In episode 7 of the first season of the beloved political drama television The West Wing, White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler meets with a representative of Indonesia named Mr. Bambang at a state dinner to ask for the favor of releasing Toby’s friend who is a political prisoner there. The main characters have struggled all episode to find a translator that speaks Bambang’s native tongue, Batak. Using a chain of two translators (one of whom is kitchen staff who cannot speak English), Toby is finally able to exchange pleasantries with Bambang. During the long translation, Toby expresses his frustration at both the situation and the non-English speaking kitchen staff member to his colleague, thinking Bambang cannot understand. Halfway through the conversation, the representative asks in perfect English to speak plainly. Toby asks for his favor, and Bambang calls Toby a hypocrite for having his team deliver a welcoming speech berating Indonesia’s treatment of its countrymen while America’s own history of Native Americans is dismal.
Bambang never comments on how Toby had just insulted the kitchen staffer, but it is blatant how hypocritical Toby is. He is adamant to have Indonesia change how it treats its countrymen, but he cannot even treat his kitchen staffer with respect.
This scene has stuck with me. With all the hatred, violence, anger, and disbelief surrounding the extremist white supremacist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, North Carolina, followed by the nonsensical loss of life from James Alex Fields Jr. driving his car into a counterprotest crowd, followed by endless commentaries about what people should or should not do, I think of this scene from The West Wing. Yes, in the episode, Toby talks of how upset he is that Indonesia is violating human rights by killing suspected sorcerers and holding his friend prisoner, but he is not innocent either.
I’m tempted like many have done to post a news article about the protests and make my little commentary on how wrong all this hate is, but I know in my heart that my own inherent biases still exist. I unconsciously worry about being shot walking past a black man. I see a man with olive skin in a turban and unconsciously wonder if he’s a terrorist. I see a Hispanic man working for a landscape company and unconsciously question if he’s a legal citizen.
Who am I to say anything against hate and prejudice when my unconscious thinks the same things?
The only thing that has changed my perspective is getting to know the other person. My roommate is black, and her talking about her struggles with racism and getting to know her wonderful family has changed me. A co-worker of mine in college was Muslim, and him talking about the new prejudices against him after 9/11 and seeing his passion for teaching underprivileged youth changed me. I went on several dates with a Latino immigrant, and him talking about his love for this country and admiring his work ethic changed me.
If we are going to start talking about actual, authentic change in racism in America, we need to start with ourselves. We need to recognize our own inherent biases. We need to recognize when we feel ashamed or guilty talking about our race. We need to admit when we do not understand the hardship or experience of someone else and ask authentic questions to understand their perspective. We need to treat others with respect, regardless of the color of their skin or their station in society.
I keep going through that scene from The West Wing, wondering if Toby had talked about that kitchen staffer in a more respectful way, changed the dinner speech to be less condescending, or changed his attitude to be less superior, if Bambang would have helped him. I keep thinking about the violence in Charlottesville, wondering if more police were present before the violence, if the president would have given a stronger speech condemning the extremists, if the groups would have not been taunting one another, if that car would have never driven into the crowd.
I don’t know what could have changed what happened. However, I do know that if everyone involved had stopped to truly examine their own values before protesting others’ values, there would have been a chance for a true dialogue with a potential for authentic peace.
Every human being has inherent dignity, worth, and value. For a greater sense of peace and community in our country, we need to treat each other like it and examine why we do not treat others with the respect they deserve.