yes in college i did have to defend something that was against what i thought. it made me search deeper but in the end i did not change my mind and i still won for our team ! wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee +5

Debates in high school, mock trials, real trials, opening and closing arguments.....all a form of debate. My views remained the same throughout.

My favorite debate was over the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I was Pro-bombing (even though I am NOT in support of it, even now) and the opposition wasn't very bright with their "facts". When trying to get the emotional sympathy for the victims they really made it out to be gruesome (even though it was) but quite ridiculous as well. Heads falling off and rolling like bowling balls, etc. Of course my counter to that was another emotional argument for both; the chinese that the japanese practically slaughtered, and in some cases ate in their invasion of China as well as the high amount of american casualties at pearl harbor and the many more that would have surely been lost in the invasion of that country. I DID learn that Japan absolutely REFUSED to give into a peace treaty until the second bomb was dropped (we made it appear like we had thousands when in all reality those were it). I was so into it with specific facts and emotional arguments that even *I* became convinced that this was the right thing to do all the way up until the end. I don't support the bombing but I can see the logic in it, despite the high number of civilian casualties. I highly recommend that if you DO debate in the future, always go for the side of the debate you do NOT support and do your best to win the debate. It teaches you a lot in the end.