Forrest Gump often quoted his mother saying, "Stupid is as stupid does." Mrs. Gump would have surely made that comment regarding John Boehner, the Speaker of the House, when he remarked, "Listen, I'm not qualified to debate the science over climate change."

Here is a video of Boehner explaining how he is not qualified. In spite of Boehner's lack of qualifications, the globe is warming.

Global warming....

I do not know precisely what would have bothered Forrest's mother about Boehner; however, I have three things that rattled me. Boehner is not qualified but others are. He could look into the topic and research it himself. Finally, if he still cannot figure things out, we need a new Speaker of the House. Let us look at each of these issues.

Problem 1. Let's get all the card on the table. No one is an expert in all areas of science, medicine, history, math, finance, astrophysics, etc. Therefore, when we are not an expert, we consult the experts. That is a no-brainer.

Had Boehner gone to his family doctor who told him about some medical issue that Boehner needed medical treatment, how would he have responded? "Listen, I'm not qualified to debate this medical issue. Therefore, I won't do what you want me to do." Forrest's mother would has dissed that comment.

We all respond to experts in the field. In the case of climate research, 97% of all the experts agree on global warmer and that humans are causing the vast majority of it. These are just a selection of Internet sites:

• http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/global_warming_101/
• http://time.com/2940876/nasa-global-warming-satellite/
• http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/?rptregcta=reg_free_np&rptregcampaign=20140623_rw_membership_r1p_us_se_w#

Problem 2. If the Speaker of the House does not know something, one would expect him to listen to the experts. In addition, he could do his own research on the topic. If Boehner went to the Internet and Googled global warming, he would find over 33,000,000 sites. Here are several:

• http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/global_warming_101/
• http://time.com/2940876/nasa-global-warming-satellite/
• http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/?rptregcta=reg_free_np&rptregcampaign=20140623_rw_membership_r1p_us_se_w#

While Boehner is not an expert on global warming, his learning level is below that of any high school students in a science class. He could have watched George Stephanopoulos interviewing some guy on the topic of global warming and the carbon dioxide (CO₂). The burning of fossil fuels increased in the States by 5% from 1990 to 2012. The vast majority of CO₂ emissions come from our burning these fossil fuels. Listen to what this expert thinks that has caused all the CO₂ and has resulted in global warming.

If Forrest's mother had watch the interview with Stephanopoulos, I know how she would have responded, "Stupid is as stupid does." Humans breathing or the flatulence of cows does not cause global warming.

Problem 3. Stephan Hawking said, "Primitive life is very common, and intelligent life is very rare. Some would say it has yet to occur on Earth." If the Speaker is not able to lead, he should step down. Boehner is not an expert on global warming nor leadership. In addition, leadership is not following those who hired you to lead. Boehner is merely echoing some who are even less capable of thinking than he.

Boehner and his lack of leadership remind me of the old song, Little Sir Echo.

Carl Sagan also wrote, "The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion and politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no place in the endeavor of science." Leadership requires leading...leading those that might not realize the problem and solution. That is precisely what leaders are to do. Leaders are not followers of the blind.

The Blind Leading the Blind

Forrest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does."

Visit the Stupid is As Stupid Does page to read more about this topic.

08/07/14