Politics and Moral Courage

To be certain that one is right and never back down sounds virtuous and courageous but that may not be. It might be nothing more than stubborn refusal to challenge one’s own long established beliefs and attitudes regardless of evidence to the contrary.  It might be steadfast adherence to social and political conditions that benefit one’s self regardless of the harm caused to others.  For too many it is determination to remain loyal through a leader or cause out of ambition, fear, emotional appeal or ignorance, unwilling to do the hard work of close examination of underlying values and intent.

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Political moral courage demands that public officers be present not only for their own sake, but for he sake of all others. It is a form of courage that cannot be unwavering in loyalty to an ideology or any single political leader.  That sort of loyalty is not courageous. It can turn out to be a pigheaded, obstinate refusal to hear the voice of the other or respond to the multiple needs of society —a society that yearns to be secure, free and able to pursue happiness, without discrimination and for the common good.

Any act that dehumanizes the other, especially the vulnerable other, is an act of moral cowardice, not courage.  As important as a secure border is, the failure to recognize the alien immigrant as a potential source of energizing renewal of society is not political courage but political avoidance of America’s historical truth – every flow of unwanted immigrants has strengthened the nation.  Steadfast defense of a sanitized “patriotic” version of American history is not political moral courage. It is moral cowardice fearful that a more honest history will undermine fundamental American virtues.  It won’t.  It will strengthen resolve to more fully live up to them.  

It takes moral political courage to confront those who would highjack the needs of the people and the legislative process, demanding ransom in the form of capitulation to non-negotiable ultimatums that cause harm to the nation’s best interests.  Above all, political moral courage is made evident by a determined willingness to enter good faith negotiation with others to resolve what is possible now while looking forward to what may be more possible in the near future. It is recognition that urgent demands of justice can make the impossible, possible.

A final note.  Moral courage is not a virtue that can be exhibited at all times, under all circumstances.  Courage is tested each time an important decision has to be made. Courage sometimes fails and sometimes the courageous decision is unclear. It fails sometimes in even the most virtuous, and few of us are among the most virtuous.  Ego, self interest, parochial demands, and unexamined assumptions work to check moral courage.  To honestly recognize failure and strive to do better is what makes political moral courage possible.