The Land of Nice

This letter to the editor appeared in the Marquette, Michigan, Mining Journal on 5-20-2005 page 4A.

     When I moved to Marquette, I noticed how nice everyone was. Everywhere I went -- a store, a bank, a cafe, a government office -- people behaved like friendly neighbors.
     My first impression lasted. When I submitted an article to a local periodical that did not fit its format, the rejection letter the editor sent me was so nice my impulse was to add her to my Christmas card list. The policeman who gave me a wrong turn ticket deserves a nice cop medal.
     I learned that Marquetters are extra nice because there is a taboo here against acting not nice. Being sincerely nice is appreciated; being insincerely nice is acceptable; being not nice is not acceptable. The taboo is enforced in nice ways.
     Once at work I made a faux pas to which a co-worker, who was suffering stress in his personal life, responded with angry shouts. I timidly returned to my work, and after some fuming, he calmed down. Until he resumed being nice, co-workers and the owners treated him with bewildered concern about his behaving freakishly. Everyone asked if I were OK.
     An NMU student told me of a time he was driving around Marquette with friends when another driver made some irritating mistake. The student moved a hand toward his car horn, not actually touching it. For the rest of the ride, his friends teased him. Here, even thinking about honking a horn in anger is taboo.
     I have not yet formed a pro or con opinion on recalling from office certain Marquette politicians. I have read conflicting accounts; the situation is unclear. The city lawyer got fired without cause. Was the problem personality conflict? Did she get caught between feuding factions? Was she the victim of sexism or of whistleblower retaliation? Other?
     Normally anyone has the right to discontinue the services of an adviser, whether a lawyer, accountant, consultant, whatever. What displeased Marquetters was that some persons in the city government broke the taboo against acting not nice, with, to wit, temper tantrums, backroom politics, an ambush firing, treating others with disrespect. I expect how well those threatened with recall will fare will depend a lot on how fast and well they learn to be invariably nice.
     I saw a TV ad for a local businessman in which a lady enthuses, "He's a hard worker and a nice man!" That sums up the ideal Marquetter.

          Brian Leekley
          Marquette, Michigan