Searching for the truth

In a way of self-promotion , I offer this post from my blog for your consideration . Comments welcome , of course .
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Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Searching for the Truth

" I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts. "
Abraham Lincoln
16th president of US (1809 - 1865)


I quote Lincoln here because the American people need the truth now , more than ever . Yesterday's 9-11 memorials , the ABC docudrama , and President Bush's speech last night caused me and many to ask ; Are we getting the truth ?

If you read my ramblings here you see that I think we are , but the reality is that many Americans are not . Just this morning I heard that the campus newspaper at The University of Houston ( where my son just enrolled as a junior ) offered as counterpoint to the ABC movie , a free viewing of Fahrenheit 911 . The reasoning was that students need to see a balance of viewpoints . I will agree that this is true
, but I wonder how many students are encouraged by Academia to accept F-911 as the truth , rather than an opportunity to weigh the "facts" presented by both sides in the matter . Many of the students get their news only from the campus paper , and might be misled .

Debate and discussion is essential to Democracy ; they are cornerstones of freedom ! Curious people must be willing to think , to venture , and to express themselves as they discuss issues with classmates and family . Clear thinking is required so that as discussion continues , understanding increases . Clear thinking about what is to be said results in better understanding in the mind of the speaker and the listener . Reactions from the people addressed are a way of testing one's own ideas . Many a position has changed after due consideration and clear thought preceding discussion and debate . Spouting a hard line talking point from either side without reseach and consideration is fatally flawed . Both sides must be understood in the beginning , that is why debate classes require debaters to argue both sides of a question . It may not be done this way now , but years ago debaters had to prepare to debate from yay or nay , and did not know until the beginning which argument they would have to take in the debate .

I think Bush was spot on with his speech last night and covered all the bases as he wove the present into the past while memorializing 9-11 .