Ignorant vs Stupid

 A drab day here on the mountainside. Rain drizzling and fog hovering on the mountain top. I had to be at the lab for a blood draw early this morning. The Patient looked horrified when I told him I would need to be up and on the road by 8 am. "Do you need me to go with you?" he asked in a trembling voice. I didn't and am back already. He is still sleeping.

The radio was tuned to the station we like to listen to. Oldies are played all day long. REALLY old oldies, some that I remember from my childhood, before I really understood the lyrics.

Anyhoo, this early in the morning is talking about the news of the day and their take on it. One man was a self proclaimed Redneck and the other was the host of the show. As you can imagine, they were talking about UFO's and how "the government" was even changing the name of this phenomenom to make things "politically correct". Do what? This sounds absurd. I doubt the aliens are worried about political correctness .... if they exist.

Seems to be a craze of late to accuse "the government" for anything not understood. The Redneck opined that all the precautions that accompany products should be eliminated so that things will turn back into what he called 'the natural order of things'.

They went off on a tangent talking about dry cleaner bags with the message written on them to tell people not to put them over their heads (his words). According to this Redneck, this would make "the cream rise to the top" and eliminate stupid people. He thinks that stupid people should be left to be hurt or killed by their own ignorance. This would result in a superior society.

I am no history buff and could be wrong in my interpretation, but didn't Hitler think the same thing? Not the dry cleaner bag part, but didn't he want a superior race to rise and take over the world? Speaking of stupid, this is a rather narrow point of view to adapt, and if you give voice to it, you may be the one labeled 'stupid'.

The government did not cause the warnings on products. A variety of circumstance did. Most label warnings are a result of someone being injured by using a product in an incorrect way. Nowadays companies try to imagine the worst and warn against it to protect themselves from lawsuits.

And, by the way, WE are the government. That was the concept from the beginning. That WE elect representatives to convey our beliefs. It worked great at the start of our life as a nation. It was never perfect. The "service" of these representatives was never intended to be a career; as indicated by the word "service". But, greedy polititions decided to pass laws that favored their idea of "service". Greed and power seem to have overtaken our government, resulting in what we have today. 

Wouldn't it be nice if we could simpy erase it all and start over? Make the rules for the government officials first, then elect them accordingly. I imagine there would be considerable fewer candidates vieing for positions if there wasn't a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (retirement benefits better than many major companies have to offer). What if our polititions could focus on the issues that plague society, rather than on their next bid for election? Our country would still be diverse in opinions, but isn't this country a melting pot of the world? Just because we are born here does not make us superior. 

Our accomplishments make us what we are and achieving those accomplishments is not a birth right, but rather a reflection of individual work ethics and endurance. This mornings radio talk show made me reflect on all the people who complain endlessly about the way things should be and never do anything towards accomplishing this "better place" they speak of.

The men talking this morning seemed to think the world would be a better place if more people died needlessly because of their ignorance. The deaths caused by the dry cleaner bags was mostly children and pets. The warning is for the adults to dispose of the bags in such a way to prevent this from happening. The speakers on the radio indicated that only stupid people would wrap their heads in a dry cleaners bag. Does this mean small children are stupid? Or, do they just not understand how playing with this bag could hurt them?

I pondered all of this as I drove home. Why don't we just eliminate traffic lights and stop signs and let individuals driving decide who should go first? This would help bring the population number down. This prevailing attitude among the population is depressing.