Dear Editor,

It would be helpful to our confused society if we distinguished between judging a person and their ideas from that of taking a position toward a person or to an idea that requires using judgment. To give a blanket response to serve as a judgment of a person or category leads to inaccuracy (of the particular) while encouraging a dangerous conformity. Shared assumptions and feelings replace logical thinking.

Whether it is Obama or Trump who is to be opposed on every single issue or supposition, this way will defeat a democratic process and ultimately democracy itself. Similarly, to ban all Muslims who are in fact the primary victims of Islamic terrorists is quite different from our taking a stand against foreign terrorists especially if a result of cross-country tribal war-fare to keep our country safe.

When someone or something is to be opposed no matter what, then we may lose flexibility, accuracy and ability for rational change. It does not lend itself to finding causes and looking for various solutions since it is committed to being just always opposed. The blanket type of opposition fosters division whereas using one’s judgment to fight and solve a problem brings engagement and more thoughts with better solutions to the table.

Sharon L. Robinson
Blaine