If you would like some personal assistance with family conflict or other life obstacles, go to my coaching site: or email me at:
jimshaul@gmail.com or contact me through (531)301-7595.
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Greetings Fellow Travelers and welcome to my long-awaited blog. Although my busy schedule argues against investing time and energy into a blog, encouragement by supporters and trends in our society demand it now.
If you are viewing this on your phone, visualize the sun half blocked by the horizon. If you are viewing this on your computer, look at the photo above. The photo above or your visualization might be a sunset. A sunset signifies an end, a termination to a segment of the past. If the past was full of joy and fond memories, the sunset may bring sadness and loss. If the past was difficult and full of sadness, the sunset may bring relief and respite.
The photo above might be a sunrise. A sunrise signifies a start, a new beginning. The personal impact to you would be completely opposite of the emotional impact of the sunset. It all depends on where you are sitting and from where you are coming.
This blog exists because our country is in a definite transition period. You may be heartened and excited because you like where it is going more than you like where it has been – and for good reason. The winds of change, they are a-blowin’. You may be deflated and disheartened because you are fearful of where our nation is headed and you long for the good old days – again, for good reason. The last two elections, the legislation passed within that time, a couple of important Supreme Court decisions, the executive orders, and the rhetoric in the public square strongly indicate a sea change in our society.
It is this rhetoric that I seek to expose and illuminate, carefully, critically, respectfully, and with hope of advancement of our national discourse. As a college professor for over twenty-five years and teaching often averaging eight classes per semester, I have heard thousands of student positions and defending arguments. Having taught innumerable Critical Reasoning, Logic, Philosophy, Contemporary Moral Problems, Ethics, and Business Ethics classes over the years, I have seen and heard it all in the area of what is right and wrong in our country. These arguments come from every perspective and belief system.
This blog is not designed to tell you what to think about any of the issues that face our society. This blog serves as a mirror and a magnifying glass. As a mirror, it will reflect back to you your own thoughts and arguments, objectively and with focused scrutiny. This will be done with respect and honor to you as human minds. You may not like what you see, but what you do about that is up to you.
As a magnifying glass, it will examine with laser-knife sharpness and accuracy your arguments and positions. Any weaknesses in these will be exposed and brought to light so the public forum can see them for their internal and external consistency. This also will be done with respect and honor. It is a basic assumption of this blog that arguments are not people and people are not arguments. Human beings are unique creatures in this world and deserve to be treated with respect no matter what they believe or do. Their arguments, however, are not them. Their positions are words, sentences, and arguments – they are rhetoric and should be addressed as separate entities from those who speak and hold them.
This blog is not designed to tell you what to think. It is designed to help you to improve your thinking and analysis skills. Welcome to this world. I deeply appreciate your interest and pray that your time here will prove to edify in every area of life.
Jim Shaul