<p>You asked me to respond to your arguments. IMO, you don’t make any. Here is how I read your opinion piece. </p>
<p>Your contention is --I’m not sure–either than one person can’t accomplish anything in politics or that you personally haven’t accomplished much and think it is futile to try. Or…? </p>
<p>Your “proof” is that :</p>
<ol>
<li>A couple of stickers and flyers for Ron Paul and a “half assed” senior speech are not going to change the mind of mulititudes. </li>
</ol>
<p>Umm…this obviously does not prove your point–unless you are trying to claim that the stickers, flyers and a lousy speech are (a) the most any person can do or (b) the most you personally can do. Again, I’m not sure which is your point, but I am sure that both are false statements. </p>
<ol>
<li>I can’t come close to understanding your point 2, but it’s something along the lines of I have spent a lot of time doing high school debate and that hasn’t changed the world and has just convinced me that any argument has a counterargument and it’s all about “frenzied activists” and lobbyists, anyway…or something like that? </li>
</ol>
<p>High school debate is a wonderful activity which can teach students skills that may be useful in a political context, but it’s not a form of political activism. If a student said to me “I want to change the world right now” I wouldn’t say the BEST way to do that is go join a high school debate team. What the HECK does this have to do with whatever you are trying to argue? </p>
<p>And, if you think a statement that “many” college debaters are pot-smoking Communist hippies is a “joke” not only did I not get the joke, but I haven’t a CLUE as to how that joke or factoid (I do note there’s no source) has anything whatever to do with the topic at hand–which is whether one person or you personally can do anything that has political impact. </p>
<p>You only have a few paragraphs in which to make your argument. Hone your points and get them across; don’t include irrelevant points. </p>
<p>This is just plain lousy argumentation. You certainly do NOT persuade anyone that one person can not make a difference. You might persuade someone that YOU can not make a difference because you would convince them that you are incapable of formulating an argument.</p>
<p>Start from scratch. It really is drivel.</p>