I need help, seriously. I'm not kidding. While there are plenty of things that baffle me, I am most baffled by the many critics of President Obama who insist on manufacturing facts and issues to critizice him, when there are plenty of real facts and issues for which to call him on. That's not bad enough: most of the time, the smallest amount of research will find their so-called facts to be wrong. Yet, they keep doing it! And some of my friends insist on continuing to swallow their lies, attaching their good names to the ridiculous emails and posts as they pass them on. To me, this just continues to erode their credibility. Why don't they see it this way, too?
Two recent examples, brought to you by one of my good friends, who happens to be Republican. First, see this link: Al Gore and the Emperor's Clothes. My friend didn't add any comments when she emailed this link to me, so I'm forced to make some assumptions about it and her point in sending it to me. The point seems to be that, because of unusually cold weather in many parts of the country this winter, the Global Warming alarm is false, and further, it's a scam. (Further, a comment posted on the above link notes that Al Gore has invested millions in green energy businesses, as if there is something wrong in someone investing in something he firmly believes will make him money. Isn't that capitalism, and sound financial policy?!)
Global Warming is real, and it's human-caused, period. Read this link to see why, in case you don't know already: 97% of Scientists agree Global Warming exists and is caused by human activity.
If that link seems a bit biased for you, read this: Wikipedia article on Global Warming
Now, for the other side, read what a member of Congress says this so-called fraud, who is also the Vice Chairman on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology:
Congressman Rohrabacker claims Global Warming a total fraud.
What are his science credentials, you might ask, and I'm glad you did (from his Congressional webpage): "He graduated from Palos Verdes High School, attended Harbor Junior College and received his bachelor degree in history from Long Beach State College in 1969. He received his master's degree in American Studies from the University of Southern California. In 1997, he married his wife, Rhonda, and in 2004, they became parents of triplets, Annika, Tristen, and Christian."
The answer is, he has NO credentials, no particular expertise, and, worse, apparently is not interested in using the extensive resources at his disposal to find the truth.
He is not alone, though, as this passage confirms:
130 Republican members of the House of Representatives, or 56 percent of the caucus, have publicly claimed that climate change is not real. Meanwhile, 30 Republican senators, or 65 percent, also disavow climate change. That's 160 out of 278 elected Republicans who rebuke climate change science—for a total of 58 percent, versus 0.01 percent of scientists. It shouldn't come as a surprise, really, given Congress' anti-science hotstreak, but the gulf is shockingly stark nonetheless.
Source: House Members on Glogal Warming
Again, climate scientists are nearly unanimous in their conclusions that global warming is occuring, and is caused by humans. They could be wrong, all 97% of them. But until they are proven wrong, it is only rational to believe them, and act accordingly. Anything less is just, well, ignorant and self-serving, at the least.
I wrote I had two examples, but I'm not going to waste time with the second one, as it is not as clear as the Global Warming example.
I'm as tolerant as the next person. What I have a major problem with is people that continue to willfully ignore facts, dismissing those that don't support their position, with no explanation or apologies or caveats, simply refusing to acknowledge they exist, or are accurate. If we can't agree on certain facts, and certainly facts, like nearly everything else, need to be taken in context, how can we ever make progress on our problems?
