Last week we discussed how overwhelming today’s 'Information Age' can be. While having access to multiple data and points of view is a tremendous convenience, sifting through all this information is a tremendous challenge. Finding those reliable sources that provide accurate information is difficult. No matter what the source, most information we receive will have a certain bias to it. Call it 'spin' or whatever–this is the environment in which we live.
That is why it is so important to find original sources whenever possible. We do not need most things interpreted for us. Rather, we are intelligent enough to digest information, apply our intellect and experience and make decisions for ourselves, keeping in mind that passion and love for the truth must prevail even when it contradicts our previous opinions.
Once we arm ourselves with the truth, we can construct arguments when we hear false information. This does not need to be a combative process. We can still have logical, rational conversations with each other. Admittedly, that is becoming more and more difficult. One of the Convention of States Project’s principles is to be a happy warrior. We can present and defend our positions vigorously without being belligerent. In fact, arguing your position with a smile and even humor is quite effective.
These types of discussions take most of us outside our comfort zone. There is a difference between arguing and being argumentative. If you have seen the dozens of videos of parents and community members speaking up at School Board and City Council meetings, you will probably note that they present their opinion and back it up with facts and evidence procured from their search for the truth. Concerned citizens from all backgrounds, races, ethnicities and economic circumstances are coming forward. It is truly inspirational.
Watch how these School Boards and City Councils members react. Some will be considerate and engage. Far too many will cut the citizen’s microphone early, interrupt or admonish the speaker and even stand up and walk out!
This speaks volumes. These 'experts' and bureaucrats are not accustomed to receiving pushback. This has been reinforced by society’s willingness to listen to individuals in positions of authority and deferring to them. There are certainly many individuals in these roles who truly put effort into making policy decisions that protect individual rights and base policy on an honest evaluation of the evidence. There are also many who use their positions to advance their own agendas and accrete more power to themselves.
This is human nature. Remember, the Framers met in 1787 to devise a system of government least likely to infringe on an individual’s unalienable rights. When bureaucratic structures grow beyond their intended authority, negative consequences are the result. We The People are the ultimate check against this expansion of power.
One of the frustrations when speaking to someone who disagrees with you is when they speak in nebulous terms. When we find ourselves in a discussion and hear terms like "social justice” or “pay your fair share,” ask the speaker to define what they are referring to. If they refuse to, then restate their sentence back to them. “If I hear you correctly, you are saying……..” is a great technique to use if the speaker refuses to specify their point. This makes them stake out a position and defend it. That is not a guarantee they will. It is a point where you can have a constructive conversation if they are willing.
As in the above examples, the other party may disengage or 'take their ball and go home.' That is because they are unwilling or unable to support their position with evidence. The point is not to win the encounter. The objective is to speak and defend truth when false statements are presented: arming yourself with the facts and evidence is the basis of constructing an effective argument. Debate challenges you to examine your opinions, sharpen your skills as a conversationalist and ensure your positions come from a framework of the truth.
We have several resources for you at www.conventionofstates.com. Go to our partners' sites like www.patriotacademy.com and www.wallbuilders.com. Don’t take our word for it: look to the original documents and writings this scholarship is founded upon. Study these resources and apply your own reasoning to them. Ask questions. Debate. Refine. Maybe you will be the next one to stand up in your community, at a School Board or City Council meeting. Maybe you’ll be the one who plants the seed of liberty in someone else’s mind which begins their journey.
This is how we save our republic.
In liberty,
Brett
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