For future reference, it turns out that if you leave your jump drive in your pocket, so it accidentally goes through the laundry, it doesn't seem to matter.
After the laundry incident, I left mine on the desk with the top off for a few days, kind of dreading the inevitable test. I'm happy to report that it seems to be fine with files intact.
15 comments:
Mary Ann, I am considering voting for you as a candidate but I have questions about your personal views on patriotism and the military. I'm wondering if you can you elaborate on why you don't pledge allegiance to the flag of the U.S.? Additionally, I heard you also want to get rid of our national POW flag? Was wondering your thoughts behind both of these questions.
I generally don't respond to anonymous comments. But I appreciate your interest. If you email me I'll see what I can do.
I love that in this country everyone has a voice, can express an opinion and have a different view without reprisal - AND you can run a jump drive through a laundry machine without reprisal. A coincidence? I think not..
Mary Ann,
I wish to remain anonymous because Dryden is a small community and I do not know you well enough to trust you to keep my name solely between you and I. I do fear if you leaked out who is asking you these questions about your patriotism and stance on POWs then there will be reprisals with my neighbors. As a community member who is planning on voting for a candidate my identity is not important just as my actual vote remains anonymous. You however, running for public office, must be open and honest on your views in order for us to decide who best represents us. My questions to you on a blogging site are no different than if I would attend a meet the candidates forum and presented a question on a card for you to answer. Therefore, it is incumbent upon you to share your worldly views with those you will potentially represent.
The difference is that at a public forum, as you know, you would introduce yourself. I have been, and will continue to be, publicly open and honest. But I will not respond to anonymous questions on the blog.
Sounds like you are dodging my legitimate questions. I understand you didn't even answer these same questions at the Etna meeting last night. So, am I to assume if I give you my identity and introduce myself you would answer the questions truthfully?
As if she is anonymous - good god the woman needs to get off of this topic. Move on. I applaud your patience Mary Ann - there is nothing legitimate about blog harassment and unfortunately the truth is there is no law against ignorance.
This is a test. Only a test.
Belinda, cordially extract yourself from this conversation. You are way off base. I am a man and new to the area. Not some woman who does your laundry. I've kept my questions/comments professional to Mary Ann and no harassment has been levelled.
Mary Ann,
If you cannot answer the tough questions now as a candidate then I'm afraid you can't face the tough decisions as an elected official. Your dodging the answers when you claim to be open and honest doesn't speak well to the ideals of your character let alone to the principles of the Democratic Party here in Dryden.
Blogging is simply another open communications tool. You are incredibly open about other aspects of your life as evident on your site so I'm at a loss as to why you won't give me your philosophy statement about you not taking the pledge of allegiance to this country nor your opposition to flying a POW flag in memory of those that have sacrificed for the rights that we all share. You've even answered questions off of cards in a public forum without knowing who submitted the question. This is a public forum, is it not?
Anonymous -
You might be a man and new to the area. You might be anyone.
If you want to insist that others treat this as a public forum, think of yourself as being in public too. Public forums don't usually accept questions from "the guy in the back row wearing the black mask ensemble."
Also, I'm not sure anyone's answered questions off cards in a long while - the last time I think that happened was in 2003, when Mary Ann wasn't on the ticket. Both candidates forums this year have just had questions from the audience.
But if you're new to the area, where does this memory of questions on cards come from?
Just wondering...
I haven't washed my flash drives, but I've dropped them a few times and stepped on them. It's all been okay so far.
A private citizen has the right to not identify himself just as Mary Ann certainly has the right to not answer the questions. But Mary Ann is running as an elected official and when you enter that territory people who she will potentially serve want to know her personal views and philosophy so we can anticipate what to expect if we vote for them. Pretty simple concept. It's the same on the local level as it is on the Presidential level. Remember boxers or briefs? I believe Bill even answered that one.
And for heaven's sake, the President of Iran answered anonymous questions from the audience at Columbia. They didn't reveal their identity. But a small town candidate won't because she has to know who I am?
Mary Ann has now obviously dropped out of the picture here and now is letting other bloggers do her dodging for her. Nice strategy.
But back to questions. Why no pledge of allegiance Mary Ann? Why the utter disrespect for our country? Why don't you like missing soldiers that symbolize the POW flag? Or is it the military in general you loathe? You see how your lack of silence just adds to the speculation of what your character is, whether it's right on or off base? Can't you clarify your position or do I just continue to make assumptions?
Dear masked man:
Why not come to the next meet-the-candidates event and ask your question in public? You are dissing a longtime army wife. Did you know that? Have you bothered to learn anything about the candidates? How about the Republicans?
It would be extremely bizarre--and foolish--for any political candidate to agree to respond to anonymous questions posted on a blog.
Varna Community Center, October 23, 7 PM. See you there.
I follow this blog along wth several others and it is very strange to read the comments of the unidentified. It reads like a personal attack rather than a concerned citizen deciding whom to vote for in the election. Technology has brought us great things and the ability to communicate differently but it is not so great when someone hides behind the shield technology provides to denigrate a stranger's character. Usually I think of adults as being able to stand up and express their ideas and ask their questions in public. For me, being a man means having integrity and the courage to openly seek the answers to my questions.
Would it be bizarre and foolish then if a news reporter asked the same question during the next forum? Will she answer then. She didn't in the last forum. Listen, it doesn't matter who poses the question nor in what medium. The question is relevant to the elected office. You can't deny me that. But don't worry, I won't be the one contacting local media. This was a one on one between Mary Ann and I. She's proven her worth already and you all are the ones that blew it out of proportion by defending her.
Like I said before, I fear reprisals from my fellow neighbors in the same party, some of whom I have great relationships with and respect dearly. This is a very small town and I have that right to remain unidentified. You see what happened already - there are 4 additional people that chimed in on this thread when clearly it was just a one on one with Mary Ann and I to see if she could keep my vote. Now she has dropped totally out of the picture, artfully dodged the issues at hand, and let's you all gang up on a fellow constituent. I'm sorry I've asked the tough questions here of which Mary Ann will not answer. She has shown me she now hides behind her defenders and doesn't have the courage to confront tough, meaningful issues and lay to rest all the speculation running wild out there of who she really is. She has failed me in this regard.
I'm sure you all will be happy to hear that I'll close out this thread and won't reply further. I'm not going to beg anymore. There's better ways of spending my time. The candidate had her chance to win a vote. It's unfortunate now that I have to jump party lines but at least I know - for these issues of respect for our laws, justice, our flag, and lost and fallen members of our military - that I know who's on my side.
If that's your only issue, you definitely shouldn't vote for MA, because it has very little to do with the governing of your town. BTW, according to this week's Dryden Courier, MA made it very clear that she did not wish to move the MIA flag. So you are sadly misinformed--gee, I wonder by whom?
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