The Highest

Compliment

To the Editor:

In reply to Mr Rajczewski, Jr:

It may be useful to know that Christopher Hitchens has been an avid supporter of the Iraq war from its beginning, something that Mr Rajczewski, Jr, was apparently unaware. When Mr Rajczewski, Jr, refers to my use of his quote, “What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence” as “The soul of liberal thought,” he has inadvertently paid it the highest compliment while he believed he was trying to insult it. This is because it is obvious he does not understand its meaning. Its clear meaning is, Mr Rajczewski, Jr, that for those of us that engage in critical thinking, it is a requirement that there be evidence to support any position. If there is no evidence then the position should not be taken seriously. It is in fact the exact opposite of what you state; truth does matter. It is the only thing that matters. If you are unfamiliar with critical thinking it is defined as “the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion.” This is of course at some variance with the two talk show hosts you rely on for your information. They practice rhetoric. That is defined as the “undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast.” In thinking of either of those talk show hosts you so admire another quote comes to mind. I don’t recall who said it. The quote is, “He’s just an expensive haircut masquerading as a man.”

As citizens we have every right to our own opinions, but not our own facts.

Robert Karnoff

66 Great Ring Road, Sandy Hook                          February 13, 2007