Cliff Staples wrote:
>
> I find a bit too much ad hominem in your response and it keeps me from wanting to respond.
Perhaps this is a bit of verbal purism, but I really do wish that more posters would distinguish between _ad hominem_ arguments and personal attacks.
An _ad hominem_ argument holds that because Mary is a jerk her statement is false.
A personasl attack holds that because Mary's statement is false, she is a jerk.
There is a big difference. Ad hominem arguments are intellectually poisonous.
Personal attacks may be impolite or even immoral, but they don't confuse the argument.
Carrol