I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS!!

It’s amazing to me how belligerent some people will allow themselves to be in public. A few days ago, during a Q & A session following remarks by Senator Dorgan and Congressman Martin Frost, a bitter old man stood up and called Frost a “fraud” and said that he was appalled that such a seasoned policymaker would endorse this particular line of reasoning.

He made this argument, however, by interrupting the congressman, shouting, and speaking out of turn in response to other respondents. At one point, he declared “I’M A PHYSICIST!” as of this would somehow change the course of the argument and justify his rant.

A friend at the event likened it to the SNL skit in which Will Ferrell shouts “I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS” in order to remind his family what a bigshot he was.

Do people have no shame?

Don’t get me wrong, I am passionate about many things. I can see myself being pushed to a point that would cause me to be upset and perhaps even yell at a congressman. But this guy just got mad out of nowhere. His point was not entirely germane to the topic of the evening, and he was in no way provoked. Who knows how long he had been in his seat—just stewing in his anger, carefully selecting the words that would cause so many to think and say “what was that crazy guy so mad about?” Fortunately, Frost is classy and chose to calmly and expertly respond to the guy’s fit of rage.

Having observed this spectacle, I thought that I’d provide a short list of things to keep in mind when you are contemplating yelling about something in public.

· Make sure the person at whom you are yelling is not retired from congress. Don’t get mad at a former politician. He can’t do a whole lot about it.
· Make sure what you are saying makes sense. If all three experts on the panel, the discussion’s moderator, and most everybody else in the room can reasonably counter what you are saying, you might be wrong. At the very least, you haven’t explained yourself well.
· Don’t look crazy. If you have pit-stains, look disheveled, or carry a large bag full of “research” with you at all times, your level of credibility goes down quite a bit.

If you follow these three simple steps, hopefully you can avoid being the giant ass in the room. Somehow I often find myself playing that role for a number other reasons. Perhaps I should work on that.