About Minching Words

A man and woman in engage in an animated verbal argument.

Minching Words is an independent publication launched in April 2025 by communication and argumentation scholar, Dr. Kevin Minch. Basic content is available to all members.

Access Levels

Our goal is to give everyone who is interested access to the core commentary of this site without charge. Right now we aren't charging for membership in the site. Our eventual goal is to incorporate some low-cost membership tiers with revenue primarily going to support secondary and post-secondary speech and debate activities, but the costs of collecting revenue are too steep to do that at this time.

What We're About

This site's title is a play on words, but it also reflects the core of what this site is about. There are a variety of definitions for "mincing words," but typically it's used negatively in our society - to describe someone who is less blunt and indirect as opposed to someone who expresses their opinions without a filter (like many contemporary commentators). This site IS about nuance - the nuance we often don't get when we hear about politics. It's about good reasons, well explained, and grounded in history, data, and qualified testimony. It is "unfiltered" in the sense that it aims not to express ideological bias, but to use reason as its north star. At the site's core, we aim to teach subscribers how to talk to others about contemporary issues - particularly those with whom they do not agree - with rationality and civility, but without sacrificing purpose. We stand by these core principles in our commentary:

  1. Criticize the arguments people make, not the people who make them.
  2. Teach others how to share articulate, well-supported arguments with confidence.
  3. Testify to bad arguments, even and especially when they are made by those whose views we support.
  4. Contest discourse that threatens free speech, free press, free assembly, and civic engagement.
  5. Advocate for policies that best advance the preservation of human life and the quality of life for all inhabitants of this earth.

Meet people like you

Join a community of other subscribers who share the same interests. The ability to comment on content is open to everyone who is willing to engage in polite (not personal) debate about contested issues.

Important Disclaimer

This blog is an extension of the author's scholarship as a rhetorician and political communication and argumentation scholar. This site is not intended to advance any political agenda. The content and opinions expressed here do not reflect those of the author's employer or professional organizations with which he is associated.

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