There is growing concern about the harmful impact of pesticides on human health, agriculture and biodiversity, prompting calls from researchers to reduce their prevalence.
I made two points above. Mary Lou McDonald offered no evidence AND she's not a scientist. Mary Lou McDonald didn't make an argument and provide evidence.
That’s literally an ad hominem fallacy lmao.
This is incorrect. Pointing out that someone is not an expert in a technical field they are discussing is not an ad hominem fallacy. That's a ridiculous idea.
Typically this term refers to a rhetorical strategy where the speaker attacks the character, motive, or some other attribute of the person making an argument rather than attacking the substance of the argument itself.
If you recall, we are talking about what constitutes an ad hominem attack. Since being a lawyer does not preclude knowledge of science, pointing out that she is a lawyer constitutes an ad hominem attack.
Let me know if you need that spelled out for you yet again.
I never said she doesn't know anything about science because she's a lawyer. I'm saying that she's not a scientist and she works for an anti pesticide organization. Both of those facts are important and not mentioned in the article. I never attacked her character.
I think this is where we disagree, I don’t believe that clarifying someone’s expertise is an attack on their character. I don’t accept medical advice from people who have no expertise in medicine. It’s not a judgment on their character, is a matter of relevant expertise.
You seem to be a little too focused on the word "attack".
She made specific points and your response to those points was to fault to her expertise. You didn't respond to her points; you responded to her character.
She noted issues with the accuracy and relevance of the data used by the government in its assessment process.
She made this specific point. Her expertise is relevant to her statement as no evidence is offered. I'm making no judgement on her character by pointing out her expertise.
If a cop pulls you over for speeding and asks for your drivers license, it's not an ad hominem attack. Context is important and there is nuance to labeling arguments as ad hominem.