A debate is undoubtedly a magnificent concept. It provides a participant not only an opportunity to express his/her opinions but also acts as a battle-pad, where he/she can try and convince everyone about his/her beliefs and way of thinking. One gets a chance to speak out his/her opinions and also to play the devil's advocate, supporting the point irrespective of whether it's right or wrong. Debate is the wonderland of all intellectuals, where each tries to accomplish the seemingly impossible goal of changing the view-point of another.

However, of late the quality of debates has become highly questionable. At times, the debates are nothing but an exhibition of personal attacks and hasty generalizations. The logical truth of any statement has lost its value and the concept of debates has turned more into a mud-slinging competition. In the shoddy debates nowadays, the primary criteria is not to prove yourself right but to prove the opponent wrong, by whatever means possible.

Sometimes, these means have absolutely nothing in common with the question at hand. Manipulation of facts, is another primary concern. Not that it's a particularly new and unheard-of practice but the the extent of manipulations nowadays are nothing short of gigantic. Sans these manipulations, sometimes the picture that we would get from the statements is starkingly different.

The attempt here is not to attack the process of debating and the debaters, but to make the listeners of the debates think about the sanctity of these debates. It is to make one question the logic behind the statements being made and help the listeners/viewers see and understand beyond the fancy words. It is to help everyone understand and differentiate the relevant points from what's nonsensical. If everyone can clearly sort out and refute the personal attacks and the illogical fallacies, then debate will once again obtain its rightful position of an intellectual and extremely honorable event.