The Episode of Trent Lott: Moral Lessons Not Learned

Rabbi Gary S. Creditor
December 20, 2002

 

I had hoped that Trent Lott would not have resigned, at least until after this sermon! There are a multitude of issues involved that are not getting serious attention. Since Strom Thurmond's 100 th birthday party, it has been a snowball turning into an avalanche, culminating today in Lott's resignation as Republican Majority Leader. Despite his decision, the entire episode warrants review and comment.

1) There is a Rabbinic teaching that "life and death are in the power of the tongue." It's hard to imagine that Senator Lott's staff would ever allow him to write something as damaging and dangerous to his career as his spoken words. Whether he meant them as his true political and philosophical position or not, once released from his mouth, they had a life of their own. He could not recapture the words, even if he had presence of mind.

It is a good lesson to learn for ourselves, when we speak to each other, to our spouses, our children, here in shul, in our workplaces.

2) There is a Halachic dispute— "can you be commanded to love God?" Let us transpose this: Can a person be commanded to change their feelings, particularly about ethnic groups, races, and religion? We can be commanded, legislated on how to act, but not how to feel. I am sure that there are many people in this country, regardless of region who live their lives according to the law. Yet they don't like us or Moslems, or Hispanics, or African Americans. Can we command them to be more than law abiding? Can we command them to love us? I think not. Did Trent Lott advocate challenging our laws? Did he suggest changing them? He rued missing a moment in history, but he did not seek to rewrite the law to change the future. We can command how people behave, but not what they feel or think. That is done through nurturing and education, through leadership and by example.

3) Perhaps there was a silver lining in this episode. The Civil War—The War Between the States—The War of Northern Aggression—ended only 137 years ago. While men have worked on the moon, there have been two World Wars, the Civil Rights Acts, men and women living and working in space, after 9/11, the truth is that there are Americans who still hate Americans, removing all other defining adjectives. Taking Trent Lott's words at face value, can you imagine fighting in this war with a segregated army? Can we still see bathrooms and water coolers separated? I still cannot fathom the dichotomy of the churches. Should we have separate synagogues, as we have African-American Jews? The passion which surfaced when the Ashe statue was proposed for Monument Avenue brings home the fact that while we can raise the MPG's of SUV's, we have a long way to go before respect for differences, before the vision of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as valid for all, is universally embraced.

4) This week, whether it was strategy or heartfelt, Trent Lott has been apologizing for his words. Question: Can't a person, can't a politician, do teshuvah, make atonement, and be accepted? Jewish tradition teaches that when I wrong somebody and make good on it, and ask for forgiveness, I must be forgiven. And if I continue to sincerely ask and you refuse, you become the sinner and I am absolved. How many times did he apologize this past week? How many different venues, including BET? This past week's events have obliterated the human condition of recognizing an error, a mistake, a sin, and the attempt to rectify, change, and redirect. I think that a golden opportunity for moral leadership has been missed. Trent Lott could have made a major statement from the well of the Senate about a vision of this country, which was wrong, and another, which was right. Why did the President, instead of showing us the bankruptcy of moral leadership, of the being only a "fair weather friend," share the microphone enunciating a pluralistic, multicultured country where "freedom rings." The lesson deduced from this week's episode is the penalty for not being politically correct, whether or not that is synonymous with being morally correct. The irony is that Strom Thurmond eventually hired African Americans for his staff.

I close with a few personal observations.

1. I'm glad Truman won the 1948 election. Whether in Korea or the episode of General MacArthur or the matters of civil rights, he showed moral leadership of the country. I don't know if Dewey or Thurmond would have recognized Israel.

2. Sometimes the uninterrupted, unedited, spontaneous words are a deeper insight into a person. Maybe it was hyperbole, but maybe not. Maybe behind the veneer of politicians lies more than agendas, but rather attitudes and ideas, which they truly embrace, but won't let them, get elected. That is a cynical view, but a little dose is a good reality check.

3. Lastly, the core teaching of Judaism still needs our proclaiming in the public space—to be ohav shalom v'rodef shalom --that each person needs to be a true lover of peace and pursuer of peace, and respecting all differences, to be ohav et habriyot--to love all of God's creatures.

This country is still in need of that lesson. May we proclaim it proudly. May our politicians embrace it heartfeltly.

Shabbat Shalom