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Know about what you speak.
By Arthur Webster of Ask Old Coot
I belong to many debating societies both online and tele-conference. I am very fortunate in that most of the people I debate with are knowledgeable about their subjects or able to stimulate debate by playing Devil's advocate. One of the things that I love about debates is that they are immediate and there is a constant challenge to test your knowledge about subjects against people who are equally knowledgeable and to postulate and try to validate your own theories on the hoof. Sometimes enormous gaffs are made because someone might quote something incorrectly or totally out of context but this is OK because they are soon put right. I also contribute to several forums where the streams are submitted in writing with plenty of time to ensure any facts are checked and accurate rather than what often turn out to be old wives tales, common guestimates or wild exagerations. I have given up on many forums because the constant irritation of avoidable errors becomes insupportable. It is also becoming more and more difficult to offer an alternate view because so many people are not open minded and cringe away from anything that feels uncomfortable instead of asking themselves if the proponent is offering fact or opinion. To be brutal about it, when I get accused (as I have been) of getting my facts wrong when clearly expressing opinion, I have to wonder at the mentality of the accuser. While I am very fortunate in having had a very good education, something denied to most children today, I am often left wondering why people are so afraid of looking from a different angle. If two people are moving a large unwieldy object they have little difficulty in working together to get it to where they want it to be - even if they belong to different tribes or nations. Nowadays it seems to be anathema to be different. The individual must merge into the homologous whole (maybe, on the way, sueing someone for causing them to be 'different' for want of a better or more aposite word). The world would be so much better if open debate, which is granted by our rights to free speech, could actually take place. I don't mind being shown where I am wrong but I object strongly when I am simply told I am wrong with no attenpt to justify the challenge - especially if the teller then retreats in to blue sulk. That is simple bigotry - and there is too much of it. Above all, if you don't have the facts, don't guess. If you do have the facts but they are not startling enough, don't create fiction. |
Ask Old Coot
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Of course, you are totally wrong about this.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Is that a fact or simply your opinion?
Just kidding...I just wanted to see if I could rub you the wrong way with the very first comment
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Dohhhh! Sunday - sense of humour's day off! Your comments are right on the button because some people simply have a monochromatic view of life and should not be allowed to mix with polychromatics like us.
Many words of wisdom, Arthur. Debating is far healthier then combat and given the chance, will reach the same end.
Keep up the good work.
Best wishes.
Frederick
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thanks Frederick, Debate is what keeps the system healthy and helps to reinforce the sense of value and participation of each contributor.
I like the picture of the turtle with North and South America painted on it's back.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
The artist had the Devil's own job getting the creature to stand still long enough for the resulting image to be crisp. The first 4,376 attempts showed distinct speed blurs. The people were easy - Photoshop!
A very good post. Doing your homework well would be very important. You are right that many people don't like being different and don't like to upset the applecart, something I have been guilty of(and proud of) and will continue to do even during my advancing years. Somebody has to have the intestinal fortitudeto say something isn't right, and suggest an alternative course of action. Regards, peter
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
"alternative course of action"? Are you some sort of revolutionary? Next you will be saying that we should be able to tell jokes against each other without being accused of being .......ist or .......phobic. Stand up comedians are very hard to find nowadays and those that you do see will often say "are we allowed to say that" at least once in every joke. I am not visually challenged, I am blind in one eye - and I just love jokes about people with one eye but nobody dare tell them in case someone who thinks I will be offended sues them on my behalf. So, there were these three men from three different countries .......... doesn't really sound like it is going to be a funny story, does it?
A girl had never been to a dance before because she had a prosthetic leg. She finally went to a dance and there was a man there who had one good eye and one wooden eye. He was very sensitive about his wooden eye. He had never asked a girl to dance before but he spotted her and thought she would be happy to get anyone to ask her to dance. So he cautiously approached her and asked her to dance. She replied, "would I !!, Would I!!!"....He promptly pointed to her leg and said, "peg-leg!!, peg-leg!!" I really wish I could get away with telling jokes like this. I'm from the South and really enjoy a good red-neck joke.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thanks for a great joke - my step-brother died last night and I needed something to laugh at! Of course, you must realise that there is no such thing as a red-neck joke so you have now shown yourself to be:-
cripplephobic
imagephobic
dumbphobic
blindphbic Watch out for the deluge of lawyers' letters from all the professional offence takers - they will be queueing to break down your door! Damn! That is a good joke!
If I'm brave enough to try to rub the Old Coot the wrong way on a Sunday Morning, I'm brave enough to take on the trial lawyers. Let'm line up and take a number. I got no assets!!!! (no grammar either)
What happened to your grammar Jim? Did grampappy find someone new and younger?
Arthur,
I'm sorry for your loss. I even told funny stories about my mother at her funeral to my siblings. Laughter is truly the best medicine. I hope you see some joy in your life soon. Remember Annie,"The sun will come out, tomorrow, tomorrow...bet your bottom dollar" I must be the only person in the world that can sing off key in a written post. Jim O
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thanks Jim, As I always say at family funerals (I'm rather boring at them) "If someone had to die, I'm glad it wasn't my turn".
errr - is it all right to say that?
When it is your turn you won't be able to say it. Best to say it when you have the opportunity.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
That is another one of those things that you know without really knowing that you know it.
Reminds me of the tombstone epitaph Pause, stranger, when you pass me by,
For as you are, so once was I.
As I am now, so will you be.
Then prepare unto death, and follow me. Pushing the grass aside a bit more revealed the following scratched on the stone, done with a crude instrument: To follow you I'm not content
Until I know which way you went!
Oh... That's a turtle? So Sunday's the official "sense of humor" day off? Why don't I see it on my calendar?
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Sorry James,
Apparently it is a sad display of journism to treat any day as different to any other.
The committee is currently in session to work out how days can be treated equally while maintaining a satisfactory distinction between them.
The copyright for this content entitled "Know about what you speak." has been specified by the contributor as:
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This content may be copied and distributed (but not modified), as long as the original author is acknowledged with a link back to the content page.
If you use this content according to the license specified, you must link to the following URL:
http://theoldcoot.qondio.com/
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