The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Print Edition
Letter to the editor submissions
Have a strong opinion about something happening on campus or in Fort Collins? Want to respond to an article written on The Collegian? Write a Letter to the Editor by following the guidelines here.
Follow Us on Twitter
Unlocking the Digital Treasure: A Dive into Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Unlocking the Digital Treasure: A Dive into Cryptocurrency Exchanges
March 7, 2024

Ever wondered, amid all this digital currency buzz, what is the value of Ethereum today? It's a question that sparks the curiosity of many,...

Educate before debate: Opinion vs. fact

Usually I like to select weekly blog topics about current events or certain political activities in the news, but today, I’m going to rant. Yes, I said it. If you’re not interested in hearing a bunch of complaining, then you might as well exit this page right now.

Versus is a political debate that is aired on ...
Versus is a political debate that is aired on weekends on Times Now. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m going to start off with a fair warning- everyone is entitled to their own opinion. My only wish is that people would educate themselves before they become tangled up in a political debate built solely on bogus facts. Now, I’m not over here waving my almighty flag, but I watch the news. I listen to NPR. I would say I have a pretty solid idea of what is happening in the world.

Ad

An opinion is different than a fact. I specifically remember doing some type of unit in elementary school when our teacher would give us a worksheet with a scenario and we would have to discern the difference between validity and someone’s viewpoint; apparently, a few people missed the boat on this one.

Nothing grinds my gears more than walking down a crowded hallway or through the LSC and overhearing political “facts” being thrown in all directions. I’m glad people are engaging in the these type of conversations, but it makes me want to go back to the saying “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all.” Does this apply to correctness? Everyone has different options and ideas about the world and that doesn’t make them wrong, but what invalidates their statements is something either opinion based or factually incorrect.

Plain and simple, do the homework. Read a book, do research online, or speak with a professor. Politics are something you can easily learn about! Back yourself up with concrete evidence, not something you picked from a TV rerun. End rant.

 

Hallie Gardner can be reached at blogs@collegian.com.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

When commenting on The Collegian’s website, please be respectful of others and their viewpoints. The Collegian reviews all comments and reserves the right to reject comments from the website. Comments including any of the following will not be accepted. 1. No language attacking a protected group, including slurs or other profane language directed at a person’s race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age, physical or mental disability, ethnicity or nationality. 2. No factually inaccurate information, including misleading statements or incorrect data. 3. No abusive language or harassment of Collegian writers, editors or other commenters. 4. No threatening language that includes but is not limited to language inciting violence against an individual or group of people. 5. No links.
All The Rocky Mountain Collegian Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *