Adult Debate

I was on the blog, John in Carolina, posting my ideas and attempting a debate with the readers of that site. When I started on the site, John, realizing I was not of like mind, asked that I maintain a "reasoned fact-based debate". Instead of reasonable responses I received attacks:

Ralph Phelan said...
You are a useless dolt being appropriately prevented from making noise where the grownups are trying to talk.

The only way Einstein would have let you into his house was if he wanted to experiment with a substance of infinite density.

By the way, I don't think any of us should put words in Einstein's mouth. Instead of a debate, I was called names and had my posts deleted:

Just a Thought is a troll you helped expose.

Now that that's known I hope you look at troll's posts as no longer needing your attention since I'll delete them as soon as I see them...

John

or

Some people might think you’re a Duke faculty member and/or someone who sincerely believes Mike Nifong got a raw deal from the NC State Bar.

But I don't believe that.

You’re a troll.

American democracy was founded on reasonable fact-based debate (interestingly, the same thing 'John' requested when I started visiting the site). Doesn't that make stifling reasonable fact-based debate unAmerican and unDemocratic?

Instead of fact based debate, my comments were ridiculed largely without counterpoints being made. I was even called such terrible things as "a Duke faculty member"! Dastardly!

"'just a thought' is just wrong but "Facts don't matter." Well, to people like 'just a tought' they don't. Keep up the good work John."
"I just visited your blog - it's empty! Just like your mind?"

Physical attacks were found to be acceptable, when I said "luckliy nobody was tazed", comparing the civility of the speech by Karl Rove at Duke with the recent John Kerry speech where a student was tased. The response from Johns favorite reader?

"I'd have said "sadly" myself."

Wow. This is a scary view of America, and particularly suprising that it would be accepted by John who is "rooting hard for America and civilization."

In adult debate we do not call each other names. Instead we listen to what our fellow debater says, attempting to counter their points, while making our own. Its easy to just write off those who disagree with us, it is far more difficult to listen to their point of view and respond with fact-based supportive evidence of our own position.

I challenge John and his readers to an adult debate. I will hold myself to the adult standard. I will not erase posts by people who disagree with me, I will instead respond to their points and seek to further the understanding of all.