Bullets

It's July 4, so of course we have to talk about....bullets.  A lot of bullets were used in the Revolutionary War.  And I am thankful to live in a free country, thankful to be heir of the liberty that our Founders envisioned and fought for.

But I'm not talking about lead bullets today.  I'm talking about points in a blog or article.  This feature nearly always draws my attention.  So, here's my list of random thoughts on bullets.

• Bullets focus on content, not style.  Why bother to make smooth literary transitions, when you can just shoot a bullet?
• Bullets are fast and easy.  I can read through a list of bullet points in a breeze.
• Bullets feed the consumer mentality.  "Give me something to chew on, and give it to me the way I like it."
• Bullets help you feel good about being in a hurry.  "I read 27 blogs," and by that I mean I read 27 bullet lists.
• Bullets allow you to compare your knowledge to the author's.  "Man, I could have written that list..."
• Bullets make the author look like he has organized things to say.
• Bullets allow you to add another thing to your list, even if you don't have anything else to say.
• Bullets imply authority, even when the point is empty.  (See point above.)

In spite of all their short comings, I still like bullet lists.  And I'll probably write plenty of bullet lists in the future. 

Bullets alone will not make us free, but maybe bullets with truth and purpose can.