BY RICHARD MARINCUCCI
"Never argue with an idiot. He will bring you down to his level and then beat you with experience!" I wish I knew to whom I could attribute this quote. Although witty and certainly attention getting, the basic premise of this statement appears more true to me every day. It seems that in many of the day-to-day dealings with people—whether citizens, bosses, or employees—simple discussions turn emotional. When this happens, logic and reason take a back seat, and I sometimes think that people feel they win the debate if they talk louder and faster. The facts of the situation are irrelevant.
Recently, I attended a study session of a city council (where I live, not work). The topic was whether or not to place a ballot issue before the voters to raise taxes to fund public safety, specifically police and fire. The decision before the council was not whether to raise taxes but merely to offer the citizens a chance to decide for themselves. Someone (I will not speculate about who) invited a group of antitax citizens to the meeting.
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