We recently celebrated the 100th Anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth. We celebrate his life; his heroic journey from humble beginnings, to being imprisoned for 27 years, to emerging as President of his country, forgiving and uniting whose who had opposed him and threatened his life.
He inspired his country and much of the world in the hope for a better future based on a common respect for others and integrity.
Yet, we sadly read this week a series of deeply researched stories in the New York Times with headlines like this:
"'They Eat Money: How Mandela's PoliticalHeirs Grow Rich Off Corruption"
"Corruption Gutted South Africa's Tax Agency. Now the Nation is Paying the Price"
"South Africa Vows to End Corruption. Are Its New Leaders Part of the Problem?"
It has so often been this way. The examples are legion. Take the aftermath of the Civil War. Slavery at long last outlawed. Yet, in a matter of less than a decade it is virtually reimposed as Reconstruction folds and new forms of "slavery" are created. Yet, leaders like Frederick Douglass continued the fight for justice and new leaders would emerge, leaders like Martin Luther King, abolitionists of their own day and some unlikely partners, like Lyndon Johnson, who were persuaded at long last to open their eyes and take action which only they could take. And, yet--still--the fight for justice for all goes on.
All of this underscores the truism that justice and freedom and respect for others do not operate on automatic pilot. They have to be continually fought for. The human tendency for self aggrandizement and pursuit of the convenient path will always exist.
It us up to each generation, to each of us, to demand of ourselves and our leaders that we do what is right even knowing we will not do so completely. I return to the words of the Talmud: it is not required of us that we complete the task, but nor are we permitted to desist from it.
We and our government face this challenge today with our President. We should recognize it is not a new challenge. We have faced it many times before; for example in the Presidencies of Andrew Johnson and Richard Nixon to name just two.
What has "saved us"in these times it seems to me is the constitutional underpinning of our government--one ingeniously created by our Founders lodging specific responsibilities in three entities: the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. It is critical that the leaders of these entities carry out their responsibilities with courage and integrity.
It is this structure combined with the Bill of Rights including freedom of speech and freedom of the press and respect for the rule of law that gives me hope for the future.
Too often we have seen one of these entities abdicate their responsibility. We have seen this in recent years in the legislature abdicating its decision making role in declaring war and on key foreign relations matters. The judiciary has a special role to play. We have seen that recently on matters of immigration policy and healthcare policy.
To be sure, there will be fierce debates as to where the line of responsibility should lie. Courts will be accused of improperly assuming a legislative role; presidents will argue for more latitude in their decision making.
It will always be this way. It will be messy at times. But everyone needs to step up to carry out what they see as their responsibility to the best of their ability, recognizing the roles they have been charged to carry out.
This is the only way we can preserve our heritage and make the most of a form of government which even if imperfect and never fully settled is to my mind the best that has yet been conceived in our world
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