From the Outside Looking In

Yo.

When I write on this blog, I tend to write on issues that concern me.  That usually means that a lot of people have strong opinions on the subject.  Further, the issues are often rather thorny, so that raises its own dangers.

Something to remember when reading is, I claim no monopoly on truth or knowledge.  When I write on Islam (I’ve finished A Dream of Red Mansions, and the Qu’ran is next), I will be writing as a lapsed Catholic/not-quite-agnostic with an interest in the subject and a few Muslim friends, not as someone with years of cultural and intellectual immersion.  When I write on feminist issues or gender roles, I write as a young man from a fairly WASPy background (I was raised Catholic, but still), not as a person with a gender studies or heavily feminist background.  When I write on science or engineering or history, I write with an eye more aimed at science than at political correctness.

The inevitable result of this is that I will express some opinions that they may be inaccurate, that may be objectionable, that may be naive or blunt.  Sometimes, this is deliberate; there is value in prodding the sacred cows every so often.  Sometimes it’s unavoidable; many of the subjects that interest me are contentious at best.  Often, however, it’s the simple ignorance of an outsider.  The best cure for ignorance is education, so before jumping all over that ignorance, we should try to correct it.  This applies to opinions everywhere, not just me (although, if the person displays stupidity and bigotry as well as ignorance, that's a different story).

The point I’m trying to make is, these posts are as much for my education as for my self-expression.  I’m still learning.  If something bothers you, let me know; if I’ve made an inaccurate claim, please correct me; just don’t treat it as a manifesto.  At this stage of my life, my views are hardly set in stone.