What's Wrong With Education?
I don't watch much newsmedia any longer. It's all to biased and noisy. Most of my information I get from reading a variety of sources and then I form my own opinion. One person I do occasionally watch is Rachel Maddow. I like her because whatever she reports on, she will cite the sources in the show notes or on her own blog.
That's something that seems to be missing from discussions of late; the ability to cite a source. Somewhere, somehow when people were in school they didn't learn how to debate. The idea is you make your point or share your opinion and back it up with sources that helped you arrive at that opinion, or that list the facts that you are asserting.
I first noticed it several years back when a woman in discussion with friends of mine would say "look it up" when we asked for her sources. We'd try to explain to her - no, you give us your source. Her answer would be "well you want to know, so you go look it up." I honestly believe she thought that "just because I said so, I don't have to tell you why" proved her point.
I've seen it more and more, but the most egregious example came over the last few days when a man insisted that President Obama had said something to the effect of "No matter what spending bill the Republicans send me, I will veto it." He was asked for hos source. His answer was "go search for it." When people pressed him that this is not how it works, he demanded $20,000 cash to look for his sources.
That's something that seems to be missing from discussions of late; the ability to cite a source. Somewhere, somehow when people were in school they didn't learn how to debate. The idea is you make your point or share your opinion and back it up with sources that helped you arrive at that opinion, or that list the facts that you are asserting.
I first noticed it several years back when a woman in discussion with friends of mine would say "look it up" when we asked for her sources. We'd try to explain to her - no, you give us your source. Her answer would be "well you want to know, so you go look it up." I honestly believe she thought that "just because I said so, I don't have to tell you why" proved her point.
I've seen it more and more, but the most egregious example came over the last few days when a man insisted that President Obama had said something to the effect of "No matter what spending bill the Republicans send me, I will veto it." He was asked for hos source. His answer was "go search for it." When people pressed him that this is not how it works, he demanded $20,000 cash to look for his sources.
What?
You are asserting something as a fact and you cannot be bothered to provide a simple link to a source?
The answer, of course, is he likely heard it or something similar on a right-wing television or radio station. And they never provide sources.
This is why central education standards are so important and there should be more money devoted to our education system. I'm not saying it to turn all people "left wing" but they need to learn critical thinking and how to cite sources in a simple debate or argument.
Our citizens who talk like the people above are what are making us the laughing stock of the world. The great nation with people who can't even hold their own in an argument. Of course, they surround themselves with people who are like them and only care about what you "heard" and not where you heard it or in what context it was.
Their "talking points" and "facts" are no different than neighborhood gossip.
You are asserting something as a fact and you cannot be bothered to provide a simple link to a source?
The answer, of course, is he likely heard it or something similar on a right-wing television or radio station. And they never provide sources.
This is why central education standards are so important and there should be more money devoted to our education system. I'm not saying it to turn all people "left wing" but they need to learn critical thinking and how to cite sources in a simple debate or argument.
Our citizens who talk like the people above are what are making us the laughing stock of the world. The great nation with people who can't even hold their own in an argument. Of course, they surround themselves with people who are like them and only care about what you "heard" and not where you heard it or in what context it was.
Their "talking points" and "facts" are no different than neighborhood gossip.
Critical thinking... ah, what a concept.
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