Denial of Reason
As many of you know, I belong to an online arts group called DeviantArt. While browsing recently, I came across a posting someone made of a characature entitled "Is This America?" The primary text on this characature is:
We've heard this before. And it is not unusual to find this sentiment on DeviantArt (DA). So I took up the gauntlet, and answered "No, it's not." Please go view the piece and look at the conversation that followed (it will be near the bottom of the page). While the author of the piece replied with ad hominem attacks, accusing conservatives (and myself) of being ignorant, I tried my best not to respond in kind. Name calling has replaced any reasoned debate on substantive issues. Although I've stated this point in the past, I greatly lament this degraded state of things.
I would be interested in your comments as well as a translation of the author's final comments (in German).
UPDATE: Someone requested that I post the transcript of the aforementioned conversation (if you can call it that) I had with the artist known as ReptileCartoons. here ya go.
Transcript (GD = GotDesign, RC = ReptileCartoons)
GD: No, it's not. (in response to the title of the piece -- Is This America?)
RC: unfortunately it is
GD: Prove it. Just because you don't care for the policies of the current administration does not make it de facto either racist (as indicated by the KKK hood) or under some kind of relifious control (cross on the flag). You're only falling for the rhetoric that is being thrown out by those who are angry because they no longer have the majoritarian position in government.
RC: sorry, i gave up discussing with conservatives about the bush administration a long time ago. i can't stand the ignorance anymore.
GD:
Sorry, conservatives are not ignorant. They have a different position on social, cultural and political issues. Disagreeing with your opinions does not make them ignorant. To claim so is merely an attempt to avoid dialog and the dialectic process. What happened to the "open mind" of liberals?
RC: no, disagreeing with me doesn't make me ignorant. but being a religious republican does.
GD: That's twice you've misused the term ignorant. And while I have not called you ignorant, you continue to level ad hominem attacks at me. You're only confirming my point. Instead of debating or countering my arguments with reasoned critique, you call names. Liberals used to delight in debate because they felt their ideas were better. It's a shame that's no longer true.
I hope that you will open your mind to reasoned debate instead of unwarranted attacks. The Germans used to be among the best philosophers in the world.
RC: Die Ignoranz ist eine Verhaltensweise. Sie zeichnet sich dadurch aus, dass eine Person - der sogenannte Ignorant - etwas absichtlich nicht wissen will, etwas also ignoriert. Das Wort ist im Deutschen seit dem 16. Jahrhundert belegt und geht auf das lateinische Substantiv ignorantia = Unwissenheit, Dummheit bzw. das Verb ignorare = "nicht wissen", "nicht kennen" zurück.
my ideas are better and i know that you wouldn't understand them. have you ever seen a man talking to a chimp? looks crazy, doesn't it.
Ignorance is a lack of knowledge, or a willful lack of desire to improve the efficiency, merit, effectiveness or usefulness of one's actions. Ignorance is also a "state of being ignorant" or unaware (not knowing).
GD: OK. Deny any discussion by switching into German. Then cast aspersions again and repeat the definition of ignorance. When you're ready to debate ideas, get back to me. Otherwise, have a nice life.
RC: thanks.
51% Idiots May Harm America More Than Terrorism
We've heard this before. And it is not unusual to find this sentiment on DeviantArt (DA). So I took up the gauntlet, and answered "No, it's not." Please go view the piece and look at the conversation that followed (it will be near the bottom of the page). While the author of the piece replied with ad hominem attacks, accusing conservatives (and myself) of being ignorant, I tried my best not to respond in kind. Name calling has replaced any reasoned debate on substantive issues. Although I've stated this point in the past, I greatly lament this degraded state of things.
I would be interested in your comments as well as a translation of the author's final comments (in German).
UPDATE: Someone requested that I post the transcript of the aforementioned conversation (if you can call it that) I had with the artist known as ReptileCartoons. here ya go.
Transcript (GD = GotDesign, RC = ReptileCartoons)
GD: No, it's not. (in response to the title of the piece -- Is This America?)
RC: unfortunately it is
GD: Prove it. Just because you don't care for the policies of the current administration does not make it de facto either racist (as indicated by the KKK hood) or under some kind of relifious control (cross on the flag). You're only falling for the rhetoric that is being thrown out by those who are angry because they no longer have the majoritarian position in government.
RC: sorry, i gave up discussing with conservatives about the bush administration a long time ago. i can't stand the ignorance anymore.
GD:
Main Entry: ig·no·rant
Function: adjective
1 a : destitute of knowledge or education; also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified b : resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence
2 : UNAWARE, UNINFORMED
- ig·no·rant·ly adverb
- ig·no·rant·ness noun
synonyms IGNORANT, ILLITERATE, UNLETTERED, UNTUTORED, UNLEARNED mean not having knowledge. IGNORANT may imply a general condition or it may apply to lack of knowledge or awareness of a particular thing<>. ILLITERATE applies to either an absolute or a relative inability to read and write <>. UNLETTERED implies ignorance of the knowledge gained by reading . UNTUTORED may imply lack of schooling in the arts and ways of civilization . UNLEARNED suggests ignorance of advanced subjects < oetry not for academics but for the unlearned masses>.
Source: Merriam-Webster Online
Sorry, conservatives are not ignorant. They have a different position on social, cultural and political issues. Disagreeing with your opinions does not make them ignorant. To claim so is merely an attempt to avoid dialog and the dialectic process. What happened to the "open mind" of liberals?
RC: no, disagreeing with me doesn't make me ignorant. but being a religious republican does.
GD: That's twice you've misused the term ignorant. And while I have not called you ignorant, you continue to level ad hominem attacks at me. You're only confirming my point. Instead of debating or countering my arguments with reasoned critique, you call names. Liberals used to delight in debate because they felt their ideas were better. It's a shame that's no longer true.
I hope that you will open your mind to reasoned debate instead of unwarranted attacks. The Germans used to be among the best philosophers in the world.
RC: Die Ignoranz ist eine Verhaltensweise. Sie zeichnet sich dadurch aus, dass eine Person - der sogenannte Ignorant - etwas absichtlich nicht wissen will, etwas also ignoriert. Das Wort ist im Deutschen seit dem 16. Jahrhundert belegt und geht auf das lateinische Substantiv ignorantia = Unwissenheit, Dummheit bzw. das Verb ignorare = "nicht wissen", "nicht kennen" zurück.
my ideas are better and i know that you wouldn't understand them. have you ever seen a man talking to a chimp? looks crazy, doesn't it.
Ignorance is a lack of knowledge, or a willful lack of desire to improve the efficiency, merit, effectiveness or usefulness of one's actions. Ignorance is also a "state of being ignorant" or unaware (not knowing).
GD: OK. Deny any discussion by switching into German. Then cast aspersions again and repeat the definition of ignorance. When you're ready to debate ideas, get back to me. Otherwise, have a nice life.
RC: thanks.
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