Monday, March 1, 2010

Sen. Lindsey Graham doesn't like all the name calling coming from the Right

I had no intention of posting twice on Sen. Lindsey Graham (the other post is at Potluck) but this takes the cake:

I have been to enough college campuses to know if you are 30 or younger this climate issue is not a debate. It’s a value. These young people grew up with recycling and a sensitivity to the environment — and the world will be better off for it. They are not brainwashed. … From a Republican point of view, we should buy into it and embrace it and not belittle them. You can have a genuine debate about the science of climate change, but when you say that those who believe it are buying a hoax and are wacky people you are putting at risk your party’s future with younger people.
So, on one hand you have the Global Warming cultists calling we skeptics Nazis and on other, we skeptics are calling Global Warming cultists "wacky" and suggesting that they just might be gullible.  Yeah, I can see how that equates in Graham's world. 

Depending on who we are talking about in the Global Warming crowd I might call them wacky, gullible and victims.  I might call them scammers, con men or lying sacks of ....  Well, you get the idea.  But, I don't call people with whom I disagree "Nazis".  Fascists, yes.  Nazis, no.

That said, Graham doesn't do young people any favors by pandering to them.  His suggestion that the Republican Party, as a matter of policy, should take advantage of young people because of their youthful but misplaced idealism, is stomach churning.  Instead, how about if we are honest with young people.  The science is not settled and it is becoming less settled every day. 

Give young people the facts.  Talk to them about the myriad of ways that we can protect the environment while we increase our energy independence but don't pander for political gain.

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