Do you prefer down'n'dirty arguments, or genteel and polite debate?--Al

-- Al Schroeder (al.schroeder@nashville.com), October 06, 2000

Answers

Genteel and polite debate, not as an exercise but as an attempt to reach agreeable ways to work together or co-exist.

To me "down and dirty" argument never solves anything and the participants leave the circle enraged or battered. As a survival and matter of defense action I will engage in a d&d argument -- prepared to use force to protect myself and mine if it comes to that.

What goes on in my head is not allowed to show in yelling, grimacing, arm waving yadda, yadda, yadda.

-- Denver doug (ionoi@webtv.net), October 06, 2000.

Down and dirty can be fun, as long as you stick to the issues and not lower yourself to personal attacks. If you have to stoop to talking about your opponents marriage or sex life, it tells me you don't have enough knowledge to carry on a real debate. When Bush made a desparate stab at Gore's character, he had lost and everyone knew it.

-- AJ (joijoijoi@hotmail.com), October 06, 2000.

Never down and dirty for this lady. Genteel and polite is more mutually satisfying.

-- hope1948 (hope-on-wings@webtv.net), October 08, 2000.

I prefer civility, even though it may be less revealing, because society has moved so far from civility in my lifetime that for me it is comforting to see it, particularly in this high stakes arena.

-- Dave (Al's brother) (Davelaw @san.rr.com), October 10, 2000.