The Double Standard

The use of a racial slur by a company founder and corporate personality resulted in his resignation, as the company worked to uphold its corporate image. At the same time, elements of the entertainment industry use the same racial slur, along with disrespectful references to women, as an art form. The problem, society is offended by the corporate leader’s use of the term but quietly accepts, even celebrates artists’ use of the slur as artistic expression.

That kind of double standard is widespread. Consider elected officials who tacitly accept the endorsement of organizations of reprehensible standards and ideologies in order to build and maintain their political power base. Meanwhile, the electorate turns a blind eye to the unscrupulous conduct of elected officials because they embrace the official’s platform. People rationalize the misdeeds of “their candidate” but find it obnoxious when the “other candidate” is guilty of the same deed. (Each party is guilty of that hypocrisy).

The misconduct is an affront, but so is our duplicity as a society to accept, even celebrate misdeeds instead of holding people accountable. Imagine if society told entertainers, “I will not support nor celebrate what defames me and my heritage!” What if society told its political leaders “I will not support your ignoble actions, attitudes, nor your association with organizations designed to undermine our society?” Imagine if we stopped turning a blind eye to what goes on in our society and held ourselves and others accountable for what goes on around us?

Today’s passage recalls an old, simple truth—“right is right, wrong is wrong.” When we accept or endorse wrong by anyone, we become accomplices to that wrong. As a teenager, I witnessed a theft in a company in which I worked. Instead of correcting the action, I quietly allowed it to happen. Over 40 years later, I still remember that failure and regret I did not stand for what was right. I did not commit the crime, but my failure to speak up made me an accomplice.

One of the most liberating things we can do in life is speak truth to power. Not simply the power in our entertainment industry or our political realms, but more importantly, the power in our own lives to recognize right and wrong and have the courage to call things as they are, simply because it is the right thing to do.