My baby in politics?!?!

March 5, 2006

Not sure how I feel about his one - curious how others think.

My MIL is in the process of retiring from her high powered exec position and is involved in the selection of her replacement. There are the usual candidates from within the organization and from outside. Apparently there is A LOT of racial tension around this process as ther are qualified candidates that are black and some that are white and an exacutive board that has had an ongoing reputation for being racist in the past.

Anyway (sorry to ramble) My MIL proudly showed me a pin she wears conspicuously to all of her meetings that is quite large and has a picture of Addy on it. She has lots of grandkids but sports her only AA grandkid at her controversial job meetings.

I was a little taken a back but she was so proud - what do you think??

Martha

LisaCA

March 5, 2006

I can tell you how I'd read it: she's using her black grandchild as a shield, a badge saying 'I can't be racist, i have a black grandchild!'

would it work for me? nope, not a bit, lol.

there's probably little you can do about it, however.

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Gadoptmom

March 5, 2006

I would take issue with that. It would be one think if she sported ALL the grandkids.

but yes...probably little you could do about it! I think I would probably still say something about not being comfortable with it.

watermelon0719

March 5, 2006

That would make me very uncomfortable, if she used my child as a 'statement'. Being me, I would mention it to her and say it bothers me. But of course, not everyone is that confrontational! :D

joskimo

March 5, 2006

I read this post earlier today and had to thnik about it before I could answer, it's kind of a tough one. She's definitely using her position to her benefit and it would seem best to have all the grandbabies together. I don't know how many she's got but you might sugget a group photo for a button to be made so she doesn't have to wear 8 buttons! But you never want the grandchildren to be favored over one another. Think how you'd feel if it were only the CC grandbaby on display?

AwaitingBeloved

March 5, 2006

I actually thought it was nice. That she is wearing her pride.

I am trying to find another situation to compare it to, and the best I could come up with is this.

What if she worked at an organization for adoption....and she wanted to wear her adopted grandchild on a button to support that.. would that be bad? Would that be a shield, too? I know it's not exactly the same, but couldn't think of anything else. She may be a racist and using it as a shield or she might just be a very proud grandmother who happens to have an AA grandchild. Ask her what her motives are for wearing it. And why she doesn't wear one of all the grandkids. I wouldn't hesitate to ask my MIL a question like this, and I don't think she'd hesitate being honest with me in response, even if she knew it would hurt me (unfortunately at times).