Annapolis Capital Punishment

With temperatures that would have made William Henry Harrison's inauguration seem tropical, Alderman Sam Shropshire announced his candidacy for mayor--outside--on a Friday afternoon--at City Dock. I stood in the bone-chilling temps with the setting sun at my back--and lots of noisy traffic, struggling to hear a petite woman all bundled up to introduce the alderman from the Seventh Ward. I too was bundled up--with a thick hat, thick scarf and as mentioned--traffic at my back, noisy traffic.

"I can't hear you," I said in a rather loud voice. Everyone else was bundled up and heck, I was facing her.

"I am sorry but I can't speak any louder," was her pusillanimous reply (If that's a five dollar word, please send a donation).

"Move up," implored the crowd. I think the woman is his campaign manager, former elections board chairman S. Lee Caudle who just resigned to work for Shropshire.

I was only twenty feet away. As an experienced public speaker, I know it's my fault if the audience can't hear me but never their fault. I'm not the one who chose the time and place to make such an announcement--and I glanced over my shoulder at the Market House. Empty. Warm. Inviting--but not to tenants apparently. Now that would have been a place to hold this gathering--it might have been illegal, and it might have upset some people, but oh boy it would have made a statement--and a loud one. Maybe he could have rented the space for half an hour. But to whom would he have paid the rent? (I am reminded of the trouble he got in for holding a political event at City Council chambers--this choice of meeting place may be his weak link).

When Shropshire spoke, he was a bit louder, but I still had trouble hearing him. I looked around again. I counted about 35 people.

Shropshire is known for his human and civil rights concerns, yet there was only one Black person in the audience, until a family of camera-snapping tourists arrived out of curiosity to see the Alex Haley statue. I guess if we counted Haley and the statue of the one Black child with him, we would have tripled the number of Blacks in attendance. Oh-it turns out the one Black man in the audience was a descendant of the one represented by the statue. I don't know which one was colder. There were a few Democratic stalwarts in the audience and most of the active, local members of the Green Party. Shropshire thanked them for their presence and about a third of the crowd cheered for themselves. Perhaps he should run as a Green? Perhaps the Greens should field a candidate? Democratic activist Tony Evans, never one to remain silent, jokingly asked if the presence of a nearby BloodMobile had any significance. (?)

There was a lectern but no microphone. Shropshire's name was not even visible on the lectern. There was not a single banner. There was no campaign literature. There were a couple of small printed signs with his name in red and white. The announcement seems to have been thrown together without much advance notice or preparation. Campaigns require good messages, amplification of those messages and organizational skill and support. Does Shropshire have that?

Speaking of blood types, in my desire to "B-Positive" rather than "B-Negative" let me say that Shropshire is a good man and a hardworking, public-spirited person. His life has been devoted to serving others. He has big ideas and visions for Annapolis. He is not afraid to take controversial or perhaps even unpopular stands. And--he does support a city manager style of government. He also makes grand statements in support of public transit--and that's good too, but his record in that regard is spotty. Shropshire is a complex man with energy, ideas and I will say it again--a commitment to service. He often has good things to say and often does good things. However, it is one thing to say and another to do, but if your words are not heard, and your deeds are not known, it's like the tree in the forest question. Witness the recent presidential campaign and it is clear that fund raising, organizational and managerial skill and other strategic concerns can outweigh the message--or lack thereof. Shropshire would be wise to consider the context as much as the content of his worthy and important messages.

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