Test

_{Barry Arrington

December 14, 2013

Intelligent Design}

Share: Facebook; Twitter; LinkedIn; Flipboard; Print; Email

I am conducting a test here, and I hope our readers will help me.

Suppose the following terms used to describe a person were all you knew about that person:

“outspoken about politics”
“gifted debater”
“very strong beliefs about gun laws”
“dedicated”
“bright”
“from religious family that attends Bible study meetings”

In the combox below, please indicate whether from these descriptors you would:

A Assume the person is likely a conservative Republican

B. Assume the person is likely a progressive Democrat

C. Decide there is not enough information to make any sort of conclusion about the person’s political views.

Thank you for your assistance in this test. I will post the meaning of the test after I get several answers.

Comments

The purpose of the test (until Sal let the cat out of the bag. Thanks Sal), was to test my theory that the reporter was skewing the narrative, and I was right.
It's more likely that the reporter had limited time, so didn't research this very well. “outspoken about politics” : that happens across the spectrum, though the right is noisier. “gifted debater”: it's not clear what that means. Different folk have different ideas as to who is a gifted debater. “very strong beliefs about gun laws”: it did not say which side. I do think the pro-gun folk probably have stronger beliefs. But I see that more as an urban vs. rural, rather than as left vs. right. “dedicated” and “bright”: it's hard to know what those mean. “from religious family that attends Bible study meetings”: the curious thing there, is that it does not say whether the person is religious. It only says that the person is from a religious family.Neil Rickert_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
07:49 PM
7
07
49
PM
PDT}

A. Yes, I know I'm late, but I didn't have time to reply earlier as I was heading off to church. Anyway, A was my answer before I read all the comments and still is now. The Bible study gives it away, as surveys show that Dems are more prone to ignore religious stuff. Just going with the odds.TimT_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
07:32 PM
7
07
32
PM
PDT}

Of course you got all C's. Because everyone is unbiased in a public forum....haha yeah right.AVS_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
07:04 PM
7
07
04
PM
PDT}

The purpose of the test (until Sal let the cat out of the bag. Thanks Sal), was to test my theory that the reporter was skewing the narrative, and I was right. Most people said "C" but of those who guessed, all but one said "A." I am frankly surprised I got as many Cs as I did. I would have thought that if you had to guess A would be obvious. So I guess the reporter did not skew it as much as I supposed.Barry Arrington_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
07:02 PM
7
07
02
PM
PDT}

C...KRock_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
05:55 PM
5
05
55
PM
PDT}

From the description above:
“outspoken about politics” “gifted debater” “very strong beliefs about gun laws” “dedicated” “bright” “from religious family that attends Bible study meetings”

The teenage gunman who entered Arapahoe High School on Friday afternoon and shot two fellow students with a shotgun was outspoken about politics, was a gifted debater and might have been bullied for his beliefs, according to students who knew him. Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson identified the gunman as Karl Pierson, an 18-year-old student. "He had very strong beliefs about gun laws and stuff," ... Even before authorities named the gunman, friends and neighbors were in shock as word spread that Pierson was a dedicated, bright student from a religious family that attends Bible study meetings.
In fact, if you note the sequence of the list above, it follows exactly the sequence of those words in the above article! :-) Coincidence? I have no formal method of calculating the odds of this coincidence, but there is something more than the question posed, but who posed it. Now if we assume we have the right Guy, Karl Pierson, we use the tidbits of the clues Barry gave us to glean more information:
In one Facebook post, Pierson attacks the philosophies of economist Adam Smith, who through his invisible-hand theory pushed the notion that the free market was self-regulating. In another post, he describes himself as "Keynesian." "I was wondering to all the neoclassicals and neoliberals, why isn't the market correcting itself?" he wrote. "If the invisible hand is so strong, shouldn't it be able to overpower regulations?" Pierson also appears to mock Republicans on another Facebook post, writing "you republicans are so cute" and posting an image that reads: "The Republican Party: Health Care: Let 'em Die, Climate Change: Let 'em Die, Gun Violence: Let 'em Die, Women's Rights: Let 'em Die, More War: Let 'em Die. Is this really the side you want to be on?"
So it seems he was a democrat.scordova_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
05:19 PM
5
05
19
PM
PDT}

Geeze, AVS. Give it a rest! 1. Outspoken about politics Puzzling. Can't be good. Otherwise, it would have read, politically active, socially, responsible, or involved with the community. 2. Gifted debater Again, sounds like the "wrong" side of the reporter's bias. 3. Very strong beliefs about gun laws Gun laws or gun rights? Reporter bias. 4. Dedicated Dedicated to what? 5. Bright Attended class. Turned in homework. 6. From religious family that attends Bible study meetings Uh oh. Here it is. The person stopped attending Bible studies or church, but now Christianity must still be somehow slimed. I'd guess that this is an eco-terrorist minor from Colorado or Idaho. -QQuerius_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
05:10 PM
5
05
10
PM
PDT}

So you have absolutely nothing to say about biology, evolution, or ID? Is that because you know nothing about them, or because you are incapable of forming your own arguments? All you seem to want to talk about is me. Did you miss me that much? I mean I know I'm a great guy and all, but you don't need to make it this obvious.AVS_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
04:48 PM
4
04
48
PM
PDT}

Did you want to talk about biology or are you just going to continue trying to validate yourself in front of all your friends here?
Hah! How original. It sounds as if you are simply repackaging my comments above and then using them (quite poorly) as your own salvo against me. I guess we can strip "creativity" and "self-awareness" from your resume. Go ahead and "talk about biology". There are numerous threads discussing that very topic. This thread already has a settled topic. As such, if we've nothing left to contribute to it, perhaps it's time to mosey on down to one where something can be contributed.TSErik_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
04:42 PM
4
04
42
PM
PDT}

Did you want to talk about biology or are you just going to continue trying to validate yourself in front of all your friends here?AVS_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
04:33 PM
4
04
33
PM
PDT}

You should stop worrying about me, I have some time to kill and find toying with you idiots quite fun.
Then you've only validated my comments for any onlookers.TSErik_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
04:27 PM
4
04
27
PM
PDT}

Don't worry Erik, I'm not insecure in the slightest. And I don't think there is any such research on "12 codes of DNA," in fact I think it's a pretty ridiculous claim. Shouldn't be too hard to give me an example of some of the codes if there are supposedly so many of them. You should stop worrying about me, I have some time to kill and find toying with you idiots quite fun. Once again, if you'd like to talk about biology be my guest.AVS_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
04:12 PM
4
04
12
PM
PDT}

I’ve made numerous attempts in the past to talk biology here and even asked scordova a question which he ignored earlier today. You guys trashtalk evolution and yet you have little understanding of it or even basic biology. I am here out of boredom, although if you’d like to try to talk biology then be my guest.
No problem, AVS. The first one is free. I couldn't have predicted your answer any better. You've tried before? All I've seen in churlish quips and regurgitated memes and little knowledge in the way of biology, or any of the physical sciences. Honestly, I've read many of your posts AVS, and it is obvious your claims that the people here lack understanding in biological sciences is projection, most likely from insecurity. As for your question to Sal, I suggest you go back and read the whole thread again, and maybe do a little research, and rethink it. Now let us take the assumption that you, at one point, were interested in the exchange of ideas. You claim to have hit a wall. So, why then do you waste your time any further? Is your life so hollow that the waste of time means nothing? You claim you are here out of boredom. So lacking anything productive to do in your life, you hop on here to attempt to "bully" the people here. Your idea of "fun" (which I assume assuaging boredom is) is to attempt to validate yourself by "bullying" others? A life lacking anything productive or meaningful, such that one attempts harassment and insulting behavior in efforts to achieve some sort of validation -- is that not sad?TSErik_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
04:02 PM
4
04
02
PM
PDT}

Thanks for the psycheval Erik.I've made numerous attempts in the past to talk biology here and even asked scordova a question which he ignored earlier today. You guys trashtalk evolution and yet you have little understanding of it or even basic biology. I am here out of boredom, although if you'd like to try to talk biology then be my guest.AVS_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
03:50 PM
3
03
50
PM
PDT}

D. This person does not exist How do I know? “bright” and “from religious family that attends Bible study meetings”
Pathetic attempt at trolling. Are you sure you don't want to head back to Yahoo! Questions where things are, intellectually, more your speed? Right? It isn't that I don't enjoy you embarrassing yourself by betraying your shockingly dim wit, I do. However, this post shows you have absolutely NO interest in engaging in any serious way (limited as your mental faculties may be) as this post was not related to the ID v. NDE jousting, so far, at all. This was the same behavior as the last time you showed around, when you had embarrassed yourself. So, I ask, what's your game? If you've no interest to discuss topics legitimately, then you are here to either proselytize or to attempt to insult. Well, if you are here to proselytize you are terrible, and your debating skills are sophomoric at best. If you are here to mock, I ask, to what end? Isn't the time in your life more valuable than attempting to be an internet tough guy? If yes, then you wouldn't be wasting time here. If no, then you've a Sisyphean task ahead of you, because it would betray some serious insecurities. Which flavor of pathetic are you?TSErik_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
03:39 PM
3
03
39
PM
PDT}

I think his name is Karl.Chance Ratcliff_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
03:35 PM
3
03
35
PM
PDT}

D. This person does not exist How do I know? “bright” and “from religious family that attends Bible study meetings”AVS_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
03:20 PM
3
03
20
PM
PDT}

CEugen_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
03:18 PM
3
03
18
PM
PDT}

C. While the bible study thing might be seen to give an advantage to the conservative side, I think in today's political climate, a politically outspoken person would tend to be more liberal. As to the others: “gifted debater” - politically ambiguous. “very strong beliefs about gun laws” - probably more or less ambiguous. It's a big issue for conservatives but there's a lot of loud, leftist opposition to the status quo, especially in the aftermath of a shooting. “dedicated” - dedicated how, to what? Not enough information. “bright” - subject to interpretation. In some circles, intelligence is attributed based more on beliefs than intellect.Chance Ratcliff_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
03:17 PM
3
03
17
PM
PDT}

The issue was likely, not absolute information. So I made my decision based on what was known. What was not mentioned also says something about the person. Most liberals who are outspoken about politics are passionate about: 1. Obamacare 2. welfare 3. gay rights low on the totem pole are gun laws. Also give that democrats outnumber republicans 2 to 1 in foodstamp usage, dedicated would have to lean toward republican. "bright and gifted debater" could go either way. Even though coming from a religious family does not mean the individual is religious, if I were an odds maker, I would be inclined to say he is more likely to retain some of his family's values than reject them, hence I score him more likely a republican. That was my wager. But unfortunately, I lost this bet: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24721367/arapahoe-high-gunman-held-strong-political-beliefs-classmates
The teenage gunman who entered Arapahoe High School on Friday afternoon and shot two fellow students with a shotgun was outspoken about politics, was a gifted debater and might have been bullied for his beliefs, according to students who knew him.
He apparently was democrat. I lose my bet.scordova_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
02:59 PM
2
02
59
PM
PDT}

C, for the same reasons given by KF in post4cantor_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
02:58 PM
2
02
58
PM
PDT}

Honestly, my initial assumption would be A. Yes, the religiosity was the clincher for me.TSErik_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
02:58 PM
2
02
58
PM
PDT}

B. Only progressives would be described as bright and gifted. This covers for the fact their policies never work out.Piltdown2_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
02:38 PM
2
02
38
PM
PDT}

C.Andre_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
02:18 PM
2
02
18
PM
PDT}

A!scordova_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
02:04 PM
2
02
04
PM
PDT}

C.Neil Rickert_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
02:00 PM
2
02
00
PM
PDT}

C.Dick_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
01:56 PM
1
01
56
PM
PDT}

A. There are no progressives today that are even willing to debate, let alone are any good at it.George E._{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
01:32 PM
1
01
32
PM
PDT}

Is her name Linda?Reciprocating Bill_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
01:30 PM
1
01
30
PM
PDT}

cbornagain77_{December 14, 2013
December
12
Dec
14
14
2013
01:07 PM
1
01
07
PM
PDT}

Prev 1 2 3 Next

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Leave a Reply