Ad Hominem and How Its Killing America

The technical definition of an "Ad Hominem" according to Miriam-Websters is "appealing to feelings or prejudice rather than intellect. In my own terms, I would describe this fallacy in terms of any rhetorical criticism which is not strictly concerned with the facts.

I would argue that the majority of "argument" today comes down to some form of ad hominem (feel free to disagree with me on this, but if you do, please use facts). The unfortunate truth is, when it comes discussing and resolving matters of real importance--those complex, morally ambiguous, and weighty matters which are the constant focus of American politics today--there is not a lot of real discussion and resolution going on.

Let me take a step back and tell you what I see. I'm 21. In the eyes of most adults, I am not yet one of them, however, I have had powers of reasoning for years now, and though they will not likely get much attention for a few more years to come, my mind has been moving along steadily, absorbing the world around me. I have ample reason to believe this is true for the broad majority of my peers as well! Now, let me tell you about that 'seeing' part: during these formative years I've engaged in/observed many political discussions. All you have to do is put a name out there like "Obama", "Glenn Beck" or  "Hillary Clinton" and, depending which side you're talking to, the things you're likely to get back are "socialist", "nutjob" or  "****"[sic.].

Ask a liberal what they think of conservatives or vice versa; you tend to get the same thing. The strength of ad hominem used will only depend on how surrounded by allies the critic is our how anonymous they feel--as in any discussion which takes place on the internet.

This doesn't just apply to people either, even the topics of discussion are subject to the same fallacies. Healthcare Reform is written off as a push for communism, capitalism and free market support as simply greedy and selfish. Nothing is safe from the vitriol. People, policies, ideologies, or anything else can be torn to pieces for being ignorant, ammoral, bigoted, or any variation of the word "insane". I'll pat myself for never falling for this, though I would be lying if I said I've never employed these tactics in my own arguments. (I promise I've repented!)

If this is what's happening among teenagers and young adults, then how can we expect the situation to change anytime soon? And it's worth asking where they rising generation are even getting it from in the first place? Their parents, the news, and any comment ever posted on a youtube video most likely.The fact of the matter is most people wont have a conversation these days. People of differing opinions are now so polarized that they write off everything the other side believes as either utter ignorance, or the product of a cruel and malevolent mind. THIS is ad hominem. And until it stops, we aren't going anywhere.