Everyone has a Right to their Own Opinion

"Everyone has a right to their own opinion". This is an oft used euphemism that I think has gotten twisted all out of shape. I think this popular phrase used to be reserved for taverns as in 'You can ignore the loudmouth at the end of the bar but he has a right to his own opinion".  Now it seems like if you have an opinion, no matter how crazy or lacking in factual support it is, you get to demand respect, time on tv and equal standing with those who actually know what they are talking about.

How did this happen?

Of course the drum I like to keep beating (my horse died) is evolution and science education. There is nothing to support the idea that the world is 5000 years old. Nothing. There is a LOT of scientific evidence that the earth is 4.5 billion years old. It is so crazy that the discrepancy can be that large and people (non-scientists) can have standing with their young earth theories.

Actually, they have standing and they don't. If you only watch tv and read papers and magazines it would seem that they have some standing. But, if you read scientific journals you'll find . . .

nothing.

In the actual world of science and technology, the people who are pressing for real answers and driving our culture forward, you'll find no mention of any of the crazy stuff from the religious right. They can holler, bury CNN in letters, gnash their teeth, and real learning and rationalism marches on without them. I wish there were a way to have them step back and see what an insignificant flea all that posturing is in the actual and real world of searching for truth.

On the other hand if you look at who is running school boards and making decisions about textbooks and curriculum it gets a little scary. I'd like to think that that is a local effect that will lose out in the end. . . 

There are no evil cabals
There are no conspiracies
There are no gods

It's just us here on this tiny mote but we are smart as hell and don't need to be held back by centuries-old superstitions.

And I'd like to think we won't be and that this turbulent chest thumping time between those who would keep us in the dark and those who would calmly lead us to real enlightenment will be just a semi-interesting blip in the ultimate history of the planet.