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Nov. 25, 2005 Like the mind and life expanding drug known as 'spice' from the Dune books, movie, and TV-series , and like the oil from the Middle East, the debate/rebuttal articles must flow! Twice I considered sending this, and twice I refrained. Not that it's controversial or super special or anything of the sort, I just figured that now might not be the best time for this kind of thing, given that we want to cooperate on the changes we want to make at UK. But with the addition of several recent articles, I've changed my mind. I'm a liberal-flip-flopper like that. I've written about this before, and I'll likely write about it again. Repetition isn't all bad, is it? It's not as if any of us can expect someone new or a “passer by” to read every article we've ever written, so it makes sense to restate some of your opinions at a place like this. Jumping right in, what's wrong with a heated debate article? A touch of fire often makes reading them more enjoyable. Why must anger be a suppressed emotion, at a site of writers? Isn't writing an art? Why cover up the nipples on the statue just because they might offend someone? Most people probably wouldn't like it much if we got rid of everything that offends me... Would anyone bother to protest the Iraq war if they weren't a little hot under the collar? Emotion moves people, and anger is as valid as any. I found this site because I read several pieces by an author here and it boiled my blood. Don't we all laugh when comedians insult celebs, leaders, or even ethnic groups? Isn't it positive when mixed audiences laugh together over racial stereotypes? Perhaps a good thing about Ron's writing is that he attacks everyone, not just those on his religious/political side of the “debate fence”. But Ron didn't start this back and forth exchange. That probably started long before proto-man could think clearly. Ever since I arrived here there have been these UK-wars, and I've followed most all of them with interest. Sometimes, I was in the middle, and sometimes, I was Swiss, as our most prolific writer, Michael John McCrae, became for a short time recently. Meril recently wrote a heated article herself, complaining about heated articles - how ironic. She likely felt justified in doing so, I'm sure - again, how ironic (don't we all?). She called other writers immature; basically, Meril found an issue that made her hot enough to enter the fray, as it were, in the fine UK tradition. She asked some authors to grow up. I don't refer to Meril when I ask this, but, what about holding grudges and being easily insulted? Isn't that childish? Why are some still upset that Ron Lewis wrote “mean” articles? Ron attacked me as well at times, and we have a friendly email correspondence going these days. I could hold a grudge, but hey, what can I say, I'm an adult. Meril mentioned names in her piece. For some people, this is an “important” distinction. Writing that kind of article is just fine, as long as persons aren't singled out. Why? Who made up that rule? That's as silly as suggesting that this sentence, “It stinks, it really smells like c$*p!” is somehow better or more evolved than this sentence, “It stinks, it really smells like crap!” This is why I don't allow my children to use words like freaking, frelling, fracin', fudging, screwin', etc. Surely vowels and certain letters aren't “special”? It's the thought that counts. Peg also was heated enough to write an article about the same topic, she also crossed that “special line” and mentioned Ron directly. Horrors! Peg, like Meril, found an issue that moved her to express herself using the written word. Is that a bad thing? Maybe others just have more issues that they get worked up about? If debate articles ruin an otherwise relaxing evening for someone, then, well, don't read them. Why step in the mud puddle and complain about wet feet? Why not just step over the puddle? Mac has said in some of his articles that if certain lines are crossed, that he feels compelled to respond, sometimes in an angry fashion. The same goes for me – Fred Smith need not be specifically slandered; if liberals are called unpatriotic, treasonous liars often enough, or, when pseudoscience is presented as real science, I tend to get heated enough to write about it, dropping any other idea or work in progress. I have yet to see an honest to goodness, pure, unwarranted, character assassination article at UK. Everything is relative; I've called other writers racists. To me, certain statements did in fact sound racist. I've called some writers loons. To me, they were loony. Some writers seem deficient in basic writing skills, and that upsets some writers more than others. I've been called a few things myself, some warranted. I have email exchanges with most everyone that I've ever insulted (intentionally or not) or been insulted by, most are friendly, some are merely cordial. Isn't that truly positive? Isn't that acting all grown-up, that folks can let each other know they are angered or passionate about certain issues, yet, co-exist anyway? Isn't that what's needed in any family? Why not tell that annoying uncle that he's annoying when he's annoying? After all, that's precisely what Meril and Peg did. Everyone's views of what's annoying is different and that's a good thing. Of course news sites don't ignore us just because we engage in this kind of thing – the “pro's” do it all the time and get paid handsomely for it. Blogs are notorious for this kind of thing. If the content of a debate article is written well and sound, then it's not a lesser thing, in my opinion. People may sound as if they are "passing judgment" on each other, but they have no power to enforce this, so what difference does it really make? Lets say that Keyes judges Siluk to be an inferior writer - what of it? Neither has the power to really harm the other. If during the course of their disagreement the rest of learn something, isn't that a good thing? Thanksgiving is about traditions, and these kind of harsh-debate articles are tradition here in the UK family. ------------ About the author Frederick Smith: I enjoy writing about the positive virtues of humanism - humanists are the good guys. I now have a blog that I will start to increasingly maintain and update. Here is the link: fredsuberview.blogspot.com/ This is my second foray into the UK writing discordia. This time around, I want to be a tad more raw - maybe a bit edgier (does that sound "art-see"?) Maybe I'll address even more issues that most Americans consider taboo... About my personal background and life: I was born, I got some education, worked, ate, and had some kids. It seems I like to write � something that was unknown to me until relatively recently...How's that for detail? ;) Hate mail is welcome unless you are from the Army Of God. Please! It's not that I mind seeing pictures of aborted fetuses in my inbox, but once you've seen one you've pretty much seen them all... Email: dahlek65@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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