As 21st-century America continues to grow more religiously, politically, racially, ethnically, and sexually diverse, the American future will either be Americans separated by damnation creating a new American autocracy, or Americans united by redemption maintaining traditional American democracy. The choice will be determined by how America decides to resolve past acts of bigotry, racism, sexism, and religious intolerance. If American society continues to make the same choice as the one recently made in New York City, the prospects for future autocracy in America look bright, and the prospects for future democracy in America look very dim!!!
In the month before Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York Mayor, he hired and then accepted the resignation a day later of Catherine Almonte Da Costa as New York City’s Director of Appointments. Da Costa resigned within hours of the Anti-Defamation League releasing anti-Semitic comments she had posted over 10 years ago. In 2011, she posted “Money hungry Jews smh” and “Woo! Promoted to the upstairs office today! Working alongside these rich Jewish peeps”. In 2012, she posted “I always think it’s (sic) strange that orthodox Jewish women can’t expose their hair so they wear wigs. I guess that it beats wearing a head scarf” and “Far Rockaway train is the Jew train”.
There could be no misunderstanding of the anti-Semitism expressed in Da Costa’s posted comments. She released a statement saying, “I spoke with the Mayor-elect this afternoon, apologized, and expressed my deep regret for my past statements. These statements are not indicative of who I am. As the mother of Jewish children, I feel a profound sense of sadness and remorse at the harm these words have caused. As this has become a distraction from the work at hand, I have offered my resignation”.
During a press conference the following day, Mayor Mamdani apologized for not properly vetting Da Costa, saying, “Our administration will operate under a standard of excellence. And setting that standard is not only about fulfilling it. It’s also about holding yourself accountable when you are not doing so”. As a result, Mayor Mamdani’s transition team hired an outside firm to vet all future appointments.
While I am fully aware of and sympathetic to the no-trust issue Mayor Mamdani has among many in New York’s Jewish community, resolving Da Costa’s past acts of anti-Semitism this way, was not in the best interest of future Jewish relations with the larger non-Jewish New York community, nor should it be a template for resolving all past acts of anti-Semitism, racism, sexism, or religious intolerance.
Da Costa’s heinous scenario is one that will occur over and over again as America continues to cure itself of the isms and intolerance that once ailed American society. This year, America will turn 250 years old, and although America has proclaimed itself to be a democracy for the entire 250 years, it wasn’t until 1964 that it truly became one, meaning that of the 250 years, 188 of them were American autocracy years where racism, sexism, economic classism, religious intolerance, and ethnic discrimination reigned supreme. Only the last 62 are American democracy years where the isms, religious intolerance, and ethnic discrimination are illegal and no longer morally tolerated. But unfortunately, 62 years of true democracy beliefs, language, and behavior can’t rid society overnight from 188 years of true autocracy beliefs, language, and behavior.
Therefore as America continues to progress towards reaching another milestone, besides the democracy milestone America reached in 1964, it’s the other milestone America has falsely proclaimed itself to be that’s about to become reality, the milestone of being a true melting pot America where a racial or an ethnic 51% majority will no longer exist in America (estimated to occur as early as 2042 or as late as 2045), there will be many more instances where undeniable proof will exist of an individual’s or an institution’s past behavior or language that once was acceptable, but now is no longer acceptable.
And each instance of past racial, sexual, or religious intolerance that occurs should rightfully raise the question of forgiveness and redemption. Emphasis on each instance because the first rule of determining whether an individual, an institution, or a corporation should be granted forgiveness and redemption is that each individual, institution, or corporation must be judged on a case-by-case basis. There is no universal judgment formula; each case must be judged individually, taking into account the circumstances surrounding each instance of past racial, sexual, or religious intolerance. An individual’s, an institution’s, or a corporation’s actions or lack of actions since committing their last past indiscretion must be examined to determine if they merit forgiveness followed by redemption.
The main factor to consider before granting forgiveness, followed by redemption, is how an individual, an institution, or a corporation is living their life or conducting their affairs now. One living life or conducting their affairs now according to the democratic principles of racial, sexual, ethnic, and religious tolerance as opposed to the autocratic principles of racism, sexism, ethnic discrimination, and religious intolerance, is more important than how it came to light that one is guilty of past autocracy.
This in no way diminishes proactively coming forward with no external pressure and admitting past autocratic racism, sexism, ethnic discrimination, or religious intolerance. In fact, an individual, institution, or corporation doing so should be an indication that they are now living a life or conducting their affairs based on principles of democracy. But if an individual, institution, or corporation is living life or conducting their affairs now based on democratic principles and their past autocracy is involuntarily discovered as opposed to them voluntarily revealing it, it should not mean forgiveness and redemption are withheld and not granted.
On the third Monday of this month, America will uplift the legacy of American democracy-completion father Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in his sermon “Love Your Enemies”, he was clear about how those deserving forgiveness and redemption should be treated. According to him:
“Love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That’s why Jesus says, ‘Love your enemies.’ Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption,”
Let us be practical and ask the question, How do we love our enemies? First, we must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. It is impossible even to begin the act of loving one’s enemies without the prior acceptance of the necessity, over and over again, of forgiving those who inflict evil and injury upon us.
It is also necessary to realize that the forgiving act must always be initiated by the person who has been wronged, the victim of some great hurt, the recipient of some torturous injustice, the absorber of some terrible act of oppression. The wrongdoer may request forgiveness. He may come to himself, and, like the prodigal son, move up some dusty road, his heart palpitating with the desire for forgiveness. But only the injured neighbor, the loving father back home, can really pour out the warm waters of forgiveness.
Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship. Forgiveness is a catalyst, creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning. It is the lifting of a burden or the canceling of a debt. The words “I will forgive you, but I’ll never forget what you’ve done” never explain the real nature of forgiveness.
Certainly, one can never forget, if that means erasing it totally from one’s mind. But when we forgive, we forget in the sense that the evil deed is no longer a mental block impeding a new relationship. Likewise, we can never say, “I will forgive you, but I won’t have anything further to do with you.” Forgiveness means reconciliation, a coming together again. Without this, no man can love his enemies. The degree to which we are able to forgive determines the degree to which we are able to love our enemies”.
We have seen the logic of Dr. King’s prescription of forgiveness followed by redemption in the successful power and race transition that occurred in South Africa. After the racist apartheid government was replaced by a democratic government controlled by the black majority citizens of South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), a court-like restorative justice body, was assembled in South Africa after the end of apartheid. Witnesses who were identified as victims of gross human rights violations inflicted by the apartheid government were invited to give statements about their experiences, and some were selected for public hearings. Perpetrators of violence on behalf of the apartheid government who came forward and admitted their racist criminal behavior could also give testimony, and request amnesty from both civil and criminal prosecution.
The TRC is the reason that South Africa’s transition from white oppression of South African Blacks to South African Blacks being democratically in control has been racially harmonious. It gave South African Blacks an opportunity to document and emotionally release their pain and inhumane treatment. It gave South African Whites an opportunity to admit to their inhumane and criminal behavior, with no retribution by the new South African Black controlled government. This was the ingredient that started and made the racial healing process the success that it is today in South Africa.
Forgiveness followed by redemption work hand in hand; you can’t have one without the other. If you have truly forgiven someone, then you must grant redemption. As Dr. King said, forgiveness means “that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship, it is the lifting of a burden or the cancelling of a debt” so that it can be the “catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning,” in other words, damnation creates violent separation and redemption creates nonviolent unity.
If it’s been 10 years since one has committed a racist, anti-Semitic, or homophobic act, as is the case with Da Costa, and ten years later, based solely on the transgression from 10 years ago and no other transgression has occurred since that time, something is either taken back or denied them once the transgression is discovered with no consideration to the racist-free, anti-Semitic-free, or homophobic-free life they have lived since the transgression, means their past racist, anti-Semitic, or homophobic violence is being met with never-ending damnation violence, which most likely encourages the person to respond with the violent separation thought of maybe I should revert back to my previous way of thinking, and rejoin where I was accepted and not rejected or denied, thereby encouraging a former racist, anti-Semitic, or homophobe to become one again!!!
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a statement: “We appreciate Da Costa has relationships with members of the Jewish community, but her posts require immediate explanation — not just from Ms. Da Costa, but also from the Mayor-Elect”. In the statement, the ADL also asked the question: Were these comments previously identified by the Mayor-elect’s team? If so, why were they excused? Implying that because of statements made over 10 years ago, Da Costa should never have been hired.
As to the immediate explanation of why Da Costa was granted redemption, before Mayor Mamdani unjustly rescinded it, and why her comments should be excused, I would remind the ADL of Judaism’s tenet of Teshuvah, the ethical self-transformation involving regretting past sins, confessing them, resolving not to repeat them, and making amends with those wronged.
While it’s not clear to me if Ms. Da Costa has personally converted to Judaism, the fact that a person of the Jewish faith married her, the fact Da Costa has agreed to allow her children to be raised as part of the Jewish faith, and the fact that a person of the Jewish faith, with no family ties to Da Costa, declared about her “These tweets are so totally disconnected from the person I know”, obviously makes a strong statement that not only does Da Costa regret her past statements, but the self-transformation she has demonstrated for the last 10 years of her life, means regardless of whether or not Da Costa personally converted to Judaism she in effect has transformed her life into what she denigrated 10 years ago. The only question the ADL should be asking is: What life example of a former anti-Semite could be more deserving of forgiveness, followed by redemption?
As one who considers himself a Zionist, I appreciated how Mayor Mamdani handled his Globalize the Intifada controversy. He essentially said that he would not apologize for saying the globalize phrase because, in his heart and mind, he only said it as a sign of solidarity with Palestinians calling for an independent Palestinian state. Now that he realizes that when most Jews hear the phrase they hear the many Palestinians, who are unlike Mamdani, because they are calling for violence against Jews and the death and destruction of the state of Israel when they use the phrase, he will not separate himself from those Jews who hear the violence, death, and destruction, instead he will unite with them by pledging to personally stop using and discourage others from using the globalize phrase. It’s these types of unity steps that maintain democracy and prevent the autocracy that separation can create.
But I am equally unappreciative of how Mayor Mamdani has treated Ms. Da Costa, especially since he is known to frequently quote Dr. King; he clearly is not familiar with Dr. King’s sermon that’s heavily quoted in this column. Ironically, Mayor Mamdani, on one hand, has said to the Jewish people of New York City, Don’t misinterpret, mistrust, or judge me based on what I have said in my very recent past. Instead, please trust what my future actions will be if you elect me as your Mayor. On the other hand, when he is confronted with someone else who has committed past transgressions, but does not need to ask for trust, because her last 10-year life actions have already spoken louder than the words trust my future actions as your Mayor ever could, Mayor Mamdani decides her character is not sufficient to have a job working for the government that regulates her life.
Instead of being New York’s uniter of diversity, Mayor Mamdani decides that Da Costa must be separated from the people considered to have sufficient character to work for the government that regulates her life, that she must be forever damned and confined to the group of irreconcilables, never to be forgiven and never granted redemption, despite her 10-year life transformation.
In doing so, the Mayor said he would exemplify “excellence” in future vetting for New York City employment. If the Mayor’s excellence in future vetting determines that people like Da Costa, who have truly transformed themselves from being racist, anti-Semitic, or homophobic, are not eligible to work for the government that regulates their lives, it’s excellence in vetting for new recruits to the group of January 6th rioters that attempted to overthrow America’s democratically elected government in 2021, not excellence in vetting for appropriate people for any government job.
None of the January 6 rioters had Da Costa’s life transformation experience, or they would not have participated in the coup attempt. But each one of them had a real or imagined case where they claimed the government had marginalized them, separated them into a different category than the citizens who were deemed eligible for government respect or acknowledgement. All of them felt that the government deemed them ineligible for a government job.
EVERYONE and EVERYTHING in America is subconsciously infected in varying degrees with 188 years of racism, religious intolerance, homophobia, economic classism, gender discrimination, and ethnic discrimination, in other words, American separation and autocracy. Thanks to the last 62 years of anti-racism, religious tolerance, anti-homophobia, anti-economic classism, anti-gender discrimination, and anti-ethnic discrimination, in other words, American unity, diversity, equity, inclusion, and democracy, the American healing process is well underway, but there’s still more healing to take place before America is cured.
Accordingly, there will definitely be many more future discoveries of past instances where America’s 188 years of separation and autocracy reveals itself. When these discoveries come to light, automatic damnation through denying forgiveness by withholding redemption cannot be American society’s default response. It only increases separation in America by potentially adding already transformed individuals to the individuals who legitimately need to be separated within society, until a sufficient amount of healing has enabled their transformation.
However, there should always be default forgiveness followed by redemption for the likes of a Catherine Almonte Da Costa, those who are obviously healed and transformed. It not only increases the amount of unity in America, but it’s also a shining example to those legitimately separated within society for their healing and transformation to occur, of what their future can be, as opposed to Mayor Mamdani’s message to them of what their future can never be, even after transformation has occurred. It will either be American separation and autocracy by damnation or American unity and democracy by redemption; hopefully, for the sake of American unity and democracy, American society will not continue to make the choice Mayor Mamdani made.