I’ve been struck by how often slant is confused with bias – as though having a point of view, a set of assumptions, or a firmly held opinion is in itself unscrupulous or unfair. And as though neutrality is the mark of fairness or truth. Opinions are the stock-in-trade of thoughtful people, to be earned and held strongly until further evidence requires their modification. Perhaps suspicion of opinion, or the hesitancy to form one (reflected in the all-too-frequent sentence trailer, “Or whatever,,,,”) comes from long exposure to unripe opinions aired too soon on to little evidence, adopted without argument, for purposes of private gain. Opinions are selling points or sticking points more often than points of departure from which one takes stock before embarking on further investigation or reflection.
From “Caring for Words In A Culture of Lies” by Marilyn McEntyre – Eerdmans Publishing
