Schiavo update

I know everyone is getting tired of this story, and probably nobody wants to hear me continue to rant about it anymore - but too bad... I just cannot stop.

Frankly, this story has every element. It lays bare so much of what I despise in the world, and the struggle for intelligent and rational people to rise above the din. We will be persistent (pun intended) in defending science, education, and the rule of law against the very stupid, and unthinking, people who just don't have a clue.

And - what I've been saying is, lets call them stupid. Lets do it right to their face.

That's what one of the neurologists who examined Terri Schiavo did while appearing on the Joe Scarborough show on MSNBC yesterday. Scarborough is an idiot, who really doesn't know shit - and he rants and raves his ignorant opinion into the ears of other stupid people. But, this time was different. This time a neurologist who actually has the proper training, education, and mind to comprehend these issues beat him like a step child.

Read the transcript of the show here: I wish I had seen it.

Here's a taste

CRANFORD: Wait a minute. You are not accurate on a lot of things here. You're saying a lot of -- she's not starving to death. Do you understand that? She is dehydrating to death.

DANIELS: Well, why do you say that? Tell us how you came to that conclusion?

[crosstalk]

CRANFORD: Can I tell you why? Because I have done this 25 to 50 times. I don't know how many times Joe has done it, but I've done it 25 to 50 times in similar situations. And they die within 10 to 14 days.

Nancy Cruzan did not die in six days [as guest Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition suggested earlier in the program]. She died in 11 days, 11.5 hours. And Terri Schiavo will die within 10 to 14 days. And they are dying of dehydration, not starvation. And that's just a lie. And Joe doesn't have any idea what he is talking about. And you don't have any idea what you're talking about.

My God - we have to keep saying that over and over and over again - yet the stupid people keep saying "starving". I got in a bit of a tussle with somebody I know over that exact same thing. She actually said "what's the difference, they're killing her?" When I started to explain the difference, she got that nose scrunched up look and started waving her hand at me to stop. I'm sure you've probably seen that before. That's the "I'm putting my fingers in my ears so I can't hear you, and so I won't have to deal with what you're saying because I like believing the lie, because the lie fits in much better with my emotional state". How's that for a run-on sentence?!

So, what an amazing exchange on a news program? Brilliant! On one side, we have a few talking heads pulling made up bullshit (talking points) out of their ass. On the other side, we have a highly respected neurologist. I hope everyone understands what it takes to reach that level. Start with 12 years of education AFTER graduating from high school. Then pass all the certification exams. Only the cream of the intellectual crop make it that far.

So now one of them is pissed off and calling the talking heads liars, and asking how they could be so stupid! Brilliant!

CRANFORD: You don't know the answer to that? The CAT scan was done in 1996, 2002. We spent a lot of time in court showing the irreversible -- you don't have copies of those CAT scans? How can you say that?

The CAT scans are out there, distributed to other people. You have got to look at the facts. The CAT scan is out there. It shows severe atrophy of the brain. The autopsy is going to show severe atrophy of the brain. And you're asking me if a CAT scan was done? How could you possibly be so stupid?

Holy cow, that's amazing! Here is a neurologist going on a NBC news show and asking how the host could be that stupid! Brilliant!

Maybe the good doctor read my blog and agreed with my view that we need to stop being nice to the crazy people. The line has been crossed, and the crazy people crossed it.

Sometimes it is a curse to be very intelligent. You sometimes have to contend with people you know are wrong, maybe lying, certainly ignorant, and it's very frustrating because it seems that with ignorance comes a high degree of certainty. Very bright people don't always assume and insist they are right (unless that comes with a very large ego), but stupid people are too stupid to realize they're stupid.

** Edit **

Do you think the person that said "ignorance is bliss" is/was ignorant? Is it possible for an ignorant person to know they're ignorant? I'm guessing not. After all, you have to be at least fairly well informed to know what you don't know.. if you know what I mean..