Meeting in the Middle

I have been asked in the past what “credentials” I have that give me the right to comment on certain issues. I have to chuckle when I read these “in earnest” inquires. Being a scholar at an accredited university, published author, or even the latest guest on Nightline does not automatically give that person a more finely sharpened capacity to discern the true nature of a situation than one who reaches a very different and separate conclusion through sheer life experience or the informal pursuit of knowledge. That said, whether it’s a debate over HSUS business ethics, or lack there of, organic farming versus conventional farming, or the pros and cons of using genetically modified foods and the technologies that allow us to do so I welcome all opinions and discussions; how else are we to broaden our minds and get ourselves thinking about issues we maybe hadn’t paid attention to before. Wouldn’t it be a boring world if we all agreed all the time about everything? It is generally through opposing viewpoints that we can learn the most, and frankly more often than not the true answer lies somewhere in the middle.