A Letter I Won't Send the Strib
Why? Because there is no way that letters editor Tim O'Brien (an amazing guy) would let it through unscathed. Call me paranoid, but I am convinced he'd edit it to make me look moon-batty.
Here:
I have a very serious request for 97% of the left-leaning letter-writers to the Star-Tribune. Before you write again, take a week off and investigate - with some openness - a remarkable phenomenon known as "the other side."
There are a great many magazines and on-line journals available. You could start, say, with the on-line version of National Review, where you'll find serious people thinking (if you can believe it) in a completely different way than you do. It's amazing! You may scoff, and say you'll only disagree, but the thing is you will also stumble on points and perspectives that you have never, ever considered. Doesn't that sound intellectual and searching, like you all definitely, absolutely no doubt, are?
There's only one rule: you have to give it a chance. You can't only go looking for the first sliver of hole in an argument that frees you to go galloping off shouting, "Fascists!"
Why do this? Actually I have selfish reasons. Mainly, it would be so great if you would start writing letters that would not cause me to press both fists against my temples and clench my teeth and thump my head repeatedly on the breakfast table, startling the cat. Call it a little dream I have.
Paul S.
Here:
I have a very serious request for 97% of the left-leaning letter-writers to the Star-Tribune. Before you write again, take a week off and investigate - with some openness - a remarkable phenomenon known as "the other side."
There are a great many magazines and on-line journals available. You could start, say, with the on-line version of National Review, where you'll find serious people thinking (if you can believe it) in a completely different way than you do. It's amazing! You may scoff, and say you'll only disagree, but the thing is you will also stumble on points and perspectives that you have never, ever considered. Doesn't that sound intellectual and searching, like you all definitely, absolutely no doubt, are?
There's only one rule: you have to give it a chance. You can't only go looking for the first sliver of hole in an argument that frees you to go galloping off shouting, "Fascists!"
Why do this? Actually I have selfish reasons. Mainly, it would be so great if you would start writing letters that would not cause me to press both fists against my temples and clench my teeth and thump my head repeatedly on the breakfast table, startling the cat. Call it a little dream I have.
Paul S.
posted by Lonesome Payne at
12:53 PM
