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• Saturday, June 3, 2006 11:38 AM

  Debate The Facts

  I see plenty of ranting about the canceling of subscriptions, I see plenty of screeds against John Kerry's fitness as a candidate, and I see numerous, vicious tirades against Farhad Manjoo.

  What I hardly see is any objective analysis or discussion of what Manjoo has to say. And I think he makes some pretty valid points in rebutting what Kennedy has written. Especially his points about vote tallies for down-ticket judges and his fact that it would have taken duplicity on the part of Democrats to alter the voting machine allocations to favor Republicans. His other point about Kennedy's selective and sometimes faulty use of statistics in the Democratic Party's own report is pretty illuminating as well.

  So it's sad that after reading through all these letters, it seems that many people here have become zealots who are unwilling to be disabused of their firmly set notions no matter what the facts say. In a way, you folks display some of the same traits you supposedly abhor in people on the other side. And when you're unwilling to rationally discuss what Manjoo -- or anyone else for that matter -- has to say, then you ultimately forfeit your right to participate in the discussion. That may sound harsh, but if you're disinclined to debate facts, then you've become just another part of the noise machine. And that's the last thing we need in this country.

  And lest you think I'm some kind of Manjoo apologist, which I'm sure I'll be thought of, take a look back at his piece on McCain from a few months ago. I went after him pretty hard for that piece.

  So please, debate Manjoo on the facts and stop bombarding us with charged-up, inaccurate rhetoric that adds nothing to the discussion.

  —Rob H. Read Rob H.'s other letters
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