A Question of Respect

One of my readers (there might be seven if I am lucky) asked me why I show so little respect for the views of the Creationists and others, who are very sincere in their beliefs.

There is a very simple answer to that question.

I have very little respect for their views, and that is being generous.

I want to make it clear, that I have complete respect for a person's right to believe whatever the hell they want to believe, as long as they don't try to force it on me. I also have the right to think that their belief is a total load of runny kangaroo crap.

I deeply feel that there are some ideas that would be hysterically funny if the media weren't treating them as if they were the greatest thing to come along since penicillin and the polio vaccine.

I mean, Jesus....here is a very sincere looking news person, mike in hand, saying "Mr. Casswhistle Wynngnutt is the spokesperson for the Thousand Pound Rat Awareness Group. Members of the group have reported seeing rats the size of Volkswagens poking their heads out of manhole covers throughout Detroit. He says that these large rodents are lurking in the sewers and in the old salt mines awaiting the right moment to come forth and devour the entire Detroit Lions football team at halftime of their home opener..." The thing that moves this from the 'funny as hell' category, into the OMFG! category, is the simple fact that there are a lot of people who think that because they see it on TV, or hear it from some right-wing gas bag on the radio, that it is true. It moves further into the murky depths of ugliness when the politicians begin to base their views on these cockamamie beliefs...and these people are the ones who make the laws that we all are expected to obey.

When demonstrably crazy beliefs begin to exert influence over our lives in such a way, then maybe we need to start telling ourselves that these beliefs are like the guy who walks into your house party with dog shit on his shoes. The shoes need to be cleaned, or he leaves. If you think that there really aren't television 'news' shows who showcase idiocy, just Google 'Orly Taitz' and listen to her for a few minutes expelling her gospel of 'Obama is a Kenyan' on one of the cable news shows.

I find cranks entertaining as long as they are relatively harmless. When they begin making laws or derailing things that would actually benefit all the citizens, even themselves, then somebody needs to say, "We do not need to devote so much time and validation to ideas that simply deserve neither."

To wrap this screed up, I want to say that simply because someone is sincere in their belief does not entitle them to respect, in spite of the doctrine of political correctness. There were a lot of people in Europe who sincerely believed that the Nazi 'Final Solution' was a good idea. Shall we respect that?

Hell no!

Tim