By David Hegg

If I have counted correctly, I have written almost 800 columns for The Signal. For several years, I have been privileged to put my opinions in print and enter them into the marketplace of ideas. As I sit at my computer writing, I seldom think about how my opinions land on the hearts and minds of those who take the time to read them. It isn’t that I don’t care about what others think, because I do. That’s essentially why I write: to influence the thoughts of others.

But I am always mindful that this is an opinion column. I am not writing a research paper or a legal brief. This isn’t a sermon or some other form of proclamation designed to present arguments backed by careful attention to authoritative sources. And while opinion columns may influence thought, change minds, and even stimulate action on the part of the readers, they still only represent the author’s opinions, presented without the benefit of supporting documentation, authority, or precedent.

So, what is the purpose of opinion? Simply put, it is to get people thinking in ways that will foster conversations that matter. It once was the case that, from the earliest age, children were taught critical thinking skills. They were trained according to the classical........

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