OK - I would like to start this thread as a means of getting the opinion of every ones "personal interpretation" of the word DEBATE (what ever constitutes a debate to you).... Please no arguing with posts made by another person, for it is their belief / meaning, not yours or mine.

AND - my reason for wanting (starting) this THREAD is that I feel that many of us here at PC are seeing some comments placed in the threads as debating the topic at hand when they are not, nor were intended to be so..... and all because a post / comment was made that counteracted that of what another poster felt toward the subject at hand.

In My Opinion - we cannot assume that any post is a debate (or trying to start a debate) just because the poster believes or see matters in a different light - but rather I feel we should see the majority of the post submitted as a form of personal expression of what each individual thinks or feels on the topic being disused.... Hence the vast variety in all the TALKING & COMMUNICATION that takes place with in the many threads of PC.

We are all unique individuals and we are all allowed (given the privilege ) to see or view matters differently than others: our friends, family members, strangers and YES, even that of our online relationships.... for this is what makes AMERICA great!

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Main Dictionary Entry: The meaning of the word DEBATE

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): de·bat·ed ; de·bat·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French debatre, from Old French,
from de- + batre to beat, from Latin battuere

1 obsolete : FIGHT , CONTEND
2 a : to contend in words b : to discuss a question by considering opposed arguments
3 : to participate in a debate

1 a : to argue about b : to engage (an opponent) in debate
2 : to turn over in one's mind

Function: noun

Pronunciation: di-'bAt, de-
: a contention by words or arguments

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IMO - a DEBATE is that which is done in an argumentive way..... to verbally fight the point of interest, and not that of one persons opinion verses another person(s) opinion - on any given subject / topic.

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LoVe,
Rhapsody -

Please share YOUR definition of the word DEBATE.... so that we may all learn from each other.