Climate Change Supporters Prove They Don't Have the Courage of Their Convictions

When the idea came up for a debate on global warming, it seemed like a great idea to our tea party group. We had just finished presenting a very successful health care forum in our small town in northern Wisconsin and were looking for the next event to put on the calendar.

Many members said we should just call it a forum, as we would never be able to get any scientists who believe that global warming is a crisis to come to the table. But thinking I would know how to do what no one else has been able to do, I assured them a debate would be held.

That was eight weeks ago. I gave up after many, many emails and too much time spent behind the computer.

Our event is Saturday. Thinking that the most important audience should include those who will have to deal with the issue in the future, we invited over 220 high school students. Let them hear both sides so that they can decipher the conflicting opinions that have lately made it into the news. Knowing society has been preached only the “doomsday” side for a decade or more, it seems only fair to give the “skeptic” side a place at the table. As for the question of a debate, who wouldn’t want to defend their data and facts if they were so certain it was the absolute truth?

I invited scientists from all over the country — even some from around the world — to a fair and balanced event. I was amazed at the lack of response to the many invitations that went out, but more interesting were the insulting, mocking, sarcastic replies I received from scientists who seem to share a similar belief that a debate is ridiculous on such a settled science.

Now, I am not a scientist. I am just a mother who raised 9 kids and trains horses for a living. Nothing scientific about that, but it seems to me everything should always be open for discussion. The idea that a subject like man-made climate change is a done deal just doesn’t make sense to me, yet reply after reply let me know in very certain words that there is nothing to talk about.

In addition, the shared attitude of arrogance towards me or anybody who would even consider such “propaganda” as an alternative view was surprising. Humorous at first, but then a bit hurtful. My intelligence, my character, and, just a few days ago, my faith were attacked by men, all much smarter then me, who for some reason felt they needed to smear me and our simple, small-town event.

Outrageous to me was one scientist who claimed our high school students would not be able to understand the information and especially when the opposing side was paid off and presenting lies.

All the replies seem peculiar to me. If my career had been based on investigating something and I was so certain of my data, why would I not want to defend it?  Suspicious, to say the least. It’s like pleading the fifth; it usually means you are hiding or protecting something.

I wonder what these scientists are hiding.