My brother used to frustrate us when we asked him “compound questions.” We would ask him if he wanted “A” or “B”, offering him a choice. Without exception, he replied “Yes.”

Of course that left us with the question, did he want “A” or did he want “B” or both. Even in cases where one choice excluded the other, we were left with trying to figure out which one he wanted.

I’m sorry. It sort of rubbed off on me. Sometimes, when I am given a choice between two things, I chose both. It does cause some frustration as well as confusion. I know because that is how I felt. Nonetheless, it does teach people to arrange their questions more carefully. It’s sort of like the woman that wrote the survey question about immigration.

When a person asks a yes/no question that cannot be answered with a yes or no, they don’t deserve any answer whatever. In the case of the immigration, yes, I am in favor of legal immigration. No, I am against illegal immigration. When she asked the yes/no question, I upset with it and refused to answer it. I suspect that I was not the only one that was upset with it as I saw a write-up a couple of days later. By the way, it is the reason I refuse to take part in surveys. They like to ask yes/no questions when neither is correct; neither is wrong.

During congressional committee meetings, frequently, they like to ask the compound questions, and expect a yes no answer. Better to expect yes, no, don’t know, or a qualified yes or no. It is the least for a person who is under oath to tell the truth. Questions should not be asked to which there is no truthful reply… certainly not when the person asking the question knows it.

Regardless, I do get a little perturbed when someone tries to put me in one box or the other based on a question for which there is no proper answer.