Where's The Balance?

It's a troubling time to be a high-ranking political official in Virginia right now. It's also a troubling time to be a news consumer. Every new bit of the story, every publicized reaction, makes things more complicated for somebody willing to take in all the information and try to come to a conclusion.

First, don't mistake me: wearing blackface, posing for pictures that way or as a KKK member, are both truly stupid and hurtful. As time goes by, we should all be more aware of that. You know, just in case we missed that the first time. It was stupid and hurtful in the '80s, it is stupid and hurtful now. You can't mock domestic terrorism, however outdated you may believe it is, (because, hey, you aren't prejudiced, aren't a racist, right?) and still claim to be a thoughtful, kind, loving, and aware human being. You just can't. It isn't funny now and never was. It's one of many lines you just. do. not. cross.

And yet....

There is an old saying, "When I was young and stupid I was young and stupid." I was. You likely were too. Probably each in different ways. But still, young. And stupid. Parts of our pasts embarrass us. Parts of our pasts we would like to forget. Parts of our pasts we hope stay dead and buried in that past.

No, I'm not giving examples. Just trust me on this one. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm not helping you.

We also claim to be forgiving of others. We usually are pretty good at forgiving our own foibles. We generally tend to believe people are capable of growth, of change, of learning to be and do better. We all hope others can accept that of us and our pasts. So where in that ethos does it come in that we cannot  extend that to others over things like a choice to wear blackface, however offensive that still is? We do not have to accept that behavior to forgive that behavior.

That seems particularly true when one demonstrates better values through the more recent parts of their life. One's actions can count. Is it not reasonable to take those better acts into consideration before issuing blanket condemnation? Even in our legal justice system there is a firm precept of a statute of limitations. With few exceptions there is acknowledgement of leaving the past in the past. Blackface is not murder. Yes, awful. But where does its punishment end?

Now add politics back into the mix. Today's political atmosphere is swirling with overt racism, clusters of violence increasing in frequency and damage, and the counter-forces of people trying to make our national ethics operate on a much higher level. Again, I could write books giving illustrations but you know all this stuff. It's out there. It's inescapable.

So ask yourselves: how much of our current outrage is over offenses from the past, how much is reaction to what's happening right now that offends and frightens us? Are we (again) going to let the perfect be the enemy of the good? Where is the balance?And what are we willing to do about it?