The stupid, it burns..

All that it takes for ignorance to prevail is for educated people to stand by and say nothing.

I have had it up to here with people who zombied their way through their chance at education and can't spell stoichiometry let alone know what it means parroting the right wing talking points in conversations about science as if they had somehow gained secret knowledge from chain e-mails and watching cable news.   So many subscribe to the notion that the guy who yells the loudest wins and to never let the facts get in the way of a good story.  They dole out their ignorance like fertilzer from a broadcast spreader. 


I used to just walk away from these people and think jeesh, what a maroon.  But as I get older I have less and less patience for arrogant willful ignorance and I find myself in more situations where I can't keep quiet and the instinct to ridicule the fool takes over.

I admit that I am not a world renown authority at anything in particular.  However I do have a broad knowledge on a lot of subjects and I read from a wide variety of sources, and I am not at all embarrassed to admit that I was wrong about something when new facts or data are presented.  Being rational means that you are willing to change your mind when the facts and data point you in a different direction.  The alternative to rational thinking is cognitive dissonance which has become an all-too common mental malady affecting our political landscape.


But whether you are Left or Right you should be concerned with attention craved simpletons spreading lies and mistruths in order to help propagate their nonsensical thoughts and ideas.  If one loony conspiracy advances your politics today, another one will work against them tomorrow.

So, Just say No.   Speak up against the arrogant willfull ignorance and ridicule the conspiracy theorists  if for no other reason than to make the dummy think twice about trying to hawk their bullshit on the next guy.