It was at least a decade ago. Probably more like a decade and a half.
I was an assistant store manager for a company called Service Merchandise. We were what was called a catalog showroom. Which meant you came in, saw what you wanted, wrote down the catalog number, went to the register to pay for it and than went to the customer service counter to wait for it to come down the conveyor belt from the warehouse. I know, I know, it sounds like a lot of trouble to buy something. Which is probably why you don’t see catalog showrooms around anymore. But for awhile in the 80s they were pretty popular in the South.
Sometime during the afternoon someone said Duke was in the store shopping. I’ve heard he’d been in before to shop, but never while I was on duty. I wanted to see him for myself. I think this was after he had already been in and out of the State House as a congressman. The store I worked at was in Metairie, which was part of the area where he once represented.
I went to the back of customer service so I could hand out the items coming down the belt. I watched him stand in line and make his purchase. It was a slow day and there were no other customers in line. The cashier that waited on him was black, so I waited for some word or gesture on his part. He merely paid for his item and then walked over to wait for it.
Within minutes his purchase came from the warehouse. He had purchased an electric razor. While he stood there I watched him. I don’t know what I was looking for.
I don't know if I expected to see horns or what. Sometimes the face of evil can be mundane.
When I was younger two stories from English class in high school remain with me to this day. One was “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and the other was “A&P” by John Updike. In the latter story the stock boy Sammy makes a heroic gesture because he thought the manager of the A&P had been rude to some girls.
I think I was hoping to see Duke do something rude or racist so that I could make my own heroic gesture. I wanted to say something to him. Something that would cut to his core.
His order came up and I handed it to him without a word and he left.
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7 comments:
The worst evils always hide behind the face of normality - it's what makes them so insidious and dangerous. I know what you mean about expecting horns - we want to believe that evil is easily recognizable but more often than not it isn't.
BTW, I remember Service Merchandise stores! Do you still live in or about Metairie? I visited there when I went to New Orleans. I love that area but I think my poor, old humid hating body is not so fond of it!
Thanks for stopping by the PopArtDiva OSF today!
I don't live in Metairie now. I live across the lake on the Northshore, about an hour away from my old stomping grounds.
I've started this post a half dozen times with an idea of what I'd do. The thing is, I don't really know. Most likely, I would do all the things expected from a retail employee while not acknowledging him beyond that. Then, I'd continue to work my ass off away from work to keep him from having any influence whatsoever.
BTW, my cousin married a guy named David Duke so for 40 years I've had to introduce him as "David Duke, but not that David Duke". Can you imagine going through life with that name?!
It's almost enough to make you want to change your name.
Yea, there was a million things I wanted to say, but besides being on the job it felt like sinking to his level if I said something first. My Mother always taught me to be polite, and I guess that even extends to people like that.
Talk about your current events :-)
I don't know too much about the man. I know that he came in to the Klan looking to break from violence and wholly advocate separtism and supremacy. It didn't go far. The Klan in general has all but fizzled out.
He's an extremist loon. Sadly, America is packed full of extremist loons -- most a far sight more dangerous than Duke. I'm in the process of posting an extremist loon on my blog when I get a good chunk of free time.
Thankfully, however, there are more cases of polio than there are acts of Klan violence these days.
I would have handled it just as you did. Getting all worked up about this person's world view would have served no purpose other than to get you upset. David Dukes is who he is and nothing is going to change that fact.
You posed a very good question. Although I would have been speechless, I would also have had countless thoughts racing through my head too.
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