Everyone is familiar with the sin of not speaking up about injustices that are happening under your very nose. It’s a sin because when you don’t speak up you are condoning these injustices.
Lawler is complicit by not speaking up about his leaders’ constant stream of injustices.
Lawler didn’t speak up for the disabled when Trump demeaned them. Nor did Lawler speak up for veterans who were killed or captured. Nor did he speak up for an entire class of immigrants who were wrongly accused of crimes, especially when it’s been proven year after year how American citizens commit more crimes per capita than immigrants. Lawler hasn’t even spoken up for the press. In fact, he’s barred the press from his Town Halls and mobile office hours.
One method to help understand this behavior is the philosopher J.L. Austin’s concept of a “speech act”. The premise is very familiar: Words convey information, and words can actually result in action. “When a male manager says something misogynistic, he diminishes the status of female colleagues and makes their opinions count for less. When people do things with words, the way others react can either counter or reinforce this,” according to Austin.
Lawler, by speaking up instead of staying silent, could help negate Trump’s and Vance’s hateful rhetoric. Lawler can speak up when Trump and Vance repeatedly speak out viciously against women and minorities. They have no moral compass and Lawler demonstrates his support for their hate every day by not speaking up.
Lawler’s silence on these human rights issues proves time and time again that he endorses hateful Trump’s speech acts. Lawler’s silence allows things to happen that he could easily take action to stop. Lawler is a coward for not being bipartisan, as he promotes himself to be. Being bipartisan means standing up for everyone.
Lawler is complicit and not qualified to serve the public whom he won’t protect.
Mark A. Lieberman, Yorktown Heights
