To Those Who Disagree:
I want to take a moment to talk to those of you who will eventually disagree with me (which means everyone because no one will ever agree fully with me on everything, conservative or liberal). There is no topic of discussion that draws out social and public backlash these days like politics, history, and philosophy.
So, before you go any further, I would like to address all of you and give you an idea of where I am coming from. I strive for honesty and transparency in everything I do, and in the interest of that, let me explain what my goals are not and who is welcome as well as who would probably be happiest if they didn’t spend their time reading my content.
The goal here is not to in any way deride those who are believing in whatever is on the opposite side of the article’s presented viewpoint. At times, it can seem as though an attack on a philosophy is a personal attack, particularly when an individual holds dearly to that belief. But the goal is to shed light on the reality of history, philosophy, and politics, not to point fingers at the individuals who do not see things through that lens. It is ideas and ideologies that are on trial, not you.
If you are willing to at least hear the other side out, that is all that I will ask of you. As a Masters student working toward becoming a professor, I come at each article with the mind of a teacher. I’ve been teaching since I was old enough to help my youngest siblings with their school, and I have always loved sharing what knowledge I have gained in the process of studying the topics of interest to me. I dig deep, and I don’t do things halfway, but in turn, I expect something of those that I am sharing that knowledge with. The request I have of you who are going to be the readers of this blog is only the willingness to think, to learn, and to acknowledge that I am a rational human being who probably has more similarities with you than you think.
The cost to you is low, but the gain for both parties when an exchange of information can happen without a blow up or a huge argument just because there happens to be a disagreement is exponentially greater. Nothing comes free, even if you don’t have to pay for it in any physical or monetary way. Knowledge is no different, and if you want to facilitate the open exchange of ideas, you must pay the price that everyone who seeks knowledge and diverse opinions has to pay: a willingness to learn, listen, and take a chance on being shown you’re wrong.
So the price I ask of you is simply this… Come willing to have your opinion changed in the event that we don’t agree, willing to think critically about the evidence and facts presented whether we agree or not, and ready to learn about a perspective that may not be your own. Anyone who is willing to do that is welcome whether they agree or not.
I’m not afraid of a polite discussion or of those who are willing to think critically, present facts, and share opinions based in rationality. I don’t believe anyone else who also wants those things from others should be afraid of discourse on difficult subjects either so long as they are willing to offer the same courtesy in the course of the debate as they propose to ask of their opponent. As such, you are welcome to post questions, opinions, or other comments in the comments section of each post.
However, I will not tolerate crude language or vulgarity, and I will not validate trolls with a response. Any such comment that contains vulgarity and crude language will be deleted. Trolls and those who are clearly uninterested in a rational, polite conversation will be ignored. Furthermore, I will delete comments if the posters are engaging in a pointless argument instead of a useful, polite discussion. Disagreements are allowed. Cat fights are not.
In the end, I cannot–nor will I attempt to–force you accept what I believe and hold to be self-evident or true. If I were to attempt that, I would violate the rights you have to think for yourself, hold your own opinions, and express them in the process of asserting rights that I have no right to. I can only present to you what I firmly hold as truth along with the reasons for why and leave it to you on the faith that you are a rational human being who will at least consider before deciding to discard everything said.
So to those of you who disagree but will keep the discussions productive and cordial, thank you. I want to extend you a very warm welcome! Maybe we’ll never see eye to eye, but I very often find that those I disagree with have more common ground with me than they may at first believe.
Sincerely,
Atlas Rose