An Entitled Opinion

 AN ENTITLED OPINION

The accepted opinion is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  I don't know where this idea ever came from, but it simply is not true.  Many people are not entitled to an opinion, in fact, probably most.  Why should you be entitled to an opinion if you know nothing about the subject for which you have an opinion?  Why would you think that simply because you can speak and move around, that you are entitled to an opinion on a subject of which you know nothing?

The answer, of course, is that you don't.  And you shouldn't.  The Declaration of Independence mentions life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  It didn't say a thing about opinions - - totally silent.  This would lead one to believe that opinions were omitted as simply not relevant.  And again, the Constitution to the United States, including the Amendments, are silent when it comes to opinion.  Nowhere does it say that due process or equal protection applies to the opinions of anyone who thinks they ought to have some.

It is clear, simply from absence, that an opinion is not something that was given much thought back when - - and for good reason.  Nothing has changed since 1789 or whenever, that makes it any more likely that a citizen of this country is able to form a knowledgeable opinion now.

The sources of knowledge that are available to be able to form an opinion are numerous and continuance.  One only needs to pay some heed to them which, I know, does require a certain amount of time and attention.  Time and attention are the two factors that are critical in the development of opinion:  It takes time and effort to absorb the knowledge required for an opinion which appear to be the two factors that seem to be absent from the lives of our countrymen.

We have decided, as a people, as Americans, that time and attention are two things we don't have enough of in our busy lives of working, TV, and sporting events.  Just too busy and besides it can be depressing if successfully engaging in opinion forming.  One would actually have to read items in a newspaper, magazine, or book in order to be able to form an opinion on anything beyond our immediate ken and additionally, it might be depressing.  There simply isn't enough time in the day to learn enough to be able to form an opinion and besides, who wants to be depressed.

So, the solution has been and continues to be that we adopt ready made opinions.  It has been observed that currently there usually are two contrary opinions on any given subject - - they would be the opinion expressed on Fox and the opinion expressed on MSNBC.  These are ready made opinions and ones that are simply adopted by the viewers.  Very neat and tidy.  No messing around with newspapers or magazines or books - - not necessary.  These opinions are the opinions that you believe you have the right to possess and they really aren't even yours though you claim them.  So when someone says that you don't have a right to an opinion, give it some thought, and come to the proper conclusion:  you really don't even have any.

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo