Recently I was accused of name-calling. Not true. When I noted that some people using the term socialist without knowing what socialism is are ignorant, that is just a fact. When a person doesn’t know what a term or word means, they are “ignorant” or “without knowledge” of that term or word.
Also saying that a person “parrots” a position or talking point, that is not name-calling, but merely pointing out that the person is saying something they have heard elsewhere. My dictionary says that to “parrot” is “to imitate another’s words or actions.”
For too long, some have been using a debate style that would be laughed out of any serious debate. That style is to invert an argument to make a point or turn the discussion upside down. That strategy has been used for years to confuse any serious discourse. Then talking points are used that are untrue but are readily believed because they resonate to a particular bias or prejudice to make a point.
If a person wants to engage in a true debate, then he has to be informed and not merely parrot the words of others. To do so requires some thought. One has to analyze what has been said, synthesize the information (logical deduction) and be able to think critically. If people are unable to do that, then they must be prepared to have their ideas, beliefs and thoughts called “ignorant.” They might also be told they are “parroting” the thoughts of others.
Judson R. Duncan, Monmouth
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