Seeking truth, we settle for feelings instead of facts

October 11, 2009

JOAN VENNOCHI makes the point brilliantly in “Howie Carr’s mysterious liberal foil’’ (Op-ed, Oct. 4). Anonymous bloggers proffer opinions but clearly lack the moral courage to stand behind their names. Anonymity doesn’t mean the opinion is without merit, the idea without substance. In the same way, an opinion with a byline hardly guarantees a thoughtful, substantial offering.

In a way, blogs are first cousin to those two inane questions meant to get at, well, something, asked every other minute on television: “What was that like?’’ and “What was going through your mind?’’ Imagining we seek truth, and facts, we regularly settle instead for feelings and blogs. In the end, coach Mike Ditka may well have provided us the best perspective when, in a talk at Fenway Park years ago, he said, “Anonymous means that nobody wrote it.’’

Thomas J. Cottle
Boston
The writer is professor of education at Boston University.