Throughout the past few years, there has been a lot of criticism directed at Joe Lieberman, much of it justified. However, there is a certain minority of individuals here recently who have gone too far and have been mocking Joe Lieberman's beard. This behavior is uncalled for, makes a mockery of what we are as a community, and is offensive to me personally.
If I become a public figure, become a Wiccan, and do something that involves my new faith, I would be offended by people making fun of my faith if I said something that many people here strongly opposed.
When Kos started this community, his goal was to fight for a society where all people would be truly welcome here in this country. That includes people like Joe Lieberman, despite his divisive behavior and his hypocrisy at times. I do not remember where it says in the Constitution that our opportunities were only for the morally pure, as defined by us.
Joe Lieberman is an Orthodox Jew whose mother recently passed away. As a sign of mourning, Orthodox Jews are required to avoid shaving or haircuts as a
sign of mourning:
"The code of Jewish law says not to shave during this period," said Walk, the educational director of Agudath Sholom, where Marcia Lieberman was an active member. But the law is also a lenient one, he added, allowing people whose livelihoods might be affected by their appearance to continue shaving and grooming.
Many modern Orthodox Jews, especially those in public positions, "might say that [observing the stricture] would hurt their business and continue to shave," Walk said. Rather than choosing that course, as he could have done, Lieberman felt "this is a way of honoring his mother" and decided to heed it, an inspirational act in the rabbi's eyes.
Lieberman displayed a tremendous act of courage when he decided to grow a beard as a sign of mourning. It is highly unusual for someone other than a Christian or a Catholic to publicly display their faith like that, so Lieberman should be commended, not condemned for that. He did not have to; he is a public figure, and politicians have to put their best foot forward at all times. But he did.
Here are some more details about Orthodox Jewish mourning customs:
The common theme, Falk explained, is an abandonment of comfort and vanity, coupled with celebration of life itself.
Jewish tradition calls for burial as soon as possible, in some cases by sundown, in order to end the most painful period of mourning for a deceased's loved ones. Marcia Lieberman's funeral was held June 29.
Following burial, Falk explained, the spouse, children and or parents of the deceased return home and, before entering, wash their hands to symbolize spiritual cleansing.
Once inside, mirrors are covered, and the deceased's nuclear family eschews grooming, sitting only on wooden stools, the legs of which have been sawed to well less than their intended length.
"It's about being uncomfortable. No one is at rest while they are mourning," Falk said.
Kosher food -- which preferably takes a round shape like those of bagels or eggs to symbolize the circle of life -- is delivered by friends and family who regularly come calling, or by caterers.
No one eats until the primary mourner or mourners has begun, in order to encourage nourishment, Falk said.
And, as pointed out here, Lieberman didn't make a big show of it:
In politics, image means a great deal, and I'm sure that Senator Lieberman could have found or at least rationalized an exemption to the "30 Days" rules if he really wanted to. The fact that he didn't is a great honor to his mother and, as it were, to God's name. Also, the dearth of news stories on this practice of his indicates that he didn't contact the press to try to rectify any damage to his image or to capitalize on his display of piety. He just did what he has to do, apparently without consideration of the effects on his public image.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons to criticize Lieberman. His behavior towards Howard Dean in the 2004 primary was vindictive and divisive. He called George Bush a "great man" during the 2004 general election campaign. He kissed (literally) Bush after the State of the Union speech in 2005. He voted to confirm Alberto Gonzales. He regularly appears on Sunday morning talk shows and criticizes other Democrats.
In addition, Lieberman claimed to be a uniter during the 2004 instead of a divider. This is one of the most brazen acts of hypocrisy from a Democrat I have ever seen. No wonder Bob Dole on the Larry King show regularly called him a "good man." He should be primaried out of office in 2006.
But if we are to avoid the kind of divisiveness that characterizes Lieberman's behavior, we should avoid making fun of Lieberman's religious faith. If we mock other people's religions, we are only opening ourselves up to the charge that we are only tolerant towards those we like.
