Dioxins, Frozen Plastic, and Morons.

So, I am apparently too harsh and mean-spirited towards people whose world view conflicts with my own. I'm supposed to be more tolerant of different world views, more accepting of people with different fundamental assumptions about reality. I'm supposed to not always think that I am right and realize that other people have valid concerns which, while based upon different kinds of evidence, are equally valid, reasonable, and useful to human beings living on a rock revolving through space. I'm supposed to be nicer. I ought to not be mean.

Which is fine. Except, this morning when I arrive at work this e-mail forward was waiting for me in my inbox:

"Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in i'ts newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter as well.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic."

You see, I store my plastic water bottle in the freezer at work and then drink from it once it starts to freeze. My co-workers, who do not wish to have to learn how to photoshop pictures for themselves, want me to not get cancer and so forwarded me this forward of a forward of a forward about dioxins and how freezing water in plastic will give me cancer.

Now, Dioxins are indeed carcinogens. And I guess it sounds realistic that freezing plastic would make the plastic...break down...or something...and so give off carcinogens. Since the water would be the closest thing to the plastic where else would the carcinogens go but into the water? So the idea that freezing water in a plastic bottle results in a Cancery ICEE® sounds reasonable. Best to go ahead, then, and forward the e-mail without really thinking about it. It sounds true so we might as well accept that it is true.

Un-fucking-fortunately it's not actually true; arguably the most important, and only, kind of true.

plsticmythbusters.org says:
"The claim that plastic water bottles will release dioxins when frozen is entirely unfounded. So is the claim that plastic food wraps and containers can release dioxins in the microwave oven.

The vast majority of plastics used in food wraps, packaging containers and beverage bottles do not contain the chemical constituents that form dioxins. In addition, dioxins are a family of compounds that are produced by combustion at high temperatures. They can only be formed during combustion at temperatures typically above 700 degrees Fahrenheit; they cannot be formed at room temperature or in freezing temperatures."

But what if plasticmythbusters.org is in the pocket of big plastic? What if the website is lying to us when the forward of a forward of a forward is actually true?

That's when we turn to the fda:
"Other claims have asserted that plastics contain dioxins, a group of contaminants labeled as a "likely human carcinogen" by the Environmental Protection Agency. "The FDA has seen no evidence that plastic containers or films contain dioxins and knows of no reason why they would," Machuga says."

But that's just the FDA. What do they know about cancer?

Mayoclinic.com says:
"Does freezing or microwaving plastic food containers cause them to release dangerous toxins?"
"No. Stories have circulated for years that freezing or microwaving plastic food containers or wraps causes them to release cancer-causing substances called dioxins. But this isn't true. In fact, there's no evidence that plastic food containers or wraps even contain dioxins."

Since the e-mail forward was completely incorrect and mistaken what I am supposed to do is nicely, calmly, supply correct information to the poor, mistaken individuals who forwarded the e-mail yet have reasonable world views and acceptable, useful decision making skills. I'm supposed to see them as well-intentioned persons who have a right to act as they desire, believe what they wish. Who am I to mock them, ridicule them? What gives me the right?

Well, I am correct. They are incorrect.

So I will mock their ignorance and inability to use google. I will call them shitheads and clods. I will insult their intelligence, refute their primary assumptions of reality, and belittle them.

But how is that helpful? Wouldn't it be more useful and beneficial to be nice to them?

No. Because they are incorrect, unthinking, stupid dolts who unquestioningly accept e-mail forwards as true. They are not human enough to seek out the truth for their self, to verify the truths they accept. They merely sit on the assembly line of rumors propagating misinformation and lies. They are not human beings but rather glorified parrots, unthinkingly repeating whatever reasonble sounding lie they hear.

They have no worth.