In an effort to appease my always-multitasking mind, I’m going to start a new bunch of post categories on Two Cents and a Thousand Words.
The first new category is called “On the issues,” and its roots are in last month’s post about debate versus attacks and everything in between. Long-time followers of TCaaTW know that I don’t often go political on my blog, but recent followers of my Twitter stream will attest to the fact that I’ve gone there lately.
Because our leaders-to-be are letting us down in the arena of actual issues, I realized the only way to have a true discussion about the issues is to start with some opinions that are close to my heart: my own. (In retrospect “discussion” would have been a better term than “debate” in the aforementioned September politics post.) I’ll choose an issue, lay out my beliefs and what has led me to where I stand, and ask for comments. There are a few ground rules:
- I don’t envision ever running for elected office.
- I’ll sometimes admit that there are things I don’t know. I’m ok with that.
- If you disagree, tell me why.
- I will listen to good arguments, and they may influence my position on issues.
- I may post revised versions if my stance changes enough.
This idea was inspired by Barack Obama’s Policy Issues site and several individuals who will be quoted in future posts. (Whether you agree or disagree with Obama’s policies, the Web portion of his campaign is truly inspiring.)
I’ll keep a running list of topics at the bottom of this post as I add new ones.