Let He Who is Without Sin . . . Call the Kettle Black

You've probably heard these before: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" and "the pot calling the kettle black." I'll let you decide if the two are relative. They are to me. These are the phrases of which I thought when I started reading one of the many emails I receive daily from some guy (for this piece, I'll call him "CL") who is evidently retired and hasn't figured out that there is more to life than "passing on" his political views via email ad nauseum. Why I haven't blocked him is a writing for another day. Now, on to the subject: the late Senator Edward Kennedy.

As we all will one day, Mr. Kennedy has passed from this life into whatever eternity awaits him. While this writer never attempted to deify or canonize the man, there are some who did. This is nothing extraordinary when it comes to losing a loved one. We tend to want to see and remember what is best in them. That's just the way we are. Seeing the good in a decedent often helps those who are left to better deal with their loss. (I do admit this can get out of hand. Several years ago I went to a funeral, and, sitting next to my brother, asked this question of him when folks stood to speak of the departed one: Brer, are you sure we're at the right funeral? Are they talking about ________? The contrast of what I heard and what I knew of the deceased was so profound that I excused myself and walked home.) Now, moving right a long. . .

The email I received today from CL was a laundry list of events in Mr. Kennedy's life which would tend to detract from whatever good he has done. At least, that appears to be CL's intent. While it is apparent that Mr. Kennedy will have a special place in American history, considering the collective contributions of his family, there is neither a need to deify or demonize him. He was a man, and just like other men he made some mistakes. As we all do. But as privileged as he was, he lacked what most of us have: a great degree of privacy in our lives. When Kennedy made a mess, the whole nation could smell it. For any one of us whose life goes on daily without close scrutiny, when a mess is made, there is no accompanying fuss on a national scale. The mess still stinks, but only a few smell it. Generally we get hose down our messes and scatter them around until they blend into the environment.

What I am saying is this: There are things that I have done in my life of which I am not proud; in fact, of which I am ashamed. Just the thought of them makes me shudder spasmatically, look away from the mirror. At such thoughts, bile rises in my gut to tease my esophagus, threatening to spew its way out to show me once again the ugliness and stench of my wrongdoing. Sometimes I just groan inwardly and hang my head. Get the picture? I dare say that anyone reading this blog, who has any inkling of right and wrong -- whether man, woman, boy or girl -- professional, skilled tradesman or day laborer -- black, white, red, yellow -- Christian, Jew, Atheist, Muslim, Buddhist or Wiccan -- young or old -- or whatever -- may sometimes react in similar fashion at the thought of his or her past deeds. If not he (or she) is probably too narcisistic or sociopathic to think she (or he) may have committed a wrong in the first place.

So? So what? So . . . are you the pot calling the kettle black? Or the milk calling the rice white? Or the one without sin who will try, judge and execute the rest of us? If so, righteous one, cast the first stone. Otherwise get a grip, and be glad you have another day, and therefore another opportunity, to get your own life straight, to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.

Am I a Kennedy fan? Not particularly. But neither am I a fan of any self-proclaimed righteous, holier-than-thou 21st century pontifex.

The bottom line is this: there is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. So put the stone down and do something for good.