Another Look  

By Hank Silverberg

It was groundbreaking television in 1972. Norman Lear’s “All in the Family”looked at many social issues, from menopause to equal rights to racism. Carol O’Conner’s masterful portrayal of Archie Bunker put a comedic edge on some of the nation’s biggest problems. It entertained us while at the same time teaching us all a lesson or two.  

One particular episode has remained forever in my mind. Sammy Davis Jr. ends up in a cab that Archie is driving for extra bucks, and Davis leaves his briefcase behind. He then must go to 704 Howser Street, Archie’s house, to pick it up.

There is a great deal of good comedy in the episode and a fantastic assessment of Archie's bigotry by Sammy Davis Jr. The scene's ending with Davis kissing Archie on the cheek got the most attention,  but one other part of the exchange stands out.  

Here is the dialogue involving Gloria (Sally Struthers), Sammy Davis Jr and Lionel Jefferson (Mike Evans), the Bunker’s black neighbor.

Gloria: I’m sorry Mr. Davis, sometimes my father says the wrong thing.

Sammy Davis Jr:   Yeah, I’ve noticed.

Lionel Jefferson: But he’s not a bad guy, Mr. Davis.  I mean, like he’d never burn a cross on your lawn.

Sammy Davis Jr. 
No, but if he saw one, he’s liable to toast a marshmallow on it.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Family+in+All+Episodes%2c+sammy+davis%2c++Free&&view=detail&mid=3C22BC020D8835DFB1073C22BC020D8835DFB107&&FORM=VRDGAR 

 

(THE kiss) 

As I watched reports about a spike in anti-Semitism and hate- based crime across the country over the last two years, notably after the violence in Charlottesville, this scene played out repeatedly in my head.                                                           

Clergy, many liberals and conservatives and some in the media, want to point out constantly that the vast majority of the people in this country are not prejudiced and would never commit a hate crime. Statistically they are right. But to me, the 37 percent spike in anti-Semitism in the last year is not just about Nazis, skin heads and white supremacists. It’s also about the people out there waiting with the marshmallows—waiting to take political or financial advantage of the discord which in some cases they even promote. The brilliance behind the Archie Bunker character was not his saying "wrong things" and being an all-around jerk. He was like many people, always looking at someone else, usually some minority group, as the reason for their failure or lack of progress. 

Those lined up to sow that discord and use it for their own gain now include the President of the United States, who early on in his campaign refused to condemn the alt-right’s often bigoted support for him. 

Conquering racism, (anti-Semitism is just another form of racism) based on religion, race, national origin or sexual preference, has escaped mankind for more than a thousand years. The failure to do so has often lead to mass murder. 

The list we can confirm from recorded history is long. Here are just a few.  

Ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, Serbia and Rwanda

The Holocaust of the Third Reich

The Czarist Pogroms of Russia

The Afrikaans/Boer conquest of South Africa

The Confederate States of America

The Trail of Tears and Wounded Knee

The Conquests of Cortez
The Spanish Inquisition

The Crusades

There is no easy solution to eradicating racial and religious hate. In fact, history has proven religious zealotry and political power are often the catalyst for mass murder.  We can only hope that those of us who really feel no malice towards our fellow man can eventually overcome the large minority who use irrational fear and stereotypes to gain some political or social power over others.

To that I can only use one of my favorite quotes though it's origins are in dispute. 

 "Those who forget the past are condemned to relive it".    

News Notes: 

An update on last week’s edition:  I noted with interest this week that a court has ordered the White House to reinstate the hard pass press credentials to CNN reporter Jim Acosta. The court made the decision based on the Fifth Amendment, due process, rather than on the First Amendment, free speech. And the court suggested that there needs to be specific rules of behavior in the briefing room and a set procedure for dealing with anyone who violates those rules. 

The White House responded with an indication that they will now set up such a procedure to restore “decorum” for such press conferences.         

       
 

  Here’s the thing. This President, any President, has always had control. If he didn’t like a particular reporter, he just would not call on him or her.  Setting up some kind of procedure that would punish a reporter for violating rules set up by a particular administration could serve only as a deterrent to any kind of aggressive reporting. The concern for the reporters—asking a tough question that a president doesn’t like could get them banned. It serves as “prior restraint” to a free and independent press. We can only watch and see what happens. But it’s hard to imagine any kind of decorum in a room where President Trump berates, demeans or shuns any reporter or network he doesn’t like.  Like I wrote last week, this is NOT just a dispute between this president and one reporter who went a question too far, or hogged the mic.  It’s an issue with this president and his misunderstanding of the role of a free press. That became even more clear in an interview with Fox News Reporter Chris Wallace, when Trump suggested the solution may simply be to turn off the cameras for briefings.  He pushed aside Wallace's question about how the constant use of the term "fake news" has been exploited by dictators and repressive regimes across the world since Trump started using it. The President, the so called leader of the free world, said it didn't matter to him what other leaders said or did. 

(Your comments and suggestions are welcome in the section below. )

("The Campaign" can be purchased at Amazon.com. A signed copy of either of my books is available from me. Send me an email at hanksilverberg@gmail.com for details. )