Global Warming: A Response to Reason or a Reason to Respond

I wrote what I wrote above as a response to a feverish “debate” I read yesterday morning. Someone uploaded a special on Global Warming and all the Neo-cons came out with their talking points (e.g., “Warming is natural and ok/there is no warming,” “then why was there so much snow,” “Al Gore didn’t invent the internet,” “weathermen can’t even predict the weekend weather,” “Democrats were on the wrong-side of slavery,” “there is no real science to prove it,” “this is a Liberal lie,” “the scientists are doing this for money,” or my personal favorite: “Get out of my country and move to France!“).

When did ridiculously absurd non-sequiturs begin to pass as rational thinking and counter-point debating in this country?

I welcome criticism on my writings, but instead of that, there was no debate other than: Global Warming doesn’t exist (mixed with childish insults and the occasional person tossing in how Glenn Beck is like a tall glass of water in a desert of Liberally-biased media); can we say “let’s parrot more Right-wing talking points?”

When did this country suddenly get invaded by intellectual lemmings? Silly me for thinking that disbelieving in Global Warming was a minority opinion. I posted my little rant on the MySpace forums and a couple other places on the net, and well, the same thing happened in each instance: the simple-minds came out of the woodwork and posted their absurd pre-canned attacks.

People should try to think critically about issues before drawing conclusions. Yes, I will say it: if you come to a conclusion before hearing out the issue from both sides, then you are a fool. If someone asks you what you think about “X,” it’s ok to say: “I don’t know enough about both sides of the issue to have a considered position.” Afterward, you have the option to go out there, get information, and let it stew in your head for a while, before you say something that is foolishly irresponsible or illogical.

An act of Logic and Reason is knowing, and executing, your right to say “I don’t know” without the fear of feeling stupid or unknowledgeable…after all you are not a polymath and nobody expects you to be one.