"Perhaps this discussion is cutting into the sales of your books,
something both you and I know is your real agenda."
I have to add my voice to those who are calling you to account for this,
Ron. I have disagreed with Glenn often, and sometimes vituperatively, but I
don't question his motive. His motive is the truth, as he sees it. He is a
vigorous advocate for his cause. Meet his arguments if you disagree, but do
not disparage his character.
You will find, if you don't judge motives, that people will listen more to
what you have to say. It's a biblical command, BTW. See 1 Peter 3:15
(gentleness and respect).
While we're on this subject, I want to quote from one of my favorite
contemporary thinkers, Dennis Prager, a Jewish intellectual and author of
"Think a Second Time." In a chapter titled "Don't Judge Motives" he says:
"Assessing motives is usually pointless, and often destructive. It is
pointless because motives are almost impossible to determine. We often
don't know our own, let alone others', and it is destructive because we
almost always exaggerate the purity of our own motives and assign nefarious
ones to others.
"Nearly all of us fall into this trap. Like most people, I long tended to
judge negatively the motives of people with whom I disagreed. Only after
years of hosting a radio talk show in which I speak daily with people whose
views oppose mine did I learn the great lesson that people with whom I
disagree are just as likely to have the same good conscious motives I
ascribe to myself.
"In addition to enabling me to mature, this attitude had an enormous
unforseeable benefit--people who disagree with me listen to what I have to
say. When you belittle your opponents' motives, they can only become
defensive. But when you ascribe to them moral conviction, they only have to
defend their views, not themselves.
"So, please, no more assessments of motives. In matters of public policy,
let's debate results, not motives. And in interpersonal relationships,
let's assess ourselves and others by actions, not intentions."
Jim Bell