Letter: Strawman arguments simply disguised as critical thinking
By Letter to the Editor on November 13, 2021.
Dear editor, My daughter turned seven on Remembrance Day. I think of the brave soldiers that risked and gave their lives for the gift of our liberty, and what they would think of how we are handling that gift now. I am a former resident of Medicine Hat and read both Judi’s and Michael’s responses. Michael Seitz’s Nov. 9 response to Judi Combes’ Nov. 5 comments about draconian measures, mandates and critical thinking is a weak response paraded as an intelligent rebuttal, as if ‘critically thought’ and ‘from all sides.’ Using the comparison of mask mandates to seatbelts as an example of critical thinking is akin to comparing apples to potatoes. The least to be expected in such a response is a review of widely available masking research studies instead of a view into Mr. Seitz’s own thinking. We must encourage readers (and Mr. Seitz) to review abstracts and conclusions of the many research papers available and then decide if ‘Masks work. That is not debatable’ as Mr. Seitz concludes. Mr. Seitz displays a strawman distraction in his response: ‘For a surgeon not to wear a mask while performing surgery is unthinkable.’ Judi was not referring to surgeons, she is concerned about critical thinking around mask mandates; and whether mask mandates are even law. Mr. Seitz infers his own conclusion about vaccine safety and effectiveness, stating ‘It would be illogical for the government to permit workplaces to be less safe than they can be’ without exposing how he explored all sides of the issue, as is his critique of Judi. When one critically explores the VAERS database or ‘from all sides’ listens critically to the many doctors and scientists who express deep concerns, the mandates come to be questioned by many. These are critical thinking professionals who adhere to follow ‘verifiable, evidence-based conclusions.’ Their opinions must be heard as part of the critical thinking process. Judi’s response was to highlight the importance of mass critical thinking in response to how everyone, including our government, is treating us, the people. As responsible citizens, and as the ONLY caretakers of our future, we must all challenge ourselves to critically think and courageously preserve this gift of liberty that we have been given. Terry Zachary 10-9
Well said Terry. Watching our fellow seniors go around bad mouthing a young female student Greta Thunberg for daring to care about her generations future is just plain stupidity. They don’t care and it makes them look really stupid. They don’t represent the rest of us seniors. Like Greta we do care are are concerned about our children and grandchildren.
Hurling sarcastic comment at anyone who mentions Green Energy , when my father a Power Plant Engineer was promoting solar power 60 years ago is another one of their displays of stupidity.
The town of Devon has been powering their Rec Center, and street lights with solar power since 2015. Shell Canada is going to power their oil refinery a Scotford , near Fort Saskatchewan with solar power and the Travers Solar Power project started in 2017, at a cost of $700 million will provide power to 150,000 homes. If that isn’t proof enough Germany with a population of 83 million people will have zero emissions by 2045.
I had coffee with a man from Sweden on Friday and he has his roof covered in solar panels, just like we have seen where ever we have been in Europe.
Terry is right critical thinking is what we need to do and we are finding that a lot of our fellow seniors aren’t doing it. Letting these phony conservatives dictate how they think is what they do, and they are making fools of them.
Maybe these ignorant seniors should google all this information on the internet before they hurl anymore sarcastic comments at those of us who are a lot smarter than them. Lawyers tell us we are damn fools for putting up with it, what do you think?