IDEAS can be dangerous

Although it's too soon to leap to any conclusions about motives in Boston bombing, one thing we've heard via the boys' mother, was the conspiracy theory that the U.S. planned the 9.11 attacks in order to turn the world against Islam. 

Whether it's 'Obamacare will kill grandma', 'my God is the one true God', 'your sex is weaker', 'my race is superior to others', or 'those people are evil'; ideas can kill...big time. Battles for hearts and minds too quickly turn into clashes on battlefields.

When we hear ideas like this, we can't ignore them. We need to argue against them, point out how irrational the idea is (while striking a balance of sympathy for the individuals espousing them). 

The notion that a government that some people don't trust, particularly a government that can't pass common sense legislation, or can't hide some of it's most embarrassing secrets, could be capable of pulling off some of the massive conspiracies people attribute to it is ridiculous and should be exposed as such at every opportunity. 

Sensible people must put themselves on the line to try to nip things in the bud, expose those who hate and spread lies on the internet, demonstrate against those who picket funerals, and vote out those representatives who encourage ignorance and misinformation to achieve their personal ambitions.  

We can spread ideas of our own, those based on fact and logic and good will. 

In the clash of ideas those should win out, because most sensible people want a world where people get along with each other, and advance civilization, not set it back. It's a war we have to win, and we should all consider ourselves in the battle.

If you hear something, say something.