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Part of the problem as I see it is the header "Defend this." I only looked on this thread b/c it looked like another left-leaning-how-can-you-even-possibly-agree-with-this-bad-stuff-our-gov't-is-doing question. Although I often disagree with the issue presented, I also often find it very defensible and worthy of honest debate. This thread is like the Ohio poverty "Defend this" thread. Turns out Ohio is better than average in most of the poverty statistics raised in the study at issue. Turns out that the post here has more opinion than fact and the poster agrees we should take it with a grain of salt. If that is the case, I suggest that "Debate this" rather than "Defend this" is a far more appropriate lead in.
To Defend it, you first have to recognize the source for what it is, make your own determination as to the facts, then, if you don't agree with the facts as presented, describe the facts as you understand them, decide whether or not to defend the real facts or the grain of salt facts presented, and then orient the reader to which facts you are dealing with and whether or not you defend it. Seems like a long way around to argue about the patriot act.
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