PRESENTED BY IRA A. LIPMAN
HONORARY CHAIRMAN
NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS
CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT
GUARDSMARK, INC.
TO THE ANNUAL NCCJ BROTHERHOOD DINNER
AIRPORT MARRIOTT HOTEL
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
MAY 7, 1992

THANK YOU. IT’S AN HONOR TO BE HERE TONIGHT. AS NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF NCCJ, I ATTENDED BROTHERHOOD DINNERS ALL ACROSS THE NATION AND I WAS ALWAYS MOVED BY THE SIGHT OF SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER IN SUCH A GOOD CAUSE.
WHAT IS THAT CAUSE?
IT IS NOTHING LESS THAN THE PRESERVATION OF AMERICA-OF OUR WAY OF LIFE-OF THE WAY WE IDENTIFY, APPROACH, AND SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT.
OUR FOCUS ON INTER-RACIAL, INTER-RELIGIOUS, AND INTER-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING AND TOLERATION IS THE MEANS WE USE TO ENSURE THAT OUR SOCIETY REMAINS A COMMUNITY WITH COMMON INTERESTS, AND NOT A MERE COLLECTION OF GROUPS THAT RECOGNIZE AND PURSUE ONLY THEIR OWN INTERESTS.
ETHNIC GROUPS WILL HAVE POINTS OF CONFLICT. THAT IS INEVITABLE. BUT THE GENIUS OF THE AMERICAN SYSTEM IS THAT IN THE LONG RUN THE CLASH OF SEPARATE INTERESTS CREATES PROGRESS FOR ALL.
THE SYSTEM WORKS ONLY SO LONG AS EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS AND RESPECTS THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED. THE DESIRE FOR FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE IS INGRAINED IN THE AMERICAN CHARACTER. AND WHATEVER THE REALITY MAY BE, WHEN PEOPLE PERCEIVE THAT THEY ARE NOT TREATED FAIRLY AND THAT THEY CANNOT GET JUSTICE, THE SYSTEM BREAKS DOWN-AS IT DID SO RECENTLY IN LOS ANGELES AND OTHER CITIES.
HAS WATCHED RECENT TRENDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. HATE CRIMES ARE INCREASING. SYNAGOGUES ARE AGAIN THE TARGET OF BIGOTS. INCIDENTS OF RACISM AND ETHNIC CONFLICT ARE ON THE RISE. FROM DAVID DUKE TO LOUIS FARRAKHAN, DEMAGOGUES ARE AGAIN SPREADING THEIR POISON AND GAINING FOLLOWERS.
MUCH OF THE DISCONTENT COMES FROM A MISUNDERSTANDING OF OUR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEM. GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS SEE OUR ECONOMY AS A ZERO-SUM GAME, WHERE ONE CAN GAIN ONLY WHAT SOMEONE ELSE LOSES.
OR THEY SEE IT AS A RAFT DEBATE WITH THE WINNERS ALREADY DECIDED.
ASSUME A BOAT HAS SUNK IN MID-OCEAN AND FIVE PEOPLE HAVE SURVIVED. BUT THEIR RAFT IS ONLY BIG ENOUGH FOR FOUR. THE SURVIVORS-WHO MIGHT INCLUDE A MINISTER, AN ARTIST, A LAWYER, AN ENGINEER, AND AN ECONOMIST-ENGAGE IN A DEBATE, MAKING THE BEST CASE THEY CAN FOR WINNING A PLACE ON THE RAFT.
THE MINISTER MIGHT ARGUE THAT A COMMUNITY WITHOUT RELIGION IS NOT WORTH SAVING IN ANY CASE. THE ARTIST MIGHT SAY THAT ART IS WHAT SEPARATES THE HUMAN RACE FROM THE LOWER ANIMALS, AND THAT A COMMUNITY WITHOUT ART IS NOTHING MORE THAN A ZOO WITHOUT WALLS,
THE LAWYER MIGHT ARGUE THAT A COMMUNITY NEEDS LAWYERS BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM THERE CAN BE NO JUSTICE, NO RIGHTS, AND NO SECURITY. THE ENGINEER WOULD BE LIKELY TO MAKE A MORE PRACTICAL ARGUMENT, THAT HE DESERVES A PLACE ON THE RAFT BECAUSE A COMMUNITY MUST HAVE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO BUILD MACHINES AND MAKE THINGS WORK.
EXIST WITHOUT AN ECONOMIST TO DESIGN AN EFFICIENT MEANS OF CREATING AND DISTRIBUTING WEALTH, AND MANAGING A COMPLEX FINANCIAL SYSTEM.
WHICH ONE OF THESE EDUCATED, INTELLIGENT, VALUED MEMBERS OF SOCIETY SHALL BE DECLARED EXPENDABLE AND LEFT TO DIE?
A RAFT DEBATE IS AN INTERESTING LEARNING EXPERIENCE. IT FORCES YOU TO DEFINE WHAT YOU MEAN BY COMMUNITY, TO DECIDE WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD SOCIETY, TO EXAMINE WHAT YOU MEAN BY INDIVIDUAL WORTH AND SOCIAL VALUE. IT IS A USEFUL INTELLECTUAL EXERCISE, AT LEAST IN PART BECAUSE WE DO NOT REALLY LEAVE THE LOSER TO SINK OR SWIM.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP COMES TO BELIEVE THAT OUR SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC SYSTEM REALLY IS A KIND OF RAFT DEBATE?
COMPARED TO THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, THE WAY THEY PRAY, OR WHERE THEY COME FROM?
THE INCREASING BELIEF OF MANY THAT THERE IS NO PLACE FOR THEM IN OUR SOCIETY IS A THREAT TO OUR ENTIRE WAY OF LIFE.
AS LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY, IT IS UP TO US TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS-AND WE MUST ALSO ENSURE IT IS TRUE-THAT OUR SOCIETY IS NOT A RAFT.
THAT TO SHARE IS NOT TO SHRINK.
AND THAT NO ONE IS EXPENDABLE.
OF THE BANQUET TABLE, TO WHICH ALL OF US HAVE BEEN INVITED. WE WERE NOT INVITED BECAUSE OF OUR INTELLIGENCE, OR EDUCATION, OR BUSINESS SUCCESS, OR THE ELEGANCE OF OUR TABLE MANNERS.
WE WERE INVITED BECAUSE WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD. WHO IS SO BOLD AS TO TELL THE HOST THAT IT’S TIME TO BOLT THE DOORS, THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TO GO AROUND, THAT THOSE PEOPLE OUTSIDE HAVE LOST THEIR INVITATIONS, OR DID NOT DESERVE THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE, OR WILL EMBARRASS US WITH THEIR LACK OF ETIQUETTE?
BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD BAR THE DOOR, WHO ARGUE FOR EXCLUSION, WHO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR ADVANTAGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR DIVERSITY.
OVER THE WORLD, WHO CAME TO THESE SHORES IN SEARCH OF JUSTICE, FREEDOM, OPPORTUNITY, AND A BETTER LIFE.
THE INTERPLAY OF DIFFERENT CUSTOMS, RACES, LANGUAGES, RELIGIONS, AND NATIONALITIES IS ONE OF THE BASES OF OUR DYNAMIC POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS. THE INTERWEAVING OF THESE DIFFERENT BUT COMPLEMENTARY STRANDS IS WHAT MAKES OUR SOCIAL FABRIC SO UNIQUE IN ITS STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE.
NCCJ DESERVES OUR SUPPORT ON MORAL GROUNDS, BECAUSE IT RECOGNIZES ALL PEOPLE AS CHILDREN OF GOD AND DEFENDS THEIR RIGHT TO FREEDOM, JUSTICE, AND FAIRNESS.
ALL ARE CREATED EQUAL AND IT ACTS TO ENSURE THAT ALL ARE TREATED AS EQUAL.
AND IT DESERVES OUR SUPPORT AS BUSINESSMEN AND BUSINESSWOMEN, BECAUSE WE CANNOT SEPARATE THE VITALITY OF OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM FROM THE DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL SYSTEM ON WHICH IT IS FOUNDED.
NCCJ HELPS PRESERVE OUR SOCIAL SYSTEM AND DEMOCRACY BY INSISTING ON THE VALUES OF FAIRNESS, JUSTICE, AND DIVERSITY.
AND BY PRESERVING OUR SOCIAL AND POLITICAL WAY OF LIFE, NCCJ STRENGTHENS FREE ENTERPRISE, WHICH ALLOWS EVERYONE-GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY-TO RISE TO THE LEVEL OF HIS OR HER EXCELLENCE.
CREATED THE GREATEST ECONOMIC ENGINE THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN. WE SURVIVED THE GREAT DEPRESSION, TWO WORLD WARS, AN OIL EMBARGO, AND THE THREAT OF COMMUNISM. FROM THE COMMUNIST SYSTEM, WE LEARNED THAT WITHOUT FREE ENTERPRISE, THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY.
BUT WE MUST ALSO REMEMBER THAT WITHOUT OPPORTUNITY, THERE CAN BE NO FREE ENTERPRISE.
WE ARE NO LONGER THREATENED BY ANY EXTERNAL FORCE. WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR FROM ANY HOSTILE POLITICAL THEORY OR COMPETING SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. TODAY IT IS ONCE AGAIN TRUE -AS IT WAS 60 YEARS AGO-THAT THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF.
WAKING TO FIND THAT THE AMERICAN DREAM IS JUST A DREAM WITH NO REALITY-GROWS GREATER WITH CHANGES IN THE FLOW OF IMMIGRATION. PEOPLE WHO FEEL THEY ARE JUST MANAGING TO CLING TO THE RAFT THINK THEY ARE BEING DISPLACED BY NEW AMERICANS WHO HAVE NO CLAIM ON THE OPPORTUNITY THIS NATION OFFERS.
WE NOW MUST MEET THE DIFFICULT CHALLENGE OF INTEGRATING LARGE NUMBERS OF THESE NEW IMMIGRANTS INTO OUR SOCIAL FABRIC. MANY OF THEM SPEAK NO ENGLISH, HAVE NO DEMOCRATIC TRADITION, AND COME FROM RELATIVELY HOMOGENEOUS SOCIETIES.
MANY OF THEM ARE NOT WELCOMED TO THE UNITED STATES WITH THE BOLD SENTIMENTS ENGRAVED ON THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, BUT WITH FEAR AND RESENTMENT-CAUSED BY THE BELIEF THAT THESE NEW IMMIGRANTS WILL TAKE AWAY JOBS OR PRACTICE STRANGE CUSTOMS.
ENEMIES WE NOW MUST TURN TO FACE-THE INTERNAL ENEMIES OF INJUSTICE, FEAR, ANGER, AND VIOLENCE-THAT REPRESENT THE ONLY REMAINING THREAT TO OUR WAY OF LIFE.
THAT IS WHY NCCJ IS SO VITAL TODAY. BECAUSE WE MUST NOT LEAVE THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE TO DEMAGOGUES AND HATE-MONGERS. WE MUST COUNTER IGNORANCE WITH ENLIGHTENMENT, MISTRUST WITH INSIGHT, AND MISUNDERSTANDING WITH KNOWLEDGE.
NCCJ IS AN INSURANCE POLICY FOR THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM-A GUARANTEE THAT CIVIL ORDER, DEMOCRACY, WALL STREET, AND THE AMERICAN DREAM DO NOT FALL PREY TO THE FORCES OF ANARCHY.
AMERICA HAS TO OFFER. AND TODAY NCCJ IS STILL WORKING TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD FOR ALL OF US-BLACK AND WHITE; RED AND YELLOW; PROTESTANT, CATHOLIC, JEW, AND MUSLIM; THE HINDU AND THE BUDDHIST; THOSE WITH THE MOST TO GAIN AND THOSE WITH THE LEAST TO LOSE.
THE CONFERENCE IS BOTH A LEGACY FROM OUR PAST AND A PROMISE TO OUR FUTURE, THAT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN’S CHILDREN WILL FOREVER LIVE FREE-THAT THEIR WORLD WILL BE BETTER THAN OURS- THAT THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT FOR OTHERS WILL BE A TRIBUTE TO OUR MEMORY-AND THAT THEY TOO WILL LIVE IN A NATION THAT GREATLY REWARDS THE GREATEST EFFORT AND PUTS A PREMIUM ON EXCELLENCE.
THANK YOU.