General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I am a Climate Change (human caused) agnostic. [View all]Silent3
(15,909 posts)...entitles you to special consideration, that so as long as you think you start out politely, then no matter how wacky or ill-informed your soapbox spiel strikes other people, then everyone has to receive your "wisdom" politely and deferentially, otherwise they're persecuting you like an alleged Salem witch?
Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them..." -- Thomas Jefferson
Sometimes scoffing at what someone says, no matter how nicely they think they're saying it, is a perfectly understandable reaction. And even when it isn't, you're playing the part of "precious little snowflake" if you think getting a less than polite reception is tantamount to persecution.
Marco Rubio was being very polite when he called the age of the earth "one of the great mysteries". I don't care how nicely he said it. He deserves laughter and scorn for that kind of ignorance and/or pandering. Giving him just that is not burning him at the stake, not even close.