OPINION — Detectives use something called abductive reasoning: you look at the clues, discern the facts, then ask what explanation best fits them. Let’s apply that to Steve Thomas’ letter about the council’s English-language vote.
On the surface, Mr. Thomas insists the council’s vote “doesn’t change anything,” yet calls it “shameful,” and mocks it with “Whew!…Muchas gracias!” and jokes about “White Christmas” and a 1950s-style mentality. We’re told it’s both meaningless and dangerous, all at once. Those two opposing claims can’t be reconciled.
But if it truly changed nothing, why the level of anger and sarcasm? Why call it “shameful?” You don’t burn that much rhetorical fuel on a harmless gesture. The emotional intensity is our first clue that something deeper is at stake.
