Rotary's Four-Way Test and Watergate

SOURCE:  "Letters to the Editor:  The Relevant Questions" by Terry L. Gilbert; The Rotarian; August 2019; page 6

KEYWORD:  truth, ethics, questions, character, Rotary

COMMENTS:  If more people asked these questions, there would be fewer scandals.  

I was pleased to see the article by Joseph Epstein in the May issue, "The Four-Way Test in a Post-Truth Era."  After reading it, I located the text of a speech given by John Dean, who served under President Richard Nixon and whose testimony helped spur Nixon to resign in 1974. (Nixon was an honorary Rotarian.)

Dean addressed the District 5670 (Kansas) conference in May 2003.  In his speech, he applied The Four-Way Test to Watergate and the Iraq War.  He summed up the reliability of The Four-Way Test this way:  "Truth, fairness, friendliness, and community assistance are timeless necessities."

Dean said, "The key to this test is not necessarily the answers to the questions.  Rather it is what asking the questions forces you to do -- to think."

He concluded, "I am going to tell you without fear of contradiction that had those of us in the Nixon White House who were involved in Watergate stopped to apply The Four-Way Test--even if only occasionally--there would have been no Watergate.  In short, The Four-Way Test works."

As one who has been stressed almost daily in our post-truth era, I welcome the courage of The Rotarian to print Epstein's article.  I intend to use The Four-Way Test as I judge the actions, speeches, and proposals of U.S. officeholders as they seek my vote and support.