Curtis L. Russell wrote:
> On 2 Jan 2006 15:37:46 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
>
> >Just resorting to it. If you have the strong base of reason and
> >argument to support a position the need for insults would not exist.
> >Insults are often used to obscure the weakness of an assumption or
> >conclusion. That is the basis of the ad hominem attack.
>
> The above is a refutation of your original comment. 'Often' does not
> make an argument, much less prove a direct relationship between
> insults and weak arguments. Nor does wishing it so make it so. But
> feel free to try again.
>
> Curtis L. Russell
> Odenton, MD (USA)
> Just someone on two wheels..
---
I did not intend for my answer to be a totally scientific one, just a
trend of behavior, just like people who offer large crackpot conspiracy
theories like the government staging 9/11 tend to make people who
question them prove a negative. In this situation with my request for
information, instead of helping or asking questions it was assumed I
wanted the info for nefarious reasons and/or I couldn't use a search
engine. There was no intellectual reasons offered or asked for by the
respondents, just the assumptions and the disparaging remarks to go
with those assumptions. When I explained what it was for and provided a
rational argument as to why they were wrong, more insults and still no
explanation as to why they would have thought what they thought with
the except from one person and it was pretty vague and weak, something
about clues in the body of my post and my screen tag. The insults did
not come with any arguments, but offered in there stead. That was the
ad hominem response I was speaking of and such a tactic is a sign of
the lack of a strong base of reasons for their assumptions and yes it
does often happen that way. As to wishing it trying to make it so, it
has nothing to do with wishing, it is just an observation; and I have
yet to receive an explanation as to why my two questions about a
birthday and retirement status is stalking.
Does hurling insults make it a sure sign of intellectual bankruptcy?
Maybe, maybe not, but it is surely unnecessary. Why would it be? And
still an explanation for their belief has not been offered.
---->Hunter