Who is speaking isn't the issue - it only matters whether what is being said is valid (supported…
Who is speaking isn't the issue - it only matters whether what is being said is valid (supported by fact, logic, and reasoning).
Ask yourself why you felt the need to ask where I was getting my information — without offering any specifics, or points of your own. This is an easy way out of a discussion - "you're just believing what you're told." It's a suggestion of superiority that absolves the civic responsibility to listen or engage.
There's great value to be found in introspection and open-mindedness. There's value in the Socratic Method and in understanding the views of others in a deep and meaningful way so as to seek the truth. Without more, unadorned character-driven ethos rhetoric suggests a closed mind.
The suggestion that my opinions are a product of a leftist media machine is dismissive — and perhaps surprisingly inaccurate.
I agree wholeheartedly with you about the importance of discipline & personal responsibility (you can read some of my articles about this). Your point strikes me as a bit ironic considering what I just wrote about Trump's responsibility to contain the virus — and his behavior & messaging shortfalls.
It's important to be willing to listen, or else why speak? I'm not going to convince you of anything. Only you can do that. If the goal is only to convince others, you run the risk of fighting for a mistaken viewpoint. The goal of a productive discussion should be to grow in knowledge and understanding.
