To: TigerPaw who wrote (302862 ) 10/3/2002 11:50:08 PM From: Dan B. Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 769670 Ahhhh, but I did supply the evidence, and in that case it proved you wrong to doubt me. Now you speak in general, so beyond that, I often supply just my thoughts, and that is enough(if not for you, then reply to someone letting others speak for him). My thoughts don't often have links attached to them. Frankly, it wouldn't be difficult to link to articles that agree with my points of view...so many are already here though...shucks, and like it would help stop the libel around here? I think not, as I witness Rich4E telling me I want to kill and no more than that, and I correct him in my own words(in kind), little more, no less. For having corrected such charges, my angry a-cusser winds up blasting me for not providing evidence for- something unnamed(that would be my opinion)- and I say, gimme a break. I might as well say in return that Rich, for instance, wants Americans to die at the hands of terrorists(could SEEM a logical conclusion, if one believes in an imminent threat, no?), but I don't believe he wants to kill Americans, I just believe he underestimates the seriousness of the threat. You can think my methods reasonable or not, my views reasonable or not, or gimme a break or not as you wish. I only know that when I'm falsely charged with holding beliefs I don't hold and have not expressed, links beyond my posts called to question become irrelevant. Re: "This time my charge is that you don't supply evidence so your postings cannot be verified. That's what diminishes their value." Supplied or not, evidence to prove or disprove any assertions of fact that may occasionally be included in some of my posts can be found if the reader doubts me, I do believe. A true claim that cannot be verified is rare indeed...no matter if it is the writer or the reader who searches and supplies the verification(which often may be someone's say so...ahhh, not good enough?). Even in a case where one CAN'T verify an ultimately true claim, if one does believe the maker of a TRUE claim, the information may help greatly. Countless professionally written articles contain verifiably wrong facts, but no matter...no matter who double checks the facts, the facts CAN typically be verified by anyone. This is an internet discussion board, not a series of term papers complete with bibliographies. Opinion is common from me. I try not to write assertions of facts in those opinions if I don't believe anyone could document them if need be(or something damn close). Therefore I am sufficiently confident of my ultimate veracity(though not more than humanly possible, i.e. error free). Veracity is a value I'm concerned with, you see, so I feel that so long as I'm essentially correct on facts stated, the value of my posts might have a chance to be high. Better yet, my opinions, often perhaps philosophical in nature, may just please some readers or set others to think in a manner they haven't considered(hey, there have been a few of these cases so far...SUCCESS! enough). Frankly, it's almost as though you are insisting that I write here on this chat board as one might write a thesis. I won't apologize for not bringing a lot of extra links here, I'm just saying my peace. Peace, Love, and FREEDOMS WORK, Dan B