To whip George Foreman

Today I had an opportunity to exchange comments with a young man I know. He's a college student who shared how it wasn't easy being a Republican in a college class on environmental law with a professor who's a self-proclaimed Democrat.

I shared with my young friend to remember something my son learned the hard way - that his left-leaning professor controls the grade book.  He who controls the microphone gets the last word.  In this case, the professor's grade book is his microphone and his last word is the letter grade he gives my friend.

I remember once attending a comedy show during which someone in the audience tried getting funny and wise-guy-like with the comedian. The exchange was fun listening to while it briefly lasted until the comedian verbally-spanked this wise guy into silent submission. The comedian controlled the microphone and got the last word and so will my friend's college professor.

My final middle-aged man words of wisdom to my young friend was that sometimes the quiet approach works best in heated debates and discussions.

I've learned that if you give a good private audience to a foolish person and let him or her speak long enough, he or she will eventually lay many golden foolish eggs that will then allow you to cook and deliver a plate of late-in-the-fight knockout punches and win the debate match; sort of like Muhammad Ali's rope-of-dope technique that he successfully used to whip George Foreman.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum