I was at an awards ceremony last night that was very well done, four people honored for their contributions to the arts, one of whom is a well-known television actor. Her sister, who’s a local teacher, introduced her (which is how, I imagine, she was chosen for the honor—the local connection). In doing so, she took the liberty of a captive audience to broadcast her political opinions.

It’s not a question of agreeing or disagreeing with her position, it’s a question of arrogance and dignity. We’re polarized in this country because so many people feel they are on a higher moral ground, have greater intellectual heft, and can therefore pontificate to the rest of us what the “correct” positions are, often with mockery and ad hominem attack. The microphone was her weapon.

It was, and always will be, an inappropriate, selfish, and arrogant act, and it somewhat stained the patina of an otherwise dignified and honorable evening. No one will tell her this (she is apparently a PhD and I’d guess offering her political views to her students), and her like-minded friends will praise her “boldness.”

But there were a lot of us in that audience who contribute mightily to the event’s non-profit sponsor, and a lot of us found it distasteful and insulting. I don’t need to be a student in her particular “class.” And I can give my money to people who see me as a peer, not someone who needs training in political viewpoints.