Monmouth U. Tries To Bridge Political Divide With Public Talks

WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ — Has the political divide in America gotten too wide?

Monmouth University is trying to fix that, as next month the college will begin a series of public conversations between leading New Jersey Democrats and Republicans.

The first conversation will be March 2 and is open to all to virtually attend. The discussions will be led by Democratic state Sen. Vin Gopal, who represents this area of Monmouth and Ocean counties, and former Republican state Sen. Joe Kyrillos, now retired.

Called "Leadership, Civility and Common Ground in Politics and Public Service," the first talk will launch with a conversation scheduled for 11:40 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 2. Gopal and Kyrillos invited New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D) and Minority Leader Steven Oroho (R) to participate, who confirmed they will be joining. This virtual event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

The first discussion will focus on how civility in public discourse can lead to good public policy and outcomes. Additionally, the two legislative leaders will discuss how they plan to engage with one another in their respective roles.

Monmouth University describes this as "a conversation series aimed at bridging the political divide through civil discourse."

Throughout the series, Sens. Gopal and Kyrillos will invite other public leaders with opposing political views to participate in critical discourse.

“Legislators must talk to and listen to each other to govern effectively,” said Gopal. “Compromise is the crux of our democracy. We have been seeing what happens in Washington when elected leaders refuse to put aside partisan politics and strive for compromise: dysfunctional government driven by party politics instead of the goal of serving the people."

“That is what meaningful political discourse is all about and it’s what made America’s representative democracy the leader and envy of the world," said Kyrillos, a 30-year veteran of the state Legislature, a former Republican state chairman, and past Republican nominee for U.S. Senate.

The series is sponsored by the Office of the President at Monmouth University and supported by the Department of Political Science and Sociology and the University’s Institute for Global Understanding.

“The senators told me they were interested in reaching the next generation of leaders to demonstrate how representatives of opposing political parties can respectfully disagree on policy, but work together for the common good,” said Monmouth University President Patrick Leahy.

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