Ms. Sondra Myers:
The Role of the University in Civil Discourse
What worries me about the present situation in our nation is that what poses as politics is really a non-politics, an absolutism that does not lead to solutions but to stagnation.
Mr. David Shribman:
There is a wonderful story involving Tip O’Neill calling in a young congressman before a vote on some issue. And he says to young Congressman Murray, John, I really need your vote on this. And Congressman Murray, still starry eyed, looks up at the Speaker and says, well, Mr. Speaker, you know, I’m with you when you’re right. And the Speaker says, John, when I’m right, I don’t need you.
“What worries me about the present situation in our nation is that what poses as politics is really a nonpolitics, an absolutism that does not lead to solutions but to stagnation.” Sondra Myers
Ms. Sondra Myers:
Dr. Murray, would you like to say something about this?
Dr. John Murray:
When I think of compromise, I think of a concept called agreement. I teach contract law. And I think we make agreements with each other all the time, some of which are legally enforceable, but many agreements are not legally enforceable. I think there’s compromise between friends, between spouses. There are compromises in families. There are compromises that are made daily. I think the question is from whence does the compromise arise? Does it arise out of rational thought? Does it arise out a sense of let’s try to solve this problem together. I have a solution; you have a solution, et cetera.
There are different solutions. If both solutions are within the Aristotelian zone of reasonableness, then there isn’t much argument. But the fact of the matter is that we don’t care about rational thought anymore. It’s not a question of solving the problem. It’s a question of winning. I’m going to win the argument regardless.
Judge D. Brooks Smith:
What if the compromise is about money? What if the compromise is primarily about nothing more than money? I remember reading, when I was a student, a wonderful little book by a British political scientist by the name of Bernard Crick who recounted the story of a citizen asking
“We don’t care about rational thought anymore. It’s not a question of solving the problem. It’s a question of winning.” Dr. John Murray
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