Have You No Sense of Decency?

Many of
you may recognize the words of this title from history. The full quote is,
“Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of
decency?” It was made by Attorney Joseph Welch and directed to Senator Joseph
McCarthy. McCarthy, as you may recall from your vast knowledge of history, led
a charge to rid the Federal Government (and Hollywood) of Communists.

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On June
9, 1954, during the Army-McCarthy hearings, Welch confronted the Senator about
his relentless tactics in his fervent pursuit of a young man named Roy Cohn. Welch’s
question implying McCarthy’s lack of decency was followed by applause from
those watching the proceedings. It has long been considered a turning point in
the McCarthy hearings.

Censure

Shortly
after that incident, the Senate voted to censure McCarthy by an overwhelming
majority of 67-22. He died three years later at the age of forty-eight, but his
name infamously lives on in the term “McCarthyism.” McCarthyism, as a general expression,
came to be used to loosely describe the actions of someone who makes unsubstantiated
accusations and attacks an adversary’s character or patriotism.

As an
observer of today’s political scene, I’ve come to the place where I’d really
like to be able to step into Joseph Welch’s shoes. By that, I mean I’d like to
be in a position to ask our current day politicians, “Have you no sense of
decency?” And to take it a step further, I’d like my question to become a
turning point toward a return to the decency to which I refer.

It
appears we have come to the place where McCarthyism has become the norm. In
fact, the very term, McCarthyism, has lost its meaning. If everyone is
McCarthy, then no one is McCarthy. If everyone is tossing around
unsubstantiated accusations and committing character assassinations, then we
have truly lost our sense of decency.

Please Listen

Unfortunately,
I’m not in a good position to effectively ask that question. I’ll ask it
anyway, but I don’t think the necessary people will pay any attention to me. I
will be largely ignored or unheard. But maybe if enough of us begin to ask that
question of our politicians, they will begin to listen.

Before
John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod, he sent some of his disciples to ask
Jesus if he was the expected Messiah. Jesus sent John his reply, which was
basically a cryptic, “Yes.” After they left, Jesus said, “John the Baptist came
neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’The
Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a
drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” (Luke 7:33-34) In other words, “You can’t seem
to satisfy anyone these days.”

As
long as people are willing to think the worst of others, we will have this
situation. That is particularly true if we’re willing to act out our basest
inclinations. Shall we bow our heads in prayer?

[Dave Zuchelli is a graduate of
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and currently resides in Aldie, VA.]

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