It Matters What They Do… Not What They Say

By Deacon Mike Manno

(The Wanderer) – One of my earliest lessons in dealing with people came from my Dad. He told me to watch what people do, not what they say. Thus, I have grown with the belief that the true test of a man is whether he does what he says he will.

We in this country are blessed with freedoms not found in many countries around the world; but freedom is only an abstract term unless society establishes and supports measures to ensure that concept applies to all persons equally.

But that is not being done today. Despite official condemnation of violence against churches, people of faith, and attacks on pro-life centers, nothing (next to, anyway) is being done to apprehend those responsible.

Since May of 2021 some 64 incidents of vandalism against pro-life organizations have been recorded, and during that same period Catholic churches have been subjected to burnings and other forms of vandalism.

Yet there is one place where the vandal was caught. In Bellevue, Wash., a 32-year-old trans man — not sure which way he was going — was caught in the act. He was using spray paint to vandalize the St. Louise Parish church, painting such things as “F. . . the Catholic Church.”

He knocked over several statues, desecrated the altar, broke windows, smashed two doors, spray-painted someone’s face, resisted arrest, and broke windows in the squad car. He claimed it was in retaliation for the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

The Biden Administration had no way to excuse not acting. Here is the recommendation of the DOJ: No jail, three years’ probation. Well done Justice Department! You have proved my point: You will enforce only the rights of the people with whom you agree.

We can take this further, but only two matters need to be mentioned. Just before Holy Week, Walter Reed Military Hospital abruptly canceled a contract with a group of Franciscan Friars to provide religious services for the hospitalized. When the friars showed up, they were served with a “cease and desist order.”

It was announced later that the hospital had contracted with a for-profit concern to provide spiritual services in place of the friars.

Then there was the tragic shooting of three children and three adults at the Covenant Christian School in Nashville. The response by the local police was near-perfect. Brave officers, ignoring the risks to their own lives, rushed into the school and took out the shooter before more harm could be done.

At first the local authorities were good about providing information about the shooter and her actions. They reported that the shooter was a man who was transitioning to female. Then there was the report that the shooter had left a manifesto which was taken into police custody.

The FBI was on the scene and they saw the manifesto written by a trans individual who had just shot up a Christian school. No one has heard anything about that manifesto since. Why? Could it provide a link between some in the trans community and attacks on churches and pro-life facilities? Apparently, we’re not allowed to know, but the theory of an alleged link between violent wacked-out Christians and attendees at a Latin Mass, as proposed by the goofy Southern Poverty Law Center, warranted a full report.

Don’t believe the words; their actions tell you all you need to know.

Now something a little closer to home.

The Young Lawyers Division of the Iowa State Bar Association has developed a DEI program and is asking members to take a pledge to support DEI activities.

Now I’m not a big fan of DEI, which you know stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The concept is misunderstood by most people and, I believe, is kept alive by hundreds of equity warriors, many of whom are charlatans, who teach their own version of DEI. However, it seems that everywhere a DEI program is adopted, racial and other problems follow.

So, I have some advice for my colleagues who are jumping in on this folderol: Know what it is you are talking about. Words have meanings and you should understand what DEI means.

I taught my poly-sci students that on the first day. I would ask how many were in favor of freedom and equality. They would all raise their hands. Then I would ask which one did they favor. That produced puzzled faces; after all, were these not synonyms?

No, I would reply and point out that there was an inherent conflict within those words: Total freedom cannot exist with total equality — think of a property owner and a tenant. Thus, there must be a balance between the concepts to achieve the correct result. That is what is needed with DEI: a balance in the terms which is often missed.

Diversity is not just counting heads and checking boxes. It is embracing Jesus’ teaching about who is your brother. Unfortunately, it is too often used to push blame on some and create victims with others. That’s not the message of the Good Samaritan.

And another disturbing fault of diversity is that the head counters, the box checkers, now count Asians as white. Think about that. The Supreme Court and Harvard are thinking about that right now.

Equity does not mean equality. Equality is giving all an equal chance at whatever prize they are seeking. Equity is putting a thumb on the scale to provide a desired result. One of the problems with this concept is that it relegates the concept of meritocracy to an afterthought. If you pick your NBA team using equity, you might build a diverse team, but it wouldn’t win too many games.

And inclusion. We’d all like to be included — most places. I might love to be included in the greatest law firm in the state, but if I am included but don’t have the temperament to fit in with the work ethic of the firm, I won’t succeed — regardless of the assistance the firm gives me. Perhaps I fit better in a smaller firm, or solo practice. The point is I’m not destined to be included just everywhere.

So, the lesson here is this: People’s actions speak louder than their words, but words are still important; use them wisely. 

(You can reach Mike at: DeaconMike@q.com and listen to him every weekend on Faith On Trial or podcast at https://iowacatholicradio.com/faith-on-trial/)