Mike Rowe for President

All right, I admit to being a little facetious here with the title.    That being said, though, I would vote for Mike Rowe should he ever decide to run for any office in any area where my vote would count.

Please read the article penned by Mike at:

http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/2018/05/another-round-of-organized-violence-and.html

Whether you agree with his conclusions or not, I think you must agree that he is thoughtful and articulate, not to mention well-written.

He does not respond to the query immediately with truisms or tripe, with platitudes or deflections.   Instead, it is obvious that he considers the question carefully and thinks through the cause and effect scenarios to find what he believes is the root.

Then, he carefully explains through examples and ‘train of thought’ exercises which are easy to follow and clear.   He uses metaphor and simile with clarity to drive his points without being overbearing or melodramatic.

Frankly, I am jealous of that written piece and wish I could claim it as my own work.   Whoever wrote it, whether it was Mike himself, or it was some ghost-writer either on staff or contract, the article itself is a gem.

Beyond that, though, the memories and thoughts provided are from Mike, and it is his thinking and conclusions which are pertinent beyond the quality of writing.

This is what every writer should strive for, ache for, and emulate. The world would be a far better place if everyone could think through the first and second levels of cause and effect to get to the third level, or beyond.

Ask yourself, how many of us are actually taught critical thinking?   I was not.   Not in grade school, high school or in college classes.   I heard the phrase, and I saw examples of it, but was never actually taught how to do it, or given exercises for practice. Hopefully, most of us in that position will eventually learn how to do it on our own, through our own life-exercises.   I am not that good at it, thus my jealousy.

Like most people, I tend to respond to that which is ‘in my face’, addressing the symptom rather than the cause.

As writers, sharing our thoughts with whoever will read them, I think we have a responsibility to do as Mike has demonstrated, and think it through to the root cause before responding to the big questions of life.