EDITORIAL- Has hate become the response emotion toward everyone we disagree with or those who may be different than us? Unfortunately for many people, the answer is yes.
Political difference is rarely met with civil discourse these days; it is polarized with contempt, name calling, rhetoric, verbal assault, threats and sometimes violence; in elicit attempts to shut up, drive out, and remove opponents. Serious terms are often hurled in an attempt to silence an opponent; racist, sexist, intolerant.
While I listen respectfully to your opinion, do I or others have the right to disagree and make a case for our position? Are we now governed by mob rule? If you don't get what you want, are those with whom you disagree crooked or incompetent?
Facts are important; decisions are based on fact, not emotion. If you want to properly promote your position, do it with facts. Rumor, innuendo, supposition conjecture, guessing, or even disagreements are not making a case for a tenable position. Claiming that something is illegal doesn't make it so. Saying someone is incompetent doesn't make it so.
Calling someone sexist or racist is a powerful accusation. Accusations should be based on solid evidence, not conjecture. If your purpose is to persuade, put aside innuendo and supposition, and laden your comments with facts that you can substantiate. Accusations without evidence are used to distract from the truth, if your goal is to polarize or destroy or gain some political posture, Accusations not based on any fact are the means of the unscrupulous.
By the way, feel free to disagree with me.
PUBLISHERS NOTE: Mr. Rogers these are very nice thoughts , it is just to bad that you do not believe them. You constantly interrupt people speaking to the board of supervisors and once even threw insults at me when I informed the board they could not vote for their raise in closed session. You are the man that verbally assaulted the 65 year-old female editor of the Chowchilla News when she informed you her paper did not run editorials. These are facts either backed up with board video or police reports. Please practice what you preach. JWP
