Ethos and LBJ

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
TriceEdneyWire.com Columnist

Ethos is a Greek word meaning “character.” It is commonly used to explain the value systems that distinguish the beliefs or ideals of a group, organization, community, nation or ideology. Ethos is the root of ethikos, meaning “moral, showing moral character” and it’s the origin of the modern English word ethics. I’ve often been told that the demonstration of character is what you do when you know that the only right thing is to do what’s right—it’s doing the right thing when no one is watching.

The practical significance of ethos, and therefore ethics, is that few individuals or entities can exist over time without disclosing – intentionally or unintentionally – the foundation of their character. Among Bid Whist aficionados, it is understood that one must eventually show his or her ‘hold card.’ Among politicians, and other public policy-makers, it’s understood that they or their actions will eventually disclose those whose interests they elect to serve and protect.

Significant in the past few days has been the focus on President Lyndon Baines Johnson and the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 50 years ago. All this week, dignitaries, including Presidents Obama, Clinton and Carter, have edified the character and courage that it took for President Johnson to sign that legislation, especially considering the social and political climate of the times. Although his upbringing, experience and the social mores of his area of residence clearly opposed the goals of his “signature legislation,” Johnson knew that our country could not survive with the racial hostilities that were then ingrained in the personal and institutional fabric of our national ethos.

However he is considered by others, I am grateful that President Johnson chose to stand against popular political wisdom of the time and that he set the institutional wheels of racial justice and progress into motion. Through the lens of recent history, we have seen and can evaluate the good works and character of this man. He serves as an exemplar of fair play and justice.

As I see it, most of the current crop of politicians who huddle under the banner of the Republican Party stand in stark contrast to the ethos and character of Lyndon Johnson. While Johnson realized that a democracy could truly flourish only when the opportunity for participation and growth was expanded for all, contemporary Republican philosophy centers around the principle of limiting participation in the social structure of the nation, especially in the arena of voting. Since Republicans, seemingly, cannot create a political message that captures the hearts and minds of a majority of American voters, they have dedicated themselves to restructuring the composition of the majority by denying voting opportunities to undesirables.

And just who are these undesirables? They are those of us who are not numbered among the wealthy.

While pushing the verbal pabulum of populism, Republican legislative efforts support uplifting those least in need of assistance. They are zealots in the fight against removing subsidies provided to the wealthiest of commercial industries. At every turn, they oppose tax reform that would result in the wealthy contributing a fairer share of revenue to the “general welfare.” They refuse to pass legislation designed to create jobs or increase wages, yet their policies cut assistance to the unemployed and underemployed.

We often hear the negatives, but examining the ethos of President Johnson sheds the light of comparison, contrast and clarity on the ethos of the Republican Tea Party. The challenge isn’t deciding whether they serve the interests of our community. Our greatest challenge is to actually commit ourselves to timely action. Like President Johnson, we must commit to and sustain the fight however unpopular or uncomfortable it becomes to us. After all, November cometh.

This article originally published in the April 21, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.