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Oct 7 2018
To Vote or Not to Vote–That is a Question

My daughter and I got into an argument tonight over her voter registration–as in she didn’t want to register and I made her. She is still upset with me. 

I told her that she could register and, if she didn’t want to vote, that was up to her but at least she would be registered to vote when the time comes.

She says she is confused and has friends on social media who have strong opinions about issues that leave her unsure of where she stands on things. 

Unfortunately, these “friends” on social media are people she has never met in person but she considers them friends. If only I could organize a friendship with a decent, reasonable young woman–who is like-minded and who could influence her in a good way—but, as it stands in today’s world, social media “friends” trump real live people in the same room. 

What really, really bothers me is that politics has become so dirty and messy—a la the Kavanaugh hearings—that my daughter isn’t even sure if she wants to vote.

I grew up in the tail end of the Cold War. I couldn’t imagine not exercising my right to vote. In fact, I think I’ve missed only one vote (during a primary) and that was due to a work-related project and I didn’t get to the polls in time. 

It’s horrible that a young person on the cusp of adulthood feels confused by politics and doesn’t know how to move forward.

My husband and I are going to talk to her about the issues and ask her to look into them. We can help her investigate her representatives and where they stand on issues—but she has to decide what to do with the information. 

I am hoping that this doesn’t lead to extensive or long-term apathy toward politics or voting–but she has me worried. 

 

Laura Echevarria 0 Comments
Oct 4 2018
What a Mess

What a week and what a mess. It’s enough to make you want to run and hide.

My role in my job changed recently and I don’t like it and I feel a little lost, I was accused of sometimes overreacting by a family member, and, at work, my opinion on something (in which I could be certified as an expert) was solicited but only adhered to after the opinions of two other people were solicited. It strongly felt like I was only correct in my advice because two other people concurred.

This may sound a little whiny but it was a rough day and such days make you feel stupid, underappreciated, and targeted. It’s one of those days where you wish that you could go on vacation– by yourself–to lick your wounds.

Today reminded me of the Kavanaugh hearings and the fallout. We have seen Senate decorum become obsolete, respected members of Congress targeted, and opinions replacing facts. Both Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford have had their names and their families dragged through the muddy world of politics. I’m sure both families wish they could hide for a week just to get away from the cruelty that seemed to abound.

People with strong opinions have expressed those opinions loudly, crudely, and destructively. Many conservatives have been taken aback by this behavior because, well, it’s not what “normal” people do.

Everyone has had an opinion, from the neighbor to co-workers but how do we fix it? How do we take a step back from Defcon 1 and take it down a notch or two.

I am reminded of some rules I learned when competing on my college debate team:

First, human lives trump all other issues. We are not anonymous handles on Twitter–we are all living human beings.

Second, opinions are not facts. If it doesn’t have a citation (primary sources are best), it is only opinion and does not advance an argument or become a fact.

Third, we should not engage in ad hominem attacks. Verbally abusing people who disagree is not helpful and can incite anger and violence.

Unfortunately, it can feel like yelling in a forest–only the squirrels are listening.

 

Laura Echevarria 0 Comments
Oct 3 2018
A Lie vs. the Truth

The expression, “A lie can be halfway around the world before the truth has its boots own,” has been attributed to Mark Twain, Sir Winston Churchill, and Charles Haddon Spurgeon but the quote originates with Jonathan Swift who wrote (in 1710) “Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it.”

Amazing how some truths can span a few centuries. 

And modern lies can get entrenched before a person can say, “Wait!”

I was reminded once again today how some people–groups, interested parties–can lie without hesitation because it advances their cause or interests. It doesn’t matter that there is no evidence, they have a mission. It doesn’t matter if that mission is morally or ethically wrong because they have a goal–an end game that they believe and feel is morally right. 

What an era we live in. I used to teach speech in high school and at a small college as a T.A., and I would explain to students that in the age of Aristotle, the Greeks favored logical arguments (logos) and the credibility of the speaker (ethos) over emotional arguments (pathos). Today, sadly, quite the opposite is true–most people react and respond to emotional arguments over facts.

The credibility (ethos) of a speaker can be suspect and yet his or her audience will believe the speaker because he or she will say the very thing the audience wants to hear. 

Unfortunately, Jonathan Swift’s observation is just as relevant today as it was in 1710–probably more so. 

 

Laura Echevarria 0 Comments