As indicated in my previous post, compromise seems no longer to be an option for the politicians leading our country; at least until the decision makers are backed into a corner. First, let’s define what we mean by compromise. I like this one.
“an ability to listen to two sides in a dispute, and devise a compromise acceptable to both”
A recent decision by the House Republicans not to support an Immigration Bill that was passed by the Senate, brought this issue to the forefront. After months of negotiation, a bi-partisan compromise was reached and passed by the Senate. When presented with the Bill, the leader of the House said that the bill was “dead on arrival”. Why? Because Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump did not want the bill to be passed. Why? Because he wanted to use the immigration issue to help him be elected.
Ironic to hear DT talk about Biden trying to destroy democracy!
Many Republicans stated that the Bill contained several provisions that they have been advocating for. So rather that pass a bill that would have been a big step towards getting a handle on the immigration issue, House Republicans chose not to take action and instead bowed to the wishes on one man. The only reason brought forth was that the bill did not go far enough. The fact that this played out in the National media makes it even more absurd. It was so obvious what happened. What can we do about this?
I believe that our political landscape to merely be a reflection of our collective self. Based on this premise, I would advocate that we look hard at ourselves first. Do we compromise in our daily interactions with others? Do we consider the effects of our actions have on those around us and/or the greater good of the larger group? How can we expect those we have elected to lead us uphold values that we ourselves do not? I would venture to say that if the greater majority of us upheld the values of compromise and lived our lives thinking more about the community rather than self, that we would demand such from our politicians.
Most of us are presented with opportunities to practice the art of compromise every day. It is not easy. It implies that we are not going to get everything we want. But at the end of the day, our sense of community is always strengthened; we all benefit. Everyone is provided the opportunity to be heard and potentially understood.
Democracy is not getting what we want all the time. Democracy is the freedom to express our view points and having the ability to express our views at the ballot box. Democracy is living by majority opinion. Compromise means that we may not always agree with what the majority decides.