Re: Evidence & Ethics...break the silence

[DRTUNA@aol.com]

How do you deal with a difficult issue? How about openly and honestly?

I am willing to pause briefly, but I cannot imagine doing much more than
that.

Let's get it out into the public arena where norms can be developed and the
facts can be examined. 

It seems pretty simple to me:
1. You look at the argument.
2. You look at the evidence read in the debate.
3. You look at the original of the evidence (if it can be found).
4. You decide if it is falsified or out of context. Falsified is easy,
context needs some standards to make a decision.

I have already judged a round  this year where context challenge was the only
issue (MSU vs. UMKC at Kansas State).

I have previously spearheaded an effort to expose evidence falsification
which led to that program being put on probation by the involved Dean and
CEDA awards taken away. That's right, when I received no satisfaction I
contacted their Dean and an investigation took place at the University level.
At the time I was asked by the person involved, "But I have a wife and
children to support, think of them." My answer was, "No, you should have
thought of that."

In the previous case, I reasoned this way: I have dedicated my life to
academic debate. It is important enough to me that if people are hurt because
they are guilty of direct threats to its integrity (and nothing threatens the
integrity of our activity like falsification of evidence), then that is too
bad. Debate is worth defending.

All of our competitive debates are, I believe, public events. As such, they
deserve public scrutiny. 

But silence will mean that the integrity of our activity is damaged.

Here is some frienmdly advice: I predict that people will refrain from
discussing the particulars of this case, but only briefly. If the parties
want it told their way, they need to start talking before someone feels
compelled to begin a discussion by posting  steps 1-2-3 as above.

Sorry to sound hard on this. But I think public discussion of this issue is
important.

In the meantime, I invite people to begin a discussion of standards for
determining if evidence is used out of context.

Alfred C. Snider AKA  Tuna
University of Vermont

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