Respect

Left unsaid until the end of the week is this thought from Monday's City Council meeting. Learning from frequent contributor iamhoosier, shadow5 decided to see if the initial impression lingered for more than a day or two...you know, "on the other hand."

Mayor England, who has promised his State of the City address for next month, waxed eloquently about the relationship he seeks with council and with his constituents.

Much as a civil libertarian feels a shiver up his spine when he hears of extra-legal means of law enforcement, this observer couldn't avoid an eye-squint at certain moments of the mayoral address.

Mr. England promised an open door policy - with the proviso that he be treated with respect. Offering with one hand to treat all comers with respect, he unintentionally (?) signaled that anyone unwilling to treat him with respect might face not only a closed, but a locked door.

It was subtle. But it sounded like a warning more than an invitation. Should a mayor seeking to rehabilitate a prior image as an officeholder who rewarded friends and punished foes be quite so blunt about stating whom he will serve. Whether a petitioner did, or ever will vote for England shouldn't be a prerequisite for receiving constituent service from the mayor's office.

It marred an otherwise flawless presentation that got the mayor's tenure off to a great start. Perhaps His Honor would have been better served by asking for "civility" rather than respect. I'm sure that's what he meant.

It's just that respect should be commanded, not demanded. That is a subtlety, granted, but an important one. It is by this mayor's initiatives that he can command respect. Demanding respect is something altogether different.

On the other hand...