Carlson
“Come, let us reason together,” says the Lord.
Although this is an ancient passage, from the eighth-century BCE Hebrew prophet Isaiah, the simple phrase seems particularly apropos this week in America’s political life as we watch Donald Trump being arraigned again.
But before we focus on Trump, let’s think a bit more about the wisdom found in Isaiah. The first key word in the invitation “Come, let us reason together,” is “come,” an action verb which reminds us, wherever we are on the political spectrum, to be ready to move. Whether we hear a parent saying, “Come to the table; it’s dinner time” or hear a negotiator say, “Let’s come to an agreement,” to come anywhere is to be prepared to leave where we are currently. In this sense, the verb “come” is the opposite of remaining stuck.
A recent poll revealed that 72% of Republicans think Donald Trump’s arraignment this week is a political stunt of the Democrats. I would estimate that a higher percentage of Democrats would say that Donald Trump is guilty of most, if not all, of the charges he is facing. The one similarity is that both Democrats and Republicans, when they consider the issue of Trump’s guilt, are stuck.
The second key part of Isaiah’s message is the phrase “let us reason.” Contrary to how the word democracy is often misunderstood, democracy does not give people the right to define truth for themselves. Modern democracy arose in the Age of Reason and is a form of government that expects citizens to sift through the differing positions of political parties until they determine the most reasonable course of action.
Reasonable truth is not the same as an opinion, and democracy is a form of government committed to living by reason and truth. Autocratic governments, such as in Iran, North Korea, Russia and Saudi Arabia, can punish their people for not toeing the government’s line. Those countries demand that people surrender to whatever the dictator says. Dictatorships aren’t committed to reason; democracies are.
The last key word of Isaiah’s message is “together.” Whatever anyone wants to say about America currently, the reality is that we are not together. We are farther apart than we were when Watergate occurred, as far apart as we were during the Vietnam War, and closing in on how far apart we were during the Civil War.
But Donald Trump’s arraignment provides our country another opportunity to function as a democracy, to come together, and even reason together. No, I’m not talking about the two sides agreeing on Trump’s guilt or innocence, but certainly we can agree to listen to the evidence in the weeks and months ahead and to weigh it. Instead of starting with the stuck position of “I know he’s innocent” or “I know he’s guilty,” let’s not prejudge the outcome. Let’s see where the evidence takes us.
It is trite but true to say that the whole world is once again watching America. We can offer a demonstration of democracy at its best, or we can betray our democratic heritage and revert to being two screaming mobs.
“Come, let us reason together,” says the Lord.
David Carlson of Franklin is a professor emeritus of philosophy and religion. Send comments to [email protected].
