A great bumper sticker I keep seeing in a parking lot back home states, “Don’t hold strong opinions about things you don’t understand.”
It seems logical at a glance, right?
But I’ve found people have no idea what they’re talking about when adamantly arguing a viewpoint.
“How you can claim to understand, much less criticize, elected officials’ actions with an hour of research a week is beyond me.” |
I’m usually the guy who writes all the articles on Iraq at The Spectator. It seems everyone has an opinion on Iraq – but few take it upon themselves to learn about Iraq.
For instance, I wandered around Davies Center last semester before the war in Iraq began and asked people about Hans Blix’s role as the U.N.’s chief weapons inspector in the upcoming war.
I was rewarded with blank stares.
And while a very limited few knew who Blix was, every last person had an opinion about the war.
Quick to criticize, slow to investigate – that seems to be the nature of people.
I’d be fine with this trend if I got the impression people are doing any research or even attempting to keep up with the news.
They’re not – but they’ll tell you all about what U.S. policy should be in the Middle East.
I don’t claim to understand the happenings in Iraq along with the implications for the future.
But I do know I’m very curious.
So have an open mind. Be willing to switch sides on an issue when your arguments fall short of someone else’s. Formulate your own arguments, intent on making sure no one else’s can defeat yours.
Believe it or not, your professors actually like talking about topics like Iraq. They’re a hugely untapped source of information on campus. Catch them at the right moment, which occasionally means outside of class, and you’ll find the challenge is getting them to stop talking.
It’s probable no one really understands what’s fully going on in Iraq.
Knowledge on a topic – at least for myself – is addictive. I understand a little and then want more.
Sure, topics like Iraq are big and frightening to get your mind around. When different subcultures with different attitudes inside the country express different views about U.S. policy, it’s confusing. Add the latest talk in the media about foreign terrorists joining forces with the former Baathist regime, and most people seem to want to quit trying to understand.
Like it or not, the United States is going to maintain a presence in Iraq for awhile. And more people are going to die and be injured in the process.
That’s why it’s worth understanding.
I just figure I might as well know why we’re there, how we got to where we are and what’s going on in the country. To some extent, I figure I owe it to the U.S. forces in Iraq.
Most students around campus I’ve spoken to say they watch about an hour of TV coverage a week and occasionally read about topics such as Iraq online whenever they appear in the World section of the news.
That fact makes me want to sob.
Nobody I know makes the claim of being in shape after working out a measly hour every week. How you can claim to understand, much less criticize, elected officials’ actions with an hour of research a week is beyond me.
Open your mouth less. Learn to enjoy listening. My personal learning curve takes a nosedive when my mouth is open.
Read more. Sure, media like CNN and MSNBC are great – but other less-accessed perspectives such as bbc.com or lemonde.com provide a great way to diversify what you take in and prevent boredom.
Above all, if you’re not sure, keep quiet. And remember that bumper sticker.
Ollwerther is a senior print journalism major and staff writer of The Spectator.