Justice
Wisdom from our First Degree
One of the things that has made the United States so strong through its history is our system of justice. While it has never been perfect, as no human system can ever be, it has generally earned the support of the American people throughout most of our shared history.
This is, as it must be, for as our First Degree Lecture states:
“…it is the very cement and support of civil society.”
Our nation can not exist as it should without a properly functioning judicial branch, that can be widely respected.
Yet respect for the judiciary is very rapidly collapsing in our society.
Rightly or wrongly the Supreme Court has overturned long standing precedent, which has shocked and angered half of the population. While rightly or wrongly the Justice Department is prosecuting, and lower Courts are convicting, political operatives of crimes; for which people who have been equally guilty on the other side of the political divide have not been prosecuted. This has of course angered and shocked the other half of the population.
All of this very recent history has resulted in a situation in which people of every persuasion on the political spectrum feel as if the protections they hold dear are not, or soon will not be available to them. That the courts, as a final check on abuses of the legislative or executive branches are no longer serving in that role.
This is untenable if our nation is to thrive.
I would suggest that much of this is a symptom of the disease of incivility that has gripped our entire society.
To identify a friend, colleague, neighbor, or even a family member as an enemy, as someone who needs to be silenced.
To claim that some speech is worthy of protection, but other speech is not. To equate speech one disagrees with as violence.
To engage in online witch hunts, saying the most horrific things possible while hiding behind a computer screen.
To spread information one knows to be incorrect, in order to make a political point.
To win at all costs.
These things are engaged in by people of every political persuasion today, and have become almost universal within our society. They are the result of our embrace of incivility, which is constantly fed by social media, and confirmed by our own personal media silos.
If we hope to fix this. If we hope to heal our broader society, we as Masons must act. We must set the example for civil dialogue. We must set the example of being able to disagree without creating enemies. We must set the example of how to win a vote with grace, and without feeling a need to then attack those who lost. Likewise, we must set the example of embracing the ideas behind the term ‘Loyal Opposition’ when we lose a vote, instead of declaring the winners somehow our enemies.
We, as Freemasons, can set that example.
Indeed we must, for there is no other organization that can.
Our First Degree offers us some advice:
“Justice is that standard or boundary of right which enables us to render unto every man his just due, without distinction. This principal is not only consistent with divine and human laws but it is the very cement and support of civil society; and, as justice in great measure constitutes the really good man, so should it be the invariable practice of every Mason never to deviate from the minutest principles thereof…”1
I think that we often believe that justice is something only carried out by courts, and by the righteous guy in vigilante movies. That isn’t the case though. As our First Degree Lecture points out, it is the duty of every Mason to dispense justice.
If we hope our actions to be a shining example to those around us, then we must look upon our own actions towards others with a critical eye. We must ensure that we are just in our dealings with the people we encounter.
The Scottish Rite SJ First Degree also offers us some advice:
“As the Ancients did, Masonry styles Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice the four cardinal virtues. They are as necessary to nations as to individuals. The people that would be free and independent, must possess sagacity, forethought, foresight, and careful circumspection, all of which are included in the meaning of the word prudence. It must be temperate in asserting its rights, temperate in its councils, economical in its expenses; it must be bold, brave, courageous, patient under reverses, undismayed by disasters, hopeful amid calamities… She must, above all things, be just, not truckling to the strong and warring on or plundering the weak…”2
This passage as well points out that acting justly is not only a requirement for a healthy and strong republic, but it is a duty of the individual. A duty that we as Masons must not shirk from performing.
Masonry does not concern itself with politics. How best to ensure that our courts dispense justice, and what that justice looks like are political questions that in our society each of us have opportunity to lend our individual voice.
Masonry does however concern itself with justice, and with admonishing Masons to be just. We can, as we have done for hundreds of years, improve our society by serving as shining examples to the people around us.
We best do that, in this case, by embracing civility, and by considering all our actions with others, to make certain that we are treating all those we interact with justly.
I haven’t been quiet about the fact that since joining the Knights Templar, I have been extremely disappointed in the magazine put out by the Grand Encampment.
Well, I need to give credit where credit is due.
I received the latest issue today, and I think that the new design is awesome! It was also great to read about the plans for additional improvements to the publication. It seems that things are looking up in the world of Templary.
Standard Work, Grand Lodge of Washington
Morals & Dogma, Entered Apprentice
I asking myself, what would George Washington be doing about now?
“I would suggest that much of this is a symptom of the disease of incivility that has gripped our entire society. To identify a friend, colleague, neighbor, or even a family member as an enemy, as someone who needs to be silenced.” I love debate. I guess that comes when you work with the public as a small business owner for a quarter century. Why would I want to silence someone on the other side that’s willing to calmly and civilly discuss their stance? It’s a learning opportunity. I’m not afraid to adjust my viewpoint based on additional points of view. And the person on the “other side” appreciates the respect I show them. It’s a win-win situation.
“To engage in online witch hunts, saying the most horrific things possible while hiding behind a computer screen.” To me, it’s just like people’s poor driving habits. I’ve brought up in Lodge meetings to debate about whether people’s driving habits are a reflection of their true character. An example is the 1950 Disney short cartoon “Motor Mania,” featuring Goofy as Mr. Walker and Mr. Wheeler. While the goal of the cartoon is to show bad driving habits, I think it also shows who we really are, in the apparent anonymity of our automobiles. Same thing with the computer. The son of one of our late Past Masters was mean to his father, almost vile, in the comments made on our Past Master’s social media posts. It really angered me that he treated our Brother that way online. Yet when I met him in person, he was meek, with a light handshake and a whimpering voice, almost what you would call a “wimp.” You would have never guessed he would have made those comments online. Same thing with E-mails. At times I and others have noticed some people have two versions – the in-person version, and the “E-mail” version. Jekyll and Hyde yet again. Once again, for us Freemasons, we can follow our Charges and the lessons in our Lectures, and chip off those rough edges that really show themselves when we engage people in our cars, in social media, or other indirect methods of communication.
The charges in our degrees, as well as our lectures, really drive home the point of how we carry ourselves not only among our Brethren, but out in the world, should be an example of what we all should be doing. While everyone else is out there behaving like the Tasmanian Devil, the people known to be Freemasons should be out there behaving properly, and according to our Lectures and Charges. Doing the Right Thing. Setting an example. And when a Brother doesn’t do that, his Brethren should be admonishing him, and not be afraid to do so. It has helped me immensely through the years, when I miss a step and do something stupid, many Brethren in my Lodges have “scolded” me in a proper, constructive manner, and I listened. And I learned.
This is what this Fraternity is all about, my Brothers. It’s what we came here to do.