Underhill
Active Member
Something stated as fact on a message board should be supportable with reliable evidence or testimony from an authoritative source. Eye witness testimony is acceptable in any debate/argument but it can also be challenged as to whether the person is a reliable witness or whether he/she is in error or lying about it.
The same statement copied and repeated endlessly in the media, on message boards, etc. etc. etc. is NOT evidence that the information is correct. The truth of that is multiplied many times over if it is somebody else's opinion that is being copied and repeated endlessly, most especially when it is taken out of context or altered in any way.
And no matter how expert or credible the witness, how authoritative the opinion of the scientific group, how pretty or impressive the chart, graph, or other data used, there is always room to challenge the information, whether there are extenuating circumstances, whether there is motive to present conclusions in a certain way, and whether other facts support what appears to be.
Such is the foundaton of give and take in a formal debate, in a court trial, or in any exploration for the best truth available to us.
The person who wants to get it right is always going to be a much better debater than the person who is happy to just get thanks on his/her post whether he can defend his/her opinion or not.
And the worst debaters are those who are content to attack their opponent and don't care who is right or wrong. Not liking your opponent personally and insulting him/her personally gets you reprimanded in court and on the debate team. It doesn't earn you any points as a competent debater.
Any opinion worth having can be defended on its own merits without having to attack anybody else or his/her opinion. If you can't defend your opinion without referencing somebody else or putting somebody down, it is almost certain to be wrong.
Agreed.