A Start of Something

As a reasonably educated, well informed (and frequently angry) US citizen, I have a history of reacting to political discourse. In this way I'm probably not much different from any other reasonable, educated, and informed person. However, what I find most interesting are the ways in which my reactions to political news and events have changed over the course of the last five or six years. I am a reasonably talented debater and debate coach. As such, a need for logical discourse has historically clashed with a need to cleanse the world of ignorant (frequently rude) rhetoric. The thing is, years ago I would have tied the trite bullshit I frequently read on social media (and shamefully often on mainstream media) with specific political beliefs. Fox news has done nothing helpful in this respect. That being said, after interactions with incredibly intelligent people on both sides of the political aisle, I finally found it in myself to start this blog. I find myself valuing the complexity of the discussions we as a society need to have more than the answers themselves. In fact, I'm of the opinion that claiming to have the answers is one of the most destructive hindrances to modern societal progress. So no, I don't have answers. I will do my best in this blog to formulate a conclusion based on the evidence I have. I will always be excited to hear new evidence and review my positions and even my convictions. Finally, despite my political leanings, while I may not always seem to have respect for individuals representing certain ideas, I will always have respect for those who respect the complexity of the issues we all have to face. Post 1, 9/17/2012 Chris