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Reviewing articles on online writing forums has a lot if issues tied to it. However, none is more pressing than the reviews that occur on sites that allow for opinion pieces to be written.

Opinion writing is just that, the opinion of one individual over another. At no time should any one person or person's opinion be held as more important than any other. To do so is paramount to being a sensor or propaganda writer.

When reviewing articles that reflect opinions, a reviewer should separate their own likes and dislikes on a topic and reflect on the material content of the article. One should ask these questions:

Does the article address the title's issue?
Is there supportive evidence for the position?
Does it read well?
Does it provide insight?
Does it provoke emotion or thoughts?

As long as it does these things, even if you disagree with the opinions or position of the writer, then the article has fulfilled its purpose. Save your response to the statement of the article for your own opinion piece.

Every person, and especially every writer must recognize that the world does not revolve around themselves. Just like them, every person has their own perspective on what is good, neutral, or evil. It should not be an active task of any person to force someone else into obscurity just because they say something that is not keeping to what a particular person or group wants to hear, or see.

This becomes even truer in the realm of politics, even if it is only a social-political issue. The only real way any person is able to make good decisions is by being well informed. Some of that information is by way of testing a political opinion. That is where debates come into play.

As the Good Book' states, iron sharpens iron, so unto men sharpening men until we are all of the finest instrumentation we can possibly become. Our thoughts and ideas must be allowed to develop. That does not occur by squashing the disliked opinions out of sight, but rather, allow them to be seen, discussed, and embraced or dismissed accordingly. In this way we can sharpen each other's ideas while not forcing each other into conformity.

Opinions are personal in nature. The opinion of someone else should never cause anyone to feel uncomfortable with their own opinions. If it does, it only means that their opinions are not well founded in the first place. Such people do try to control the ideas of others, but in a place of free speech and free press, that should not be occurring.

Each of us should double check ourselves when reviewing as to not be giving bad reviews because we don't like what is being said. Instead, we must limit ourselves to reviewing for content and quality of the article. Only then can the source of the opinion piece, as well as all leisure readers of the article, develop in their own opinions on the issue.

Learn more about this author, Wayne Villines.
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