Sensing a Theme?

A recent NBC News poll found that 45% of Americans believed that health care reform would involve pulling the plug on grandma in some form. Leaving aside for a moment my often expressed distrust of how such poll questions are phrased, I bow to Stephen Colbert, who in response to this revelation said:

"Remember kids, in order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."

This goes along with my quote dump from a few days ago:

"If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way."

and from my 100 Things About Me:

99. I have one prejudice; I abhor voluntary stupidity.

So on the Health Care Reform issue, I offer three thoughts: 

Consider that thought should usually precede talk.

and

No, really. Medicare is a government program.

and

Your elected representative is lying about health care.

Thus ends today's well reasoned and heavily disguised rant. Fox and CNN may resume their regularly scheduled propaganda.

Addendum: The suggestion has been made that I am confusing stupidity and ignorance. Worth pondering.