Word: lat
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Perhaps we do have our share of so called "knee-jerk liberals," I suspect that part of the reason Lat so relishes their existence at Harvard is that they do little to advance liberal causes...
...have to agree with Lat that it's foolishness to think that our political leanings aren't influenced by our social environment. A simple straw poll of how many Peninsula members over the years were educated in strict religious schools would prove that point. But this is one of many examples of why it's ludicrous for Lat to take the position that it's conservatives at Harvard who must do all the thinking...
...Lat is right that conservatives do have to hone some of their more simplistic arguments when they come to Harvard, but from what I've seen, conservatives like Lat begin with the assumption that they have some hold on absolute truths, and only refine their arguments for the sake of reinforcing the beliefs that they cannot bear to relinquish, rather than to promote a dialogue which allows them to refine their understanding of the issues...
...What Lat seems to be arguing is that a conservative born into a family that is pro-life and pro-death penalty should not succumb to the idea that he or she can rationally attack the inherent contradiction, but rather should smile and adhere to the status...
Recognizing that sometimes we have to fight our biases is what makes the thinking liberal a better vessel for dealing with matters of politics and ideology than a Lat-type conservative who, for reasons of religion or tradition, believes that "the most profound questions" are beyond our understanding, so why go through the messy process of rational discourse anyway. (As the venerable Jack Handey once said, "I think that I am a really good listener. It's just that I always laugh really hard afterward...