Courage

Courage is not a topic that I feel particularly qualified to write about. I’m not a big risk-taker, I have shied away from careers like military service, and am non-confrontational. But courage can take more subtle forms, and I like to think that as a leader in my work environment, I show courage by being willing to speak my mind when I disagree with something, and advocate for what I believe to be the best course of action. I do not want to equate the courage it takes to endure bodily harm or abuse (especially when aimed at loved ones) with the courage to speak the truth in uncomfortable situations, but both are forms of courage that integrity sometimes demands.

The hallmark of true courage is that it requires one to risk something. The greater the risk, the greater the courage. And while courage is not proof of rightness, it is an indication of pure motivation and a commitment to something beyond oneself. Among the more compelling arguments for believing in Jesus Christ’s resurrection is the willingness of multiple eyewitnesses to die (in often horrible ways) for their claims. One does not accept martyrdom for something they know to be a lie.

This is why I have so much respect for the relatively few examples of public servants and thought leaders who have broken with their party and “tribe” in order to speak what they believe to be true. Plenty of Democrats and pundits have spoken out about the “big lie” spread by Donald Trump and his enablers regarding the integrity of the 2020 election but I don’t consider them heroes because doing so was in their political self-interest and thus required little courage. I do consider Liz Cheney and Adam Kinsinger to have been heroic, however, because they sacrificed their political futures and burned almost every professional bridge they had built in order to tell the truth. And while we don’t have to take them at their word because there is ample evidence and facts to back up their claims, the personal sacrifice (which included threats of violence to themselves and their family) is itself a compelling reason to take them seriously.

This is also a reason I appreciate commentators like those who founded The Dispatch and The Bulwark. Many of them abandoned lucrative and influential careers in Republican politics and media because they could not in good conscience lend credibility or support to a movement that was antithetical to what they believed to be true and right. I have immense respect for conservatives like Mitt Romney, David and Nancy French and Russell Moore because they too have been outspoken in their critiques of institutions and individuals that they had previously invested a great deal of their professional lives to supporting and endured significant persecution and vitriol as a result, some of which David described here.

These examples on the right are far too few, but their demonstration of this courage without abandoning their principles has done far more to earn them the ear and respect of non-conservatives than any of the craven politicians who claim to defend conservative, moral principles but who support a party leader who cares about neither. I won’t list the examples because this describes nearly every elected Republican still in good standing in the party. Their clear-eyed statements after January 6 of how Trump’s election lies had led to that tragic day was evidence that these people knew the truth, but they lacked the courage to maintain those positions once it became clear that their constituents believed the lies and would support a primary challenge if they didn’t fall in line.

I have lately found more in common with Democrats in part because they too are clear-eyed about the inveterate weakness and cynicism of most Republicans in refusing to acknowledge and respond to the threat Trump and his ilk pose to this country and the world. But recently, we’ve seen that Democrats, too, are capable of willful ignorance and blind devotion in the face of uncomfortable facts.

It takes courage to admit that you’re wrong about something, that a change of course is necessary, and that a man you admire is making a huge mistake. But many Democratic partisans are showing a disturbing unwillingness to do this when it comes to Joe Biden’s insistence that he remain the party’s nominee in November. They were quick to criticize Republicans for failing to take the many offramps from Trumpism over the last 9 years but have shown they also lack this courage when it comes to their own party.

I don’t want to create a false equivalence here. First, those who still back Joe Biden’s candidacy can at least say they support a decent man who has capably led the country for almost four years. Second, calls for Biden to drop out on account of his age have certainly been made by many on his side of the aisle since before he made the decision to run again. And while such calls can invite a lot of verbal abuse online, I’ve not heard of death threats or similar such responses by Biden’s defenders. So, the situations are different in degree, but not in kind.

It will take courage for Biden’s campaign staff and personal advisors - whose careers are tied to his future - to tell him that his candidacy is doomed and that for the good of the nation he must drop out of the race. It will take courage for Democratic lawmakers to publicly call for this, knowing that their statements will hurt Biden’s (and their own) chances if he stays in. It will take courage for President Biden to accept that despite his experience and impressive record, he no longer has the mental acuity to do the job for another four years. It will take courage for Democratic party members to invite the fights and arguments over who should take his place, and the risk that they will anger constituencies whoever they choose. And it will take courage for whoever becomes the new party standard-bearer to be the leader the party needs in a matter of weeks rather than months.

We don’t hear calls for Trump to drop out because Republicans have proven repeatedly that they lack the courage to tell their constituents the uncomfortable truth about him. Now is the time for Democrats to prove they are made of tougher, more patriotic, stuff.