The tradition of the Scapegoat dates back in ancient Jewish tradition where are pair of fine goats were taken to the temple.  The first goat was first offered as a blood sacrifice and the second goat was collared with a red scarf and sent into the desert symbolically carrying away the sins of a repentant community. I have heard that we are scapegoating our public servants. But what we are doing to Dr. Fauci and other former public servants is retribution outside of Jewish spirituality or any other spiritual tradtion.  In solemn practice the  Jewish community was very aware that over the course of a year, many smaller and larger sins are going to be committed in their community. There is not a community on planet earth where the fallibility of humans is not a factual reality.  To offset the human condition of imperfection, these  communities performed the Scapegoat ceremonies at the great expense of two fine goats to show regret and a desire to do better. 

While it is true the current American administration is collaring our public servants with figurative scarves of assigned guilt and trying to send them if not out into the reputational desert then jail, the similarity to the Scapegoat ceremony ends there. This President and his community of acolytes have no sense of guilt or regret to atone, but rather stand aside from the American community to  live in insulated righteousness.  The January 6 crimes track right back to this administration with graphic documentation, but never have I heard regret and desire for atonement.  Is this self awareness of one’s errors, crimes, and sins important?  Yes it is.  Nothing on this planet may be more important right now.

Modest Proposal for Guilt

I might feel better if the community that trashed our Capital, killed and injured Capital police, and broke nations proud tradition of nonviolent succession were to make the sacrifice of purchasing two brand new top of the line Tesla’s from their combined finances.  They could  burn one of them on the spot and send the other self-driving Tesla carrying a red banner to Death Valley to drive itself to empty to rust away in the wasteland.  If they paired that expensive self funded ritual with full regret, ask for forgiveness to the damage done to our nation and finally atone, promising to live better lives, I might even consider forgiveness.  But that is not happening.  People in fired up crowds make life bending decisions that turn out to be tragic mistakes. Lets look back in time for a model for genuine atonement and regret. We need to look not a few years back, but several centuries. Let us who make errors, committed sins large and small, regret and repent and use the wisdom of the soul to repair ourselves and our community.  That would be good.