Ballpark opponents need to cut out the vitriol

Ya know, I think that if the latest proposal for a new ballpark for the Pawtucket Red Sox was totally paid for by the owners of the Pawtucket Red Sox there would still be organized opposition. I believe that if The Lord Jesus Christ himself came to Rhode Island today he would be demonized by the negative people of our state who are so steeped in the mindset of destroying anything they can in order to feel some small sense of control in their lives that they don’t even think of what they’re doing or saying or how it appears to reasonable people. They just attack mindlessly, and without examining the facts.

One such group in this case, unfortunately, is the Rhode Island Republican Party. I was surprised at this because, although both political parties on the national level have lost their minds and attack anything the other side is or supports like mad dogs, I had not seen it done here in our State. However, before I’d could even read the official press release about the new stadium proposal, my inbox was tagged with a “Three Strikes Against the Paw Sox Deal” press release from the Rhode Island Republicans. I had initially hoped it came from out-ofstate sources, but I have no evidence it didn’t come from Rhode Islanders. Too bad.

To my regular readers I apologize for repeating myself, but for the sake of new readers I will say that the reason I

do not personally support either of the two major political parties is that although they both are composed of some fine, intelligent and hard-working people, when they are in a group they turn into a mindless, vicious, negative, and destructive mob, both parties do. The term “bipartisan” hasn’t been valid in political discourse since the Oldsmobile.

I have said before the only thing this kind of immature and careless behavior can produce is mutual self-destruction, as each side baits the other into more and more selfdestructive behavior. The end result is never victory for either side, but only an unending feud which does no one any good. Shame on both parties. Shame and disgrace. I advise all to avoid party politics until the parties both grow up and act in accord with their members’ individual values and worth.

Back to the PawSox’ stadium proposal. My point is there should be a lively debate on the facts of this issue. I’ve read the opponents’ venomous comments. I am not persuaded in any debate by attacks which are not based in fact, but are instead based in rabblerousing and fanning the flames of emotion because when emotions reign, rea- son is impossible and when you’re talking about millions of dollars, reason is imperative.

I have also heard the presentation explained rationally by the proponents What they say makes sense to me, but one side does not a debate make. I seek more information before I choose a side to support. I think we all should.

To sum up, if the opposition will only offer emotional rhetoric and the proponents are offering reasoned logic, then debate itself is poorly served. But I think we need a calm and logical debate to make big money decisions.

I call upon opponents to come to the debate table with logic and reason and to present their position without painting the other side as evil. If you believe you are in the right, I say fight fairly for your convictions with the facts as you see them and win or lose the debate as mature men and women with intellect and integrity. If you don’t, what choice would I or others like me have but to choose to support the people acting like respectable grown-ups instead of with the ones acting like crying kids calling the other side liars and claiming “they started it!”? Not much of a choice, I say.