Trading Places , Seeing Faces

Since this week's readings featured applying some large concepts to real-life situations--i.e., kairos to the Gov George Ryan ruling upon departure and stasis theory to questions of abortion legitimacy--I thought it might be interesting to try switching up the situations and see how each theory may respond to the new situation. In the chapter on kairos, the 2003 episode where Dan Ryan used his gubernatorial authority to absolve all of the Illinois death row prisoners from their original sentences, reducing their those terms to life in prison or less, before leaving office in disgrace. The chapter explains that though normally Ryan wouldn't have been able to make this move because such a liberal move would have torpedoed his Republican re-election campaign, the fact that he was facing an immanent impeachment from his position no matter what he did or didn't do provided him with the "kairos" to make this decision. Now what if the stasis theory is applied to this same situation? On one hand, Ryan is abusing his power as a lame duck, making personal decision based on his own principles and values and not of the people who voted him into office, who supposedly represents. This is a selfish move. On the other hand, as acting governor (at the moment anyway, it is Ryan's duty to what he believes is in the best interest of all his state, not just the ones who elected him and not because he hopes that they might elect him again. This is a responsible move... that has been made easier by the fact that he can't be re-elected. Applying the four questions of the Stasis Theory to the situation the conjecture could be: does this gubernatorial act merit extra examination? Definition: what kind of action is this? Can it be enacted unilaterally as a regular function of the office? Quality: is this action illegal or amoral? Policy: Should this action be publicly accepted or rejected? Another scenario originally feature Stasis Theory is one of specialized Illinois license plates featuring the words "Pro Life" that would be used to raise money for a state adoption agency. The Stasis Theory here states that on one hand, Adoption advocates argue that not supporting these plates means not supporting adoption; while on the other hand, Pro-Choice supporters claim that this is a convoluted ploy used by Pro-Life advocates to force their beliefs upon anyone not wanting to discriminate against adoption regardless of their feelings toward abortion. When the question of kairos is applied, one could either say that Pro-Life supporters are view this situation where not buying one of their sloganed license plate infers not supporting adoption as a kairotic situation to push--at least superficially--their beliefs. From an adoption advocate's perspective this is also a kairotic situation because it is a chance to raise a lot of money for adoption by appealing to a big market--Pro Life supporters.

Stasis Theory states that there are always two sides of an argument that should be respected.