You had better not engage in serious debate or discussion unless you are
willing to endure attacks that range from mere hostile bluster to libel.
Often the temptation is to retreat to complaining about the unfairness of
it all. But this is a plaintive admission of defeat. It is a unilateral
withdrawal from the field of combat.
Today, no one can honestly claim surprise at the venomous attacks against
those who take positions that are contrary to the canon laid down by those
who claim to shape opinions. Such attacks have been standard fare for some
time. Complaining about this obvious state of affairs does not elevate
one’s moral standing. And, it is hardly a substitute for the courage that
we badly need…
In my humble opinion, those who come to engage in debates of consequence,
and who challenge accepted wisdom, should expect to be treated badly.
Nonetheless, they must stand undaunted. That is required. And, that should
be expected. For, it is bravery that is required to secure freedom.
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Even if one has a valid position, and is intellectually honest, he has to
anticipate nasty responses aimed at the messenger rather than the
argument. The objective is to limit the range of the debate, the number of
messengers, and the size of the audience. The aim is to pressure
dissenters to sanitize their message, so as to avoid being subjected to
hurtful ad hominem criticism. Who wants to be calumniated? It’s not worth
the trouble.
But is it worth it? Just what is worth it, and what is not? If one wants
to be popular, it is counterproductive to disagree with the majority. If
one just wants to tread water until the next vacation, it isn’t worth the
agony. If one just wants to muddle through, it is not worth it. In my
office, a little sign reads: “To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing,
be nothing.”
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What makes it all worthwhile? What makes it worthwhile is something
greater than all of us. There are those things that at one time we all
accepted as more important than our comfort or discomfort—if not our very
lives: Duty, honor, country! There was a time when all was to be set aside
for these. The plow was left idle, the hearth without fire, the homestead,
abandoned.
We all share a reasonable and, in many ways, admirable, reluctance to
leave the safety and peacefulness of private life to take up the larger
burdens and challenges of active citizenship. The price is high, and it is
easier and more enjoyable to remain within the shelter of our personal
lives and our local communities, rather than the larger state… When one
of my friends began feeling the urge to get involved, his spouse glared at
him and said, “Don’t even think about it. We love our life the way it
is.”
And that is not an unreasonable perspective, not at all. But is
reasonableness always our standard of review on this question? I hope not.
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I do believe that we are required to wade into those things that matter to
our country and our culture, no matter what the disincentives are, and no
matter the personal cost. There is not one among us who wants to be set
upon, or obligated to do and say difficult things. Yet, there is not one
of us who could in good conscience stand by and watch a loved one or a
defenseless person—or a vital national principle—perish alone, undefended,
when our intervention could make all the difference… If we think that
something is dreadfully wrong, then someone has to do something.
