I am not concerned about whether Elon Musk intended to give a Nazi salute at the inauguration of Donald Trump this past Monday. I am willing to accept the idea that it was, in the words of the ADL, “an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm.”
But I am deeply concerned by the fact that many celebrated this gesture as a sign of affinity with hate and extremism by our president and his supporters.
The real issue is not the intention behind Musk’s gesture, but the context in which it was celebrated—a context in which actions and symbols that once seemed unthinkable are increasingly becoming part of the mainstream.
Adding to this is the fact that moments after the inauguration, President Trump signed a series of executive orders that targeted vulnerable communities, including transgender and nonbinary individuals, immigrants, and refugees.
This is what demands our attention: the erosion of a shared commitment to rejecting hate, racism, and intolerance, and the normalization of divisive and harmful ideologies that threaten to undo the progress we’ve made toward justice and equality.
This week, we read Parashat Va-eira, in which Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh to demand the freedom of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt. We can imagine the fear that must have surrounded these two men – a fear to stand in front of the most powerful human being in the world and make demands. A fear to speak of justice in the face of wrong.
A similar fear must certainly have pervaded the thoughts of the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Diocese of Washington, who asked President Trump at a prayer service on Tuesday to show mercy to those marginalized communities that now live on fear. Reverend Budde reminded the president that “millions have put their trust in you. As you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared…”
In these days ahead, we should take our cues from such courage. No matter where we may stand politically, there are issues of right and wrong that demand our voices.
And so, while we need not critique every gesture made by those we disagree with, let us recognize that this is a time to speak out. This is a time to emulate Moses and Aaron and Reverend Budde and to call out that which is unjust.
This is a time in which we are all asked to have the courage to speak.
Please join us tomorrow night for our annual MLK service where we will celebrate the dream and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and commit ourselves to care for those who need us most by speaking truth.