We shouldn’t legitimize uninformed opinions

Somehow our culture has adapted a “respect each other no matter how dangerous one’s stupidity is” norm where everyone is entitled to their own opinion in matters already determined by crushingly obvious common sense or hard science.

Calling people on obvious ignorance is labeled cancel culture. It’s obvious that carbon dioxide emissions must be lowered dramatically or environmental catastrophes will multiply to humans and more so to other sentient creatures. But so many feel that they can elevate their ignorance to the level of climate scientist.

We also are full of infectious disease experts these days who somehow just know that covid-19 is not a big deal and that the vaccines are not to be trusted. I feel strongly that half the reason that so many feel so entitled to their own stupidity is that actual rational people somehow think we’re all better off entertaining the fantasies of those that are too ignorant to see the insane and horrifying direct results of their intentionally arrogant tribalism.

Anyone who still feels Trump won the election is ushering in totalitarianism but so many think it really doesn’t matter how crazy the media, social or traditional, is or how absurdly narcissistic and destructive the “opinions” of those they know truly are.

Like Jung said, we don’t have ideas, they have us. It seems to me that we are at a crossroads whether or not we wake up from fantasyland and become decent and intelligent enough to finally stop suffering grossly unavoidable atrocities.

Rick Walker

Snohomish

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