In a very straightforward sense, Joe Wilson’s outburst that President Obama was lying was indeed inappropriate. There is a respect and decorum that the office of the presidency (of any country) is owed, even when one is entirely at odds with the views that are being articulated by the president. Or so it is, given that outright immoral behavior is not being advocated by the holder of the office in question. The same holds for the office of the pope, as well.
Now, to Wilson’s credit: he apologized. And he did so immediately. So this readily raises the following question: What exactly was the point of the resolution to condemn Wilson and the call for yet another apology on his part? The answer is painfully simple: The point was none other than to humiliate Wilson. And for that very reason, I stand by Wilson’s refusal to offer a second apology.
There can indeed be forms of punishment that are unquestionably humiliating. Just so, mere humiliation should never be the point of any action taken either by an individual or the members of an institution. The desire merely to humiliate another reveals none other than a depraved moral character. Such depravity was characteristic of Nazi Germany in its treatment of Jews. Such depravity was characteristic of American Slavery in the treatment of blacks.
There is no way to put a positive spin on those who take sheer delight in humiliating another.
So we have a most disturbing insight into the character of American politics. And if American politics is any indication of what this nation is like in general, then America can indeed be characterized as a morally depraved nation. Just think of the moral lesson that has been conveyed to children: “Never mind that a person has apologized of his own volition for his inappropriate outburst and that the apology has been accepted. Let us nonetheless pass a resolution that condemns the person for the outburst”. This is precisely the kind of behavior and mindset that one expects from those who are besotted with exercising power over others rather than doing what is right with the power that they have.
So it is, then, with what we have in Congress; for what we have in Congress is essentially a bunch of petty politicians who are far more interested in humiliating someone than in doing what is right.
Had Joe Wilson not apologized, a resolution against him would have been ever so appropriate. But he did apologize and, as I have noted, President Obama accepted his apology. The resolution contained no moral lesson for Wilson or anyone else. Nor, again, did the resolution underwrite some fundamental moral principle in a more profound way. The resolution was utterly pointless accept for one small thing: It served to humiliate.
For the people in Congress who voted for the resolution against Joe Wilson, you should know that insofar as I had any respect for you prior to that moment, I now have no respect for you.
As we all know, former President Jimmy Carter has graced us with his “wisdom” that racism is a factor in the way that people are reacting towards Obama. Well, when I think of all the nasty and horrific things that people have said about President Bush, I am more than a little curious just how Mr. Carter arrived at his conclusion.
Surely, Mr. Carter does not suppose that if Obama were white, then everyone—especially whites folks—would be entirely supportive of Obama’s views regarding the way in which healthcare should be revamped in the United States. Mr. Obama has put forward some quite radical proposals. And guess what? There are lots of people who do not like them and they want to make it known that they do not. There is a term for this kind of exchange: It is called a democracy.
Alas, it is arguable that Mr. Carter himself is being rather patronizing towards Mr. Obama; and unless I am quite mistaken about things, patronizing behavior on the part of a white towards a black can be countenanced as racist.
Finally, in this regard: If Joe Wilson’s outburst counts as the worse instance of racism that President Obama will experience during his term in office, then I dare say that things will have turned out quite nicely for Obama. And thus with all due respect Mr. Carter: You have revealed yourself to be more than a little incompetent in your assessment of matters.
I demand that my students—the vast majority of whom are white—fully challenge me. I cannot do that and then turn around and characterize as racist those who do precisely that.
The readers of this blog entry will notice that I have stayed away from signaling out Democrats or Republicans. I see no reason to reason whatsoever to draw attention to that difference. For insofar as we have a difference at all, it is one of degree and not kind.
I am ashamed of the Congress of the United States. This is because in this simple episode you have revealed yourselves to be truly mean-spirited and thus morally bankrupt.
I now understand much better than I used to why the moral climate of the United States has changed so dramatically for the worse. The explanation is not technology as such or some virus that is a threat to health. Quite the contrary, the explanation is that the leaders of the United States have set a most despicable and unsavory moral tone. The leaders of the nation are far more interesting in having and maintaining power than doing what is right. More than I would ever have supposed once upon a time, the declining moral climate of America can be attributed to none other than what we might call “trickle-down immorality” on the part of the leaders of the nation.
