"If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing, and talk by the hour?"
- Thomas Jefferson
About this Quote
This quote, attributed to Thomas Jefferson, describes the tendency of Congress to participate in endless discussion, discussion, and discussion, a lot of which totals up to "talking for the sake of speaking." Jefferson recommends that this is not unexpected given the makeup of Congress, which is composed primarily of legal representatives whose training and career involve examining every little thing and also promoting in support of their customers. Lawyers are educated to say both sides of a problem and also to resist concession, which can make it difficult for Congress to reach agreement or take decisive action. Jefferson implies that Congress would be a lot more effective if it were composed of people with more diverse backgrounds and experience, as opposed to mostly lawyers.
"The opportunity to create a small world between two pieces of cardboard, where time exists yet stands still, where people talk and I tell them what to say, is exciting and rewarding"
"We have our own history, our own language, our own culture. But our destiny is also tied up with the destinies of other people - history has made us all South Africans"
"Creating the kind of connections between people that lead to collective civic action, political expression, community dialogue, shared cultural experiences"
"We worked very hard to make the lyrics suit the music. I can't, like Elton John, for example, compose by lyrics. Elton has a great talent for that. Whatever you give him, including your questions, he composes in half an hour and makes a great song out of it"
