The Kavanaugh hearings reveal the difference between thinking and believing

A reader sent me a smart take on the Kavanaugh hearings when it comes to thinking vs. feeling and the push to measure past behavior by today’s standards.

Brett Kavanaugh Avenatti SwetnickI wish I could take credit for the following, which a reader sent me, because it’s so darn smart. I can, however, take credit for recognizing how smart Ms. L is and sharing her words with you:

I am reminded of a pet peeve of mine during these last few days as I read about the attempted destruction of Brett Kavanaugh by the Democrats. This is the misuse of the words “think” and “believe.”

Maybe it’s just me having received a grade school education from Dominican nuns who stressed proper grammar and English. The word “think” means you have facts and reason to support your conclusion – you can prove your conclusion. The word “believe” (or “belief”) is when you feel something to be true even though you cannot prove it; for example, a belief in God or outer space aliens.

Too much of the discussion re: Blasey-Ford is in the realm of “belief,” rather than “think.” Democrats are “believing” Blassy-Ford, while most Republicans are “thinking” about her and her accusations. Will be interesting who wins in the short term and who wins in the long term.

Also, it’s apparent with the appearance of this latest allegation from the Yale student [Ramirez, because I’ve been sitting on Ms. L’s email for a little while], that this is going to be the Democrats tactic going forward: bring forth a new accuser once a week and they can delay the confirmation forever.

Another thought on this fiasco is that no one (at least on the Republican side) will ever be confirmed again. I do not think that Kavanaugh did these things, but we all did stupid things in high school and college. When we were young and dumb, we were young and dumb.

A final though on this whole affair is that it seems to me that this is a piece of the whole effort to judge people’s past action by today’s “morality.” Just as there is the movement to tear down statues of people who do not conform to today’s “morality,” we are now to reject people who in the past had done what was normal and acceptable. High school and college kids in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s did drink and attend wild parties. Are all those people to be shunned? Yikes, that includes me and most of the people I know.