Debates

I hate debates. And debating. Which might surprise some of those who know me since I have an opinion about EVERYTHING and I'm not afraid to share it. But the thing about debates is that they are not about sharing information or even about sharing opinions - its about showing the other person or side how wrong they are. Its often rude, and doesn't help solve problems, which we have in abundance, unfortunately. I've avoided the presidential and vice-presidental debates because I didn't think I would learn anything that I didn't already know. The comments on Facebook during and after don't help either. And heaven help you if you accidentally start a debate on your wall (I'm looking at you, R :)), as you will have more opinions that you wanted, useless information, and name calling.

It might be trite to say, but why can't we all just get along? Why can't we communicate politely? Why is it so hard to try and imagine where someone else is coming from, or to try and see something from another point of view? Thats what debating should be - an opportunity to discuss differences in a civil manner, attempt to find common ground, and to come up with a solution.