Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for October 20, 2019

You have the right to your opinion. I have the right not to listen to or read it.

oh, the wonders of duct tape

But what if you say something that’s so dumb that it’s actually smart?

Go ahead, I’ll hold your beer.

If you have never studied the topic, or given it two minutes thought, and just repeat the drivel you get from the media, how do you end up “entitled” to an opinion?

Pig will be hushed!

Opinions are like noses. Everybody has one.

At first, I thought the guy with the duct-taped mouth was a Hannibal Lecter type enforcer.

Rat just stay still so we may put the whole roll of Duct tape on your head ! … Croc Power !

LOL! “The Knicks have a chance!” That was funny!

One of my favorite sayings: “Better to remain silent and look stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!”

spoken like a true lefty – the only correct opinion is theirs lol

People who voice dumb opinions give you practice in thinking about why those opinions actually are dumb.

Of course, it gets boring when you’ve heard it and answered it forty times already, but do you really trust anyone with the duct tape?

Pastis made another gag.

In my opinion, Gorilla tape will work better.

Duct tape and WD-40 the solution to all things for males of any and all species. Alternately thrown in for what it’s worth, “And I got a project going somewhere else can’t help you with_____________.”

If only the problem was just verbal opinions. They need to shoot Twitter and its imitators into the Sun.

Sounds like life in China. Oops, gotta go, someone’s at the door.

Where are the shackles for cartoonists who insist on putting their stupid opinions in their strips?

“Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.”

The Dude

The most dangerous are the AntiVaxxers who are spreading the plague and proud of it.

Who’d want to tape a duck? Hardy har har seeeelenciooooo

Opinions and facts are galaxies apart these days.

I often think of this exchange (paraphrased below, as I forget the name of the fighter, but rest assured there was a name, and it was the wrong one) that I read once in a column about boxing.

Bar Patron 1: I think John Smith is the greatest pound-for-pound boxer who ever lived.

Bar Patron 2: that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!

Bar Patron 1: I’ve got a right to my opinion!

Bar Patron 2: Not when you’re wrong!

Boy, do I have a list of candidates for the “Opinion-Be-Gone” treatment. And no need to remove the duct tape for feeding, either.

The worst of it comes from most people confusing their opinions as facts. Wait! get that tape away from me!

I used to think everyone was entitled to his/her own opinion until I read YouTube comments. Then I became disconcertingly aware of the number of rabid nut cases that actually walk the streets among us, and came to understand a shining Truth of the Universe: The Majority is Seldom Right.

Once that was realized, I have been considering collecting bricks to build a tall thick wall around me, with a small door through which food can be passed to me three times a day. Well, either that or don’t read comments.

But I do believe Rat is absolutely correct: having an opinion does not automatically entitle one to state it. Perhaps a “stupid-o-meter” app kind of like “Grammatik”… to help us understand when a comment is too goofy to publish. Hmmm… bet one could sell a million of those. Well, except that those who make such comments don’t care if they’re goofy or not.

It is disconcerting though. Seriously so. Explains a lot about the world condition though… ; )

My own comments are of course totally excluded from this concept.

one can have an opinion about matters of taste and personal preference, but not on matters of fact unless one can refute the fact with overwhelming evidence

That is a product that we could use for nerds on social media and blogs.

“You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.” ~ Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Well, in MY opinion …

I think every opinion IS important – how else will you weed out the imbeciles?

The best part of this one is “I sold five billion in the first hour”.

A strong wise fella told me The Next Guy’s Ideas Are As Good As Yours. Once.

A handy response and nice combination with Pig’s “Hole” invention from yesterday.

We always called in 100 mile an hour tape. Stays on up to 100 mph. Aluminized tape was 1000 mile an hour tape.

We’d run out of duct tape. We could not possibly keep up with the demand….especially if it also worked on keyboard, apparel, signs, flags…..

The real issue started when Opinions became: “Alternate Set of Facts”.

We silence would be deafening! But ever so sweet.

HEY! Is that silver duct tape? I have a wart to remove.

It used to be everyone was entitled to their own opinion. But in recent years it’s become everyone’s entitled to their own opinion as long as that opinion is the same as what only a particular group wants. Otherwise your told your not entitled to an opinion.

Especially POTUS

I don’t care about the political stuff, but the Knicks comment made me laugh out loud. (And I’ve been a Knicks fan since 1969. Dave DeBusschere is no doubt spinning in his grave.)

I glanced ahead at “* Gag removed for meals,” and I thought they were talking about the comic strip.

You don’t have to remove the gag. A feeding tube through the nose works wonders.

You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant— Harlan Ellison

Pig is right of course. But my definition of opinion is a point of view that’s based on reality and currently known facts. Without those, all those people are spouting are bizarro fantasies for most of those opinions, and wishful thinking for the rest.

Like keisters everyone have opinions, few have facts.

I once threatened to invent a blow-hard seeking missile and release it at work. I was advised, however, that in such a target rich environment, that it would just circle around in confusion until it ran out of fuel.

I’ve often said, people don’t have to agree with me, they can be wrong if they want. I also add that we all think that way. We think we are right and anyone who disagrees with us is wrong and we should be honest enough to admit it.

I’ve had people argue that others are not wrong, they just have a different opinion. I ask those people if they think I’m wrong or just have a different opinion. The honest ones admit they think I’m wrong and I’m OK with that.

But you can’t gag Pig! He’s one of the stars of the strip, Rat’s foil!

Pastis really likes to yank our chains!

The individual who invented it is the one most in need of it.

Now we know Rat is a leftist.

Opinion Be Gone and the Portable Hole rather put me in mind of Bill Engvall and “Here’s Your Sign”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBjelRDKHUk

Civil debate is dead!