Clarifications

[uhohlostaneye]

First of all, I'd like to clarify something for a commenter who asked about my previous statements on abortions in the case of rape. The entry was one titled, "I've Always Dreamed of Being a Walking Controversy," posted February 9, 2004

Comments

Re: Why no one comments on your journal entries.

[anonymous]

wow, this guy is intense. he also seems very angry and sad, and reading his fanaticism makes me feel creepy. he certainly knows his stuff and is a very articulate person. I'd say "persuasive," but the truth is, he's not. to 'persuade' means to change the mind of someone who doesn't agree with you. As someone who holds very different fundamental beliefs from this guy, I'll tell you that there's not a thing he says that makes me even consider his point of view. He is a rabble-rouser, not a persuasive speaker. He seems to have a great talent for stirring up emotion in people who already agree with him. But to me this seems to me to be a dangerous quality, not an admirable one. Compare this guy (and please forgive me here) with MLK. King could cross the line with his argument and change the mind of people no matter what side they were on. You read Letter from Birmingham Jail. Compare that with this dude. King writes and speaks directly to his opposition. He uses their own sense of justice and compassi
on and asks them to reconsider their stances. that is persuasion, the point of writing and public speaking! People who only speak to those who already agree with them (or people who are so lonely that they need someone who finally speaks to them-- yes I know, this is how cults form...), those people will never further their cause; they will only stir up anger in their own camp. And that reminds me a lot of things like American History X, or ther portaits of cults and clans. This guy seems to prey on the lonely and the angry, and his rants scare me a little to be honest. And I'm not saying he's not good at what he does: he damn good; better than I, for sure. But I see a lot of hate behind his words, and I don't see much difference between this guy's rants and that of any fundamentalist who can only relate to people who already agree with him. If he is supposed to be a good Christian he certainly is not.
Now, again, if you want someone to argue with this guy, good luck. He is not presenting his ideas as growing, progressing, developing things, but rather as fundamental truths. But if you want to persuade 'followers' of this guy that he is a little cuckoo, I can help you out. Also, i am more for the dialogue, not the monologue.
- a college english professor