Simply stunned....

I am amazed at what passes for debate in the media these days. Instead of listening and dealing with the arguments raised, people simply attack the person speaking (at least the person who would be speaking if the host/moderator gave them a moment to get in a word).

It seems popular culture thinks the loudest voice wins. It doesn't. It seems society thinks that all that is needed to win a debate is to insult your opponent. It's like saying, "My opponent is an idiot. Therefore, he's wrong. He's ugly, too. Fight's over - I win."

I want to point out that even idiots and ugly people are right at least some of the time.

As Helene Cooper (quoting William Safire - a former presedential speechwriter who writes the 'On Language' column for The New York Times Magazine) wrote in the New York Times today: “Here’s the trick: Take your opponent’s argument to a ridiculous extreme, and then attack the extremists. That leaves the opponent to sputter defensively, ‘But I never said that.’

"The telltale indicators that a straw man trick is on the way are the introductory words “there are those who say” or “some say".

“In strawmanese, you never specify who ‘those who’ are,” Mr. Safire said. “They are the hollow scarecrows you set up to knock down.”

If I hear someone else set up a straw man and kick him over and claim the debate is won, I will scream. Or at least turn off the TV......

Back to the Blogosphere

I have taken a big break from blogging, obviously, but I am now back. I do not know how many readers I have....I am not certain that matters. I look forward to sharing more thoughts and insights in the days ahead.

Our Headmaster - Dr. Kirk Walker - said at our convocation this year, "Attempting nothing ensures failure." I have been thinking a great deal about how that truth applies to my life this week. How might it apply to yours?

Please pray for John Chapin. He is a friend recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. He is not a Christian.

More to come later....I need to get some more rest. God bless you all.