instead of ma'am; I worked hard to get that title!

Run time: 00:17 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHFPsiPYDA8   Posted on YouTube: June 18, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: June 18, 2009 By DU Member: Cash_thatswhatiwant Views on DU: 4602

 

:yourock:

Especially since he's military, he should undrestand the importance of titles.

Does this mean if one appears before a House committee, he or she must address the members as "Representative?"

So we have;
"Yes, Representative, that's the way I understand it..."
or,
"Excuse me, Representative, would you please ask that question again..."
or,
"And a 'good day' to you, Representative."

And since I hold a PhD, would they be expected to address me as "Dr. KansDem?"

at least when they are male. "Maam" is military-speak for any woman, not a Senator.

Remember when Biden was asked how he would refer to Palin during the debate? His response was "Governor." Not Ms. Palin. Not Sarah. Governor.

(Although he very graciously allowed her to call him Joe, so she could sound like a total ass with her pathetic, scripted "Say it ain't so, Joe" attempt at humor. :D)

had expertise, it would be appropriate to address you as "Dr." I know I would.

In the House, I think "Congressman" or "Congresswoman" would be preferred if you were speaking to one.

Haven't we had enough years of the name-calling tactic?

I think King was way ahead of himself. Before will comes desire, and far too much of the country has no desire to end poverty... as it might affect their relative wealth.

Thank you for understanding!

...I said her actions seemed "childish". Calling someone's actions childish isn't the same as saying they're childish. That would imply they're always childish. Clearly, I was not saying she is always childish.

Talk about CHILDISH ACTIONS!!

But, then you have it all rationalized.

You have a fine day.

Maybe she could have left out the "worked hard part" and simply asked, "Please call me Senator."

I can also understand why she said it.

Wouldn't that be equivalent to addressing a male senator as 'Sir'?

You know you're a senator - they know you're a senator - so what's the point?

both Boxer and a male senator. "Ma'am" and "Sir" were part of my upbringing. I think those of us in the south may not understand what the problem is. I certainly don't understand.

From Georgia and having been through the military I would have been addressing all Senators as "sir" or Ma'am"...I think it may have been one of those I am on CSPAN moments when Senators like to show their power.

Outside of the south, "sir" and "ma'am" don't have the same meaning. Especially in the west, where Ma'am (or Madam) was the one who ran the whorehouse. Do NOT address a feminist with a term reserved for a brothel owner.

I was stationed in California for a while. LOL!

For instance, here in Canada, "sir" and "ma'am" are considered terms of respect, especially when addressing older people, married or not.

And when one talks to Queen Elizabeth, if one is lucky enough to talk long enough to get more than one sentence out, one addresses her first as "Your Majesty", and after that as "ma'am".

Forgive my confusion -- unless you're saying "sir" and "ma'am" aren't the same thing, to which I'd say, well, yes, obviously, one has a penis and the other one has a vagina.

As a woman, I can say that I don't care much for "Ma'am". For some reason I don't understand, it just doesn't equate to "sir". I can't really explain it. It is just a gut reaction.

She says in her routine You know what Ma'am really means, especially in the case of people waiting on others:
'Yes MA'AM, I think we have that in the back' or 'No MA'AM, I don't know what time the doctor will be done'. It really means - bitch - just insert bitch in your mind.

Technically "Ma'am" should denote respect, but it's the way people have used it that rubs me the wrong way.

"Ma'am" is much less formal, and isn't respectful... in the setting in question.

but "Madame" is rarely used anymore. It sounds rather archaic unless you're in England.

as "Ma'am" while men who had rights were addressed as "Sir." You are quite right to not care for it. And you are also right that it doesn't equate to "sir". QED.

Its not anything I really analyzed before. I just knew I didn't like being called "Ma'am".

I know what you're referring to though and when I was younger, it made me very uncomfortable. My daughter in her mid-thirties was really taken aback when someone called her "Ma'am". She definitely is NOT a "Ma'am"!

addressed as "General" rather than "sir".

You can bet that a physician would expect to be addressed in testimony as "Doctor" rather than "sir".

She did work hard for the title, and if she prefers that title, then she should be able to request it, rather than being second-guessed.

We ALL have the right to be addressed as we prefer, and request.

I would honor your request the same way.

Calling a general 'Sir' is absolutely proper protocol.

Calling a doctor 'Sir' would be, too. What would NOT be proper is calling him Mr. So-n-so instead of Dr. So-n-so. But that's not what this is about.

You'd call a female doctor "Ma'am". ;)

Interesting fact: in Britain, surgeons prefer to be addressed as "Mr" rather than "Dr". On checking just now to reconfirm this at uk.answers.yahoo, I found this nice addendum: (The term Mister) "also only applies to those that are deemed worthy by their peers. It is not a term automatically given out, and must be earned through respect, hard work and contributing to developing not only their skills, but educating peers and underlings within their field."

The Right Wing is going to jump on this piece of meat like nobody's business and drag up every little video clip of that 'Senator' disrespecting all kinds of important, significant people. I hope she got what she wanted out of it because her moment in the sun is going to rain down on her. Good luck with that Senator.

It is appropriate to call a general Sir as well as a doctor Sir. Most doctors I know also generally try to build rapore and trust with patients and colleagues, therefore they do not insist on being called Dr.(at least the non-arrogant ones don't). Surgeons in the UK are actually supposed to called Mr. and Mrs. traditionally.

She has earned the right to be addressed properly.

Especially in her official capacity during a hearing.

"Ma'am" IS a proper address. What would be disrespectful would be to not offer ANY title - whether "senator" or "ma'am" as that would indicate thinking the person is not worthy of proper etiquette.

It's not like he said "Well, listen, Barb..."

Esp. since women and children and this country were equally disenfranchised before 1920...

These assholes need to be reminded once in awhile of who is actually in charge.

to make the general think about something other than scripted answers to her questions.

There are right ways and wrong ways to say something. She obviously has been schooled incorrectly.
If she wants to lose military votes over it, so be it.

I was in the Air Force and I can tell you from experience that calling someone (particularly someone in a position of authority) "Sir" or "Maam" becomes ingrained in you. I call everyone, other than my immediate family, Sir or Maam pretty much automatically. On the other hand, she has earned the title and has every right to request it from him. I think, by the tone of her voice, she took it a little harder than she should have but neither one of them was really wrong.

thanked Hannity for calling him Senator, rather than sir.

What a POS.

but Sen. Boxer is acting like a bitch. He was being respectful and she was acting rude and snippy to him. She embarrassed herself and the party.

If egos are demolished by THIS treatment, they are weak indeed...

I would like to watch the whole exchange to be certain but I would imagine that not addressed her once by her title up to that point.

We're only getting the "snippy" part here. I trust there is a good reason for her to say this.

The Senate Republican campaign operation is citing a Tuesday exchange between California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and U.S. Army Gen. Michael Walsh in its latest fund-raising pitch to supporters.

During a hearing before the Environment and Public Works Committee, Smith referred to Boxer as “ma’am,” a moniker the chairwoman did not appreciate.

“Do me a favor, can you say ’senator’ instead of ‘ma’am’?” Boxer said, interrupting the Army general. “It’s just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title, so I’d appreciate it. Thank you.”

Smith responded: “Yes, senator.”

In an email pitch to supporters, National Republican Senatorial Committee Executive Director Rob Jesmer uses the exchange to suggest the California Democrat is disrespectful of the U.S. military.

“He deserves better from a United States Senator. Ironically, General Walsh is even from California - making him a constituent of Senator Boxer’s,” Jesmer writes. “Republican members of the Senate believe that our troops deserve the utmost respect from all Americans - especially civilian leadership. Send a message to Senator Boxer with us.”

The NRSC is soliciting donations and asking supporters to sign a petition to “tell Senator Boxer our troops deserve more respect.”

A spokeswoman for Boxer did not immediately return a request for comment.

The exchange has sparked a flood of criticism on the right. California GOP Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, who is running for his party’s nomination to challenge Boxer in 2010, said Boxer “dressed down” a general who was following protocol of referring to senators as “sir,” “ma’am” or “senator.”

“So, General Walsh was simply following longstanding tradition,” DeVore told UPI.

Justified Right, a conservative blog, likewise criticized Boxer and noted that she has referred to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as “madam” when she appeared before Congress.

Not everyone is offended by the exchange. “Now, I feel a bit sorry for the general, because he may call all men ‘sir’ and all women ‘ma’am.’ I don’t per se find any problem with that. But still. I suspect women like Senator Boxer have been on the receiving end of sexist treatment for decades, so they know it when they see it,” opines the liberal AmericaBlog. “But damn, watch her in action. I wish our other senators, and president, could find that kind of testicular fortitude in general.”


http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/06/19/republicans-make-fund-raising-pitch-over-sen-boxers-maam-exchange/


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