Politically Incorect

Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.


It is politically incorrect to point a finger at people who were subjected to inhuman treatment for over 200 years, people who were slaves and did the “master’s” bidding. They were taken from their homes on distant shores and used for forced labor. A Civil War was fought to right the wrong, to emancipate those of darker skin so that they would be able to find their destiny and create a new beginning borne from the ashes of indifference and hatred.

We excuse remarks such as “god-damn America,” and the riots that occurred at the passing of a world class leader who preached non-violence only to see such violence when he was murdered. We turn the other cheek when people are brought to a frenzy as they were in the early years of the civil rights movement because we felt an obligation and a guilt for having been part of this heinous crime against humanity.

And we would be correct, politically or otherwise, to make every accommodation so that equality can be achieved, if not in our lifetime, then for the generations that follow. And we have made great strides to accomplish this.

But there are those who try to keep the fires of hate burning because, either it is not happening fast enough or it causes a diversion for self interest and notoriety.

There is so much hate and so much anger that sits smoldering beneath the surface and can erupt at anytime and we lose sight of the greater goal, the big picture of concern for the welfare of all. We seem to be willing to sacrifice the good of the whole for the satisfaction of a few. Perhaps through hate and scapegoating it is felt that justice will be served albeit at the cost of so much advancement.

Fingers are pointed at other minorities in the misguided notion that finding others to blame, others who appear to be weaker and fewer, that justice will be served. Sure there have been mistakes from all sides but mayhem and vitriolic pronouncements are not the path to freedom but rather to division and damage that may become irreparable. Is this the way to become one nation?

Certain claims have been made suggesting the campaign for president of the United States of America has become a contest between white and black. Race, although found beneath the surface has reared its ugly head and become the focal point of the campaign.

The issues which divide us, the Iraq war, the economy, the stability of a workforce that has been diminished – all these things that are necessary for a healthy and vibrant country to maintain growth and vitality are missing from the debate. There is anunderlying distrust of everything we hold dear as a nation. Government, instead of caring for its citizens, seems to be oblivious to its pain. Government which was instituted to ensure domestic tranquility has turned a blind eye to the unrest and divisiveness.

Hatred, religious hatred, has surfaced again as a means to an end. Jews are starting to feel the pain of a resurgent anti-Semitism that has not seen this much activity since World War II. Europe and the Middle East are hotbeds of this resurgence of hostility toward a particular people.

Not found in the main stream press are incidents of bombings and desecrations and intimidations from England to France and even here in the United States.

For two thousand years we too have been subjected to indifference and degradation and humiliation. We too were dispersed to the four corners of the Earth and watched as millions died for no other reason than their belief system. We too empathize with those in this country still suffering from the nightmare of injustice. We too have been in the forefront of every movement designed to eliminate the demons of yesterday.

So when insults and accusations are directed toward us we quiver because we know only too well the results of bigotry. Is it politically incorrect to address these issues? Is it politically incorrect to point an accusing finger at those who would try to get to the top over our backs? Is it politically incorrect to denounce those who would destroy us, African American or Muslim? Is it politically incorrect to ask for insight and repair so that together we can conquer all the evil that exists?

One thing is for sure – “politically incorrect” is a form of censorship and why, in this land of freedom, must we feel inhibited to speak our mind in a constructive way so that all may benefit from the conversation? Why should we feel guilty about something that began hundreds of years ago and ended so very long ago; and even when slavery ended officially, equal treatment was not forthcoming for decades, some would say even a century later. Should we continue to feel guilty? Maybe, maybe not. Should we continue to remind humanity of its inhumanity? Yes. We know that appeasement never works. History has taught us this lesson. Therefore all of us should join together to combat all injustice – not just in one segment of our society, but in all of society.

Thinking that we can achieve victory by criticizing others is mistaken. History and religious teachings entrust us with the obligation of loving our neighbor as we too want to be loved. Is it so hard to reach out and touch someone – a stranger as well as a friend or relative? When God created man and woman– he created one man and one woman to instruct us in the understanding that no one is better than the other because we are all from one mother and one father – the mother and father of us all.

Is it politically incorrect to tell it like it is regardless of color or race or religion? No it is not because, if we speak the truth, then no harm can come to any of us. To see this country divided by color or ethnic background is to undo all that the founding fathers intended – “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”