In the summer or 1968, as a high school student, I attended Debate Camp at the University of Georgia. During that time, we learned the ins and outs of debate tactics and processes, and we practiced on each other.
The topic for debate that year was, “Resolved that the United States should establish a system of compulsory service for all citizens.”
Jim Holladay
As you might expect, the hot topic was the military draft and whether we should move to an all-volunteer army. One afternoon, my partner and I were debating a team that tended to debate from a position of superiority, often subtly questioning their opponents’ character and ability with sarcasm. They were not popular.
During the course of the debate, one of the members of that team misspoke. Meaning to say, ‘In an all-volunteer army there would be low turnover,’ what he actually said was, “In an all-volunteer army, there would be no turnover.”
Sensing an opportunity to score a point or two, in my rebuttal I said, “My opponent has argued that in an all-volunteer army, there would be no turnover. Well, that is interesting — nobody would leave, nobody would enter. Eventually the entire force would just die off.” My partner looked at me with horror.
“Gentlemen, in debate there is no room for sarcasm.”
At the end of each debate, we got an open critique from the judges. I never will forget, one of the more strict judges looked at us and said, “Gentlemen, in debate there is no room for sarcasm.” My heart nearly stopped. Then he looked at me and said, “But a little humor now and then is not a bad thing.”
That moment has stayed with me not because I felt vindicated, but because it caused me to consider the distinction between humor and sarcasm. When am I just being funny and when am I using humor to diminish another person?
In a recent opinion piece, “If You Want to Criticize Jasmine Crockett, You Better Criticize Trump First,” Rodney Kennedy referenced recent remarks made by U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett about Texas Gov. Greg Abbot, whom she called “Governor Hot Wheels.”
Kennedy noted the response from Trump and his allies had been swift and vicious, a response he views as hypocritical given Trump’s proclivity for cruelly mocking his opponents. He rightly points out that Trump has “poisoned the well of political rhetoric,” going on to accuse those who defend Trump and attack Crockett of being hypocrites.
Kennedy concludes his piece, “If you’re going to criticize Rep. Crockett, fine. But before you earn the right to do that, you better criticize Trump for language far more offensive.”
The question I was left with was, as followers of Jesus Christ, is it ever acceptable to engage in ad hominem attacks on another person in order to score debating points? Even if the other side has opened wide the door for crude, demeaning speech, do we need to follow down that path? What is gained by doing so?
“Will our message be heard if we even dabble in name-calling?”
In the highly toxic rhetorical context in which we live, will our message be heard if we even dabble in name-calling, labeling and speech designed to “other” those with whom we disagree?
It seems to me we are called to take a different approach. Call out the errors? Yes. Name the lies? Yes. Call our Christian siblings to respectful language in their public rhetoric? Yes.
While doing that, we are indeed called upon, as Kennedy pointed out, to “first take the log out of (our) own eye, (so that we) will see clearly the speck in our neighbor’s eye.”
And when we look our neighbor in the eye, we may see more than a speck. We may see, buried deep within them, the image of God. That vision reflected back to us has the power to change the way we talk with and relate to even the most obnoxious among us.
Seeing that image, keeps me on the right side of the rhetorical line.
Jim Holladay serves as pastor of Lyndon Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky.
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If you want to criticize Jasmine Crockett, you better criticize Trump first | Opinion by Rodney Kennedy
Legislating against ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ is a danger to free speech | Opinion by Rosaly Guzman
Yes, Franklin Graham, President Trump is profane | Opinion by Rodney Kennedy