Letters to the Editor
Published Letters: 22 Editor's Choice: 5
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A Telling Grace
[Read the article: Eliot Spitzer's monumental fall from grace]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The stupidity and arrogance implicit in Spitzer's alleged involvement in a prostitution ring -- which he hasn't yet explicitly admitted to, but most certainly did not deny -- betrays not just the trust of his family, but also of those who supported him for fighting the good fight. He's not the man we thought he was -- and in a profoundly depressing way, it somehow makes us a little less than we thought we were, for having bought into his chivalry. It is a monumental fall from grace.
Like Mr. Leonard and many of his readers, I, too, cheered on Mr. Spitzer as he systematically reorganized Wall Street's greedy little face with his long-armed fists. I'm always disappointed when an elected official--all of whom are essentially bound to uphold the law--breaks the law. Too, elected officials (especially executives) are the persons in the best positions to change the law if it needs changing. It smacks of laziness, impatience, and arrogance not to follow the law in such a position.
Still, I was struck by Mr. Leonard's language: "It is a monumental fall from grace." A "fall from grace?" Hmm... that there's Puritan talk. As the Puritans saw things, God's grace was given to the elect, and the visible sign of their election was their performance of good acts. One interesting consequence of a Puritan worldview is that we can only know the elect by the good works performed in public--if they perform good works behind closed doors, it doesn't count. Likewise, only sinful acts which receive public attention (whether they deserve it or not) show that someone is not elected. It's astonishing to me how we in the US act as though we can judge people's souls, for better or worse, simply on the basis of what we know about a person through the press. Hell, we don't even know ourselves well enough to judge whether or not we've been graced.
What's more, I'm still trying to figure out why sexual acts seem to reflect so particularly on a person's character. What is it about sex acts in particular--legal or illegal, advised or ill-advised--which give them such authority in our moral calculus of another person's worth? Setting aside for a moment questions of performance and competence, for us, sex always seem cuts right to question of whether or not you can trust someone. I've heard people say they'd trust their kids with W., but not with Bill Clinton. Incredible! Blowjob out of wedlock = unfit to babysit. Lie to yourself and the world so that millions suffer = decent fellow.
Unless you're willing to go the whole way with the Puritans--and I'm the first to admit that there's a lot to be said for their moral resilience and rectitude--I think it's plain old incoherent to condemn a man for single act of indiscretion. The Catholics are better in this respect, at least in theory: confession, penance, forgiveness, get on with life. Mr. Spitzer is an outstanding champion of justice, but he's human. I will pity NY if they let him go.
Oh, and as for hero-worship thing. I think it's good and necessary to find and honor heroes. But it's just naive to think that heroes don't screw up; even saints are always the first to admit to their sins. What makes heroes heroes is that they go on fighting the good fight even when the chips are down, even when they themselves prove flawed vessels, because what they're fighting for matters more than they do. Spitzer is the right man for the job, and the job matters more than he does. But I doubt most USians will see it that way.
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Unbundle Various Items
[Read the article: Various items]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Mr. Greenwald, while I'm sure that you're aware that your publishing isn't restricted to square inches on a broadsheet, I'd like to point out that one consequence of that is that you don't have to put all your points under one header. Eight small posts, each with its own headline, makes it easier for your readers to parse. I love your work, but there's no way I'm going to wade through text which provides no clue as to its content except a number. Let the items BE various!