The Anti-Hate Resolution

Martin Luther King, Jr.  talked about an American myth, a myth that says “you can’t solve  this problem (he was speaking of course about segregation) through legislation; you can’t solve this problem through judicial decree; you can’t solve this problem though executive orders on the part of the president of the United States.  It must be solved by education.”  King agreed that education played a role in changing attitudes, but he also saw the importance of legislation.

“It is not a question either of education or of legislation,” King said.  “Both legislation and education are required.  Now people will say, ‘You can’t legislate morals.’  Well, that may be true.  Even though morality may not be legislated, behavior can be regulated.  And this is very important.  We need religion and education to change attitudes and to change the hearts of men.  We need legislation and federal action to control behavior.  It may be true that the law can’t make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important also.”

Can the problem of hate, bigotry, and prejudice be resolved by the Anti-Hate Resolution passed (407 yea-23 nay) in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday?  I doubt it.  But it might help “control behavior.” It might make our society a little more conscious of  our hate, bigotry, and prejudice.  The resolution was precipitated by  the alleged anti-Semitic rhetoric of Rep. Ilhan Omar (one of three Muslim women in congress).  But let’s be honest and real.  We need a resolution of this sort, not because of one congresswoman’s comments, but because of the behavior, hate, bigotry, and prejudice that dominates our legislative, judicial and executive branches of government.  We need such a resolution because of our own personal and societal attitudes in this regard.  

The Anti-Hate Resolution won’t solve the problem.  But the very fact that it was needed says we have a problem—in congress and out of congress.  The three Muslim lawmakers made an important joint comment after the resolution was passed:  “It’s the first time we have voted on a resolution condemning anti-Muslim bigotry in our nation’s history.”  The resolution condemns all forms of bigotry and from all sides—“Whether from the political right, center, or left….”

It will take more than this Anti-Hate Resolution to move us toward decency, community and love, but at least we are doing something! At least we are recognizing it.  At least we are saying it is wrong. At least we are aware that it isn’t one person who needs to be admonished, but all of us.