Rejection

Sometimes, like the song says, it's just too much, too little, too late, to ever try again. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and the Obama administration are both finding that out the hard way after Shirley Sherrod recently turned down their offer of a new position with the USDA. After they ousted Sherrod from her position as a rural director for the agency over misinterpreted comments from a speech she gave in March both the President and the Ag Secretary backpedaled fast and furious trying to make amends for their rash judgment and mishandling of the situation. But by that time Sherrod had gotten over being shocked, fearful, and nauseated by the whole mess, and was just plain angry. And who could blame her? Most of us assumed that the days of shoot first, ask questions later were long past. While forgive and forget is an ideal to strive for, it is also more akin to scaling Mount Everest for most of us, and Shirley Sherrod is struggling right now with that very real personal summit. She says she may return to the department after a brief time of healing and reflection. If she does return to the USDA, she is by far a better person than most of us.