Hello?

I never answer the phone if a) I don't recognize the number or b) it says "unknown" on the caller ID. Not that I'm afraid of bill collectors or anything, but why waste my time? If they know me and love me they'll leave a message if I don't pick up. If they don't know me or love me, they just want me to buy some shit. Anyway, last Tuesday after school my cell phone rang, and of course the "unknown" flashed across the screen so I didn't bother to answer. I wasn't busy or anything, but if it was probably a bill collector- I already knew what they wanted. Whoever it was left a message and upon listening to the message, I realized that I received a very disturbing call, but it wasn't bad news...it was, well....disturbing. I got a call from Hillary Clinton herself....OK it wasn't her directly, but a recording of her voice asking me to vote for her in the Georgia primaries.



Pet Peeve Disclaimer.


I'm one of those people that checks "signed" letters from companies to see whether the signature in "blue ink" is actually blue ink from a ball point pen or blue ink from a laser printer. I figure if someone actually took the time to sign it by hand, I'm a valued person to that company and I consider signing a letter by hand a genuine act of appreciation. I'm always disappointed though so I end up tossing it in the trash....



Back to the story.



So I listened to Senator Clinton's polite 30 second message asking for my support, and I keep thinking to myself, That's strange, how'd she get my number? Well, soon after the message ended, I got my "disturbing" answer.


"This message was paid for by the American Federation of Teachers, code 5789A-6998soohhblaahhblahh"- my UNION, the bastards! I pay them to hassle downtown into giving us duty free lunches or get me a free lawyer if I get caught jacking some bad ass kid up. I don't pay them to give my PRIVATE number to politicians during elections!

I was flattered that she would take her time to call me out of all the millions of people living in Atlanta, but pissed that it was instead some mindless recording devoid of humanity or a damn pulse. I understand that she's a busy lady, but if I'm THAT important, call me in person, say hello, ask what issues I find important, and THEN ask for my vote. Is that too much to ask?!?! Ok, maybe it is these days. And I probably wouldn't have answered anyway! :)


Weeks before that call, I had gotten a letter stating that the AFT had decided to endorse Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries and that they were asking me to do the same by voting for her. In exchange for the public endorsement (and the phone lists containting the numbers for thousands of educators who are members of AFT like myself) I'm sure the the union bigwigs were made sweeping promises and possible positions in the Clinton government if she gets elected. I remembered thinking, Who asked me? Was there a vote? Don't I get a say? The truth is I probably got a letter asking my opinion, but AFT never signs their letters in person down at Union HQ- so you can guess what probably happened to THAT letter....


The irony is that I had already cast my vote when I checked the message....Oops.