Remember this, which I posted a few days ago? Im posting it again. With three addenda for some of my friends who comment consistently on one side of the political spectrum, in pretty much exactly the same way every time. Addendum The First: YOUR ANECDOTE IS NOT DATA. It is, at best, a datum, a single point. It isnt proof of anything, no matter how you bluster and rant and spew your talking points and memorized bullshit. There is no way to apply what you have seen and experienced to EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. No universal rules come out of I know this guy who.... Your experience is valid. Its important. But its also no one elses experience, and vice-versa. So quit acting as if it is. Addendum The Second: NOT EVERYTHING IS A PERSONAL ATTACK AGAINST YOU. Berke Breathed coined the word offensensitivity thirty-some years ago, and it fits. Ohhh, it fits. People speak in generalities because life is short. I used to say Republicans blah blah blah, and some of my conservative friends got angry, so I narrowed it to Republican politicians and pundits. Those friends STILL get angry. I used to go off on religion, but I have many religious friends, so I had to narrow it down to organized religion and then particular organizations and nowadays I try to be specific when I call a very stupid religious person (e.g., Pat Robertson of Bill Donohue) a doofus. Listing every possible exception to everything so that no delicate fee-fees are hurt is a pain in the ass, and insulting in general, and is basically covering your ass. My ass, and my assholery when it manifests, is too big for that. I do my best to measure my words, and I can take the heat. But if youre looking for something to be offended by... well, youll likely find it at some point. Its damn sure I aint perfect. Addendum The Third: SCIENCE DOESNT CARE ABOUT YOUR POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC AGENDA. I have problems with science deniers because they GODDAMN DENY SCIENCE. If you feel the need to question EVERYTHING about climate change, pollution control, vaccines, etc., etc., etc., and especially if you feel the need to mention Obama while doing so... YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. Because the universe, whether created by an Overbeing or slapped together by random forces, keeps chugging along by its own rules. We actually know many of these, through centuries of observation and record keeping, and we can make reasonable predictions of how things will work -- a ball tossed up in the air will fall to the ground, etc. Neither the ball nor the ground give a shit if you believe in them or not. Climate change is happening, whether you believe in it or not. Pollutants pollute, whether you believe in it or not. Vaccination curtails mass outbreaks of disease, whether you believe in it or not. Another thing: Its always good to be skeptical. But the chances are pretty good that you are not an expert on whatever it is youre criticizing, let alone all the other things youve been an expert on the past several years of Facebooking. I link to things people are DOING, and theres just the smallest chance that they might know better than you. So think before you comment. Heh. I guess that last line is the point of this whole thing. Not that I honestly believe itll help matters. But I have to try. All righty then. Bring it.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 14:25:57 +0000
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