Violence & Votes

by Rabbi Arthur Waskow

Dear companions,

There is an old proverb: [Take a deep breath and don't jump to conclusions of what I mean before you read the next three paragraphs. The proverb goes:] “If you shoot at a king, kill him!”
 
I take it as a multileveled ethic of despair. There may come a terrible moment when someone thinks some “king” is so dangerous to everyone else there is no choice but to kill him. (There were six attempts to kill Hitler. All failed. After most of them he made things worse. He died by his own hand as the Soviet Army reached Berlin.)
 
Even if you think there is no choice but violence, consider: What if you miss? Will the result be still worse? Will resorting to violence leave unexpected shreds and floods of blood darkening the future?

Is this my rock-bottom ethic about violence? No. I am convinced that on balance, it is vital not to approve and certify violence by using it. But I am also aware that many of the leaders and speakers at that rally on July 13th would laugh in my face if I were to invoke that ethic to support gun-safety laws. Let them apply the same ethic to Jews in the Pittsburgh synagogue, to Blacks on many a street in many a city, to Palestinian families in Gaza, the same ethic they want for their presidential candidate.
 
What are we to do? There is still an election. Every election, there lies quiet an unfought civil war. In this one, there is still uncertainty about the candidate.
 
I invite you to name two people, regardless of party or non-party, whom you would most like to see as candidates for President in the November election. Can be two Republicans. Or two Democrats, or one of each party, or one Green and one Anti-vaxxer, or any two people you’d like as candidates. Click Reply and send the two names to us.
 
Cut-off time for mailing your choice back to us: Wednesday July 17 at 5 pm Eastern Time.
 
We will add up the results and share them with you. But we will NOT think or talk of them in any way as views of The Shalom Center. In all their variety, they are yours alone.

Shalom,
Arthur