Many people were overjoyed when they heard the news that Bigot-Johnson had been suspended for 2 years from the Walnut Tree Allotment Society BC. The committee there felt enough was enough , and that his bluntness amounted to extreme rudeness. Tactful behaviour to Bigot has been a "no-no ". Does he feel guilty for being so blunt , and speaking his mind with such commendable precision of thought and clarity of expression , that cheaters, slow players, idiots, irritants , and pompous show-offs should all get their comeuppance ? Not one bit.
Nevertheless, the key question remains : should he have been less straight ? Most the committee said yes , but on reflection his blunt speaking, unrestrained no-holds-barred behaviour could be viewed as the height of honesty , and the most effective way to confront these other undesirable members.
Why do so many of us think the best way to deal with an awkward situation at the bridge table is to avoid plain speaking ? To brush aside these annoying transgressions , or to cause an even bigger fuss and delay by calling over the TD ? Why do even those of us who cherish simple meaningful language tie ourselves in knots to avoid offending people. Turning one's cheek to these wrongdoers will only encourage them to slap you on the other, and exacerbate their problem behaviour even more.
When Bigot is offended , quite understandably he feels the need to mitigate the pain , to ease the tension , and to apply the biblical teaching of an eye for an eye. In his world , and especially in his club, players have no time whatsoever for specious and silly pretences. In fact , by shrouding words in a cloak of non-rudeness only adds to an already controversial element exposed at the tables : dishonesty.
As Bernard Levin once said " truth is the only antidote to the poison of euphemism.....and that all euphemisms are lies ". These lies are told with a particular purpose, and that purpose is to change reality. So why not then accept the fact there is not a bridge player alive today , who is ever likely to commit a table transgression which would test the patience of a saint ? This is a false reality which the committee chose to believe. Furthermore, Bigot's reality reflects only the flawed perceptions of a bitter and twisted man .
But no man can change reality , and moreover why should anyone be obliged to live out such a ludicrous pretence. Reality is of course very painful. The truth often hurts. Yet reality and truth , in Bigot's mind , is the very bedrock and foundation on which he has created the Slaughter House BC.
For him , it is morally inconsistent to uphold the virtues of honesty and plain speaking , if one then chooses to respond to an awkward situation at the bridge table with verbiage and euphemism.
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