Epiphany

An epiphany is a sudden enlightenment. And I think it is time to try and create one in the minds of certain naysayers.

I will start with a simple premise: personal opinions are debatable; facts are indisputable, and therefore not debatable.

When I offer my opinion, I will usually state unequivically that "this is my personal opinion". Otherwise, chances are pretty darned good that I am simply presenting facts. And any person who attempts to debate facts will only serve to make him or herself look pretty foolish to everyone else, so please refrain from doing so, for your own sake.

Certain issues of right and wrong are seldom debatable. For example, it is not an opinion that the murder of innocent people is wrong - it is fact. And it is not opinion that rape or robbery are wrong. Those are facts. And cheating is wrong.

Now, murderers, thieves, rapists and cheats may disagree that their acts are wrong. But it changes nothing - they are still wrong, because those issues are not debatable - they are facts. And, as a rule, only the people doing the wrongs (and other fools) will try and debate the rightness of their acts, or otherwise try to defend those who commit them.

HotKarz will (almost) always stick to publishing the facts. And while some folks may object to the facts, it changes nothing. When HotKarz states that cheating is wrong, we make that statement because it is a fact. And if HotKarz says there is (at least) one club that intentionally uses their strength of numbers to alter voting results, we say that because it is fact. We may not divulge how we know it to be a fact, but you can take it to the bank - we would not make the statement if it were not undeniably true. If we were not 100% certain, we would say, "This is a personal opinion."

Still, a few folks get set on trying to debate such issues, saying HotKarz has no "right" to make such determinations. To that I say, we have every right to state facts. Everyone has that right.

And if a person insists on debating the facts, he really needs to be armed with facts to substantiate his position. Don't try the old liberal bluff of, "I disagree with you, so you are wrong." That does not cut the mustard. Disagreeing with an issue does not mean it is debatable. Murderers may disagree with murder being wrong. But their disagreement does not make murder right. It is still wrong.

Now, the folks who strongly object to the facts, or wish to ignore them, also object to me making their position public, and then responding to them in public.

Let me be clear - if you post a comment, you do so knowing it will probably be posted for all to see - that is the function of COMMENTS. And when a person posts a comment that includes spin, untruths, or otherwise makes unwarranted assertions or accusations, you can be 100% certain that I will rebut the comment. And you can be almost that certain that, in doing so, I will prove the correctness of the HotKarz position.

Everyone has the right to express themselves. They also have the right to be wrong. So anyone can post their comments. But understand that if a person chooses to disagree with simple facts (like the fact that cheating is wrong, regardless of where it occurs), then he should also understand that it is my job to rebut him.

For the record, HotKarz takes the position that certain things are wrong, including (but not limited to):

1) Jumping the fence, or registering in an inappropriate class for the sake of a trophy

2) Cheating of any kind

3) Forming or joining a "voting bloc" for the purpose of taking an undeserved trophy

4) Using a voting bloc to harm another participant

5) Having a judged show where the judges are not qualified

6) As a "peer judge", selling your vote to friends, rather than taking the judging obligation seriously

7) Not having distinct and well-marked classes in a show that has trophies and voting by class

8) Abusing ANY class by allowing vehicles into the class that do not belong there - even Special Interest

9) Messing with any participant's vehicle

10) Littering, foul language, personal attacks & childish behavior from adults

You can disagree with any of the above. But please do not try to defend an opposing view. There is no viable defense for something that is just plain wrong.

One might say they enter into an inappropriate class (particularly Special Interest) simply because there is no other class for them. But that is no excuse for doing the wrong thing. If there is no appropriate class for a vehicle, the vehicle should leave, rather than harm others, and ask the organizers to consider adding a class for them next year.

One might say that the qualifications of judges is objective. But judges, by definition, are to be fair, unbiased, competent and just, and leave their personal feelings at the door. Those qualifications are cast in stone. Anything less is not a qualified judge. By using a valid point system, judging can be more fair to all.

One might say that the "park anywhere" format in a show with classes is simply a logistics issue, determined by available manpower or whatever the excuse. But there is no excuse for running a shoddy show, while charging participants to enter. If unwilling or unable to put in the necessary effort to run a show, don't run it. Either that, or don't charge us to get in.

There are other things that are indisputably wrong, such as allowing folks to vote their own class, or allowing folks to "vote early, vote often" by not restricting the number of ballots a person can take.

I am in no way saying that I am always right - I'm not. But I am saying that, while my OPINIONS may not be always be right, my FACTS always will be right.

So, as a final note, please understand that we may not always agree. But we should always agree on the basic tenets of what is right and wrong. If not, please do not waste everyone's time trying to defend the indefensible.