A Comment About Comments

I have instituted "comment moderation" on this blog. I felt I had to do so because while migrating posts from my other blog to this site I received several comments that were nothing more or less than nasty snide remarks and general criticism without any real thought or analysis of what the original post had to say (never mind reading the posts on the migration).

I have no problem with discourse, criticism or comment. I encourage it as a Constitutionalist and a teacher. But I do have a problem with unreasoned speech. Merely commenting in a snide remark is neither commentary or legitimate criticism. It is like responding to a statement made in court with a loud sigh of disgust, a sarcastic "Ha!" and a dismissal of the evidence being presented. It is unscholarly, unreasoned and inappropriate.

Given that many bloggers--including myself--spend some time thinking through the issues long enough to actually write a piece about them, the least a commentator can offer is a response that carefully analyzes and appropriately responds to the post.

So I invite your reasoned comments, whether they be pro or con. I will allow reasoned comments to appear without censorship (although I reserve the right to respond). But those who merely wish to "get in my face" for the sake of doing so should refrain from commenting. I haven't the time to waste on such vague, arbitrary and capricious efforts...

Thanks for reading, considering the perspective offered and responding. Democracy thrives in the midst of reasoned discourse, regardless of whether we can agree. Sometimes we can only agree to disagree. But that is at least an honorable, scholarly and reasonable approach.