Oct 13, 2009

On Saying the Debate is Over

NOconsensus.org has posted a second 2-minute video. This one is titled: On Saying The Debate is Over.



The full text of the film is as follows:

Jack and Jane have a decision to make. Jack thinks they need a new roof. He's worried that, if snowfalls are heavy this year, things will start to leak.

Jane is concerned about the front porch. The wood is rotten in places and she's afraid someone could be hurt if the floor gives way. She thinks they should fix the porch now and do the roof later.

Whose opinion should prevail? There's no magic answer. Their decision will depend on how well each of them can argue their point-of-view. It will rest on what they feel would be easier to cope with: a serious leak or an unsafe floor.

But suppose Jack gets up one morning and declares that "the debate is over." He isn't interested in discussing it anymore. He knows that he is right and Jane is wrong. Whether she likes it or not, he's getting the roof re-done.

Most of us know this isn't the way to sustain a relationship. When someone decides that only their opinion counts, they've stopped being a reasonable person and have become a bully and a tyrant.

It is not OK for one party to declare that "the debate is over."

Not when the discussion is about home repairs. And not when it's about climate change.

See video number one, This Is Not Fair Play

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