Stop Killing Ducks to Make Duct Tape! (Or; How Not To Say Stupid Things)

Not too long ago I saw a photo taken from some random environmental protest where a woman was holding up a sign that read; “Stop killing ducks to make duct tape!” Upon reading this bewildering sign I had to pause for a moment. It had to be a spoof. This could not be real. Maybe SNL was behind it? (Further consideration discounted that idea. SNL is never that funny) It both amuses and pains met to inform you all, this was a real person, in a real event, vigorously protesting against the killing of innocent ducks to make duct tape.

All laughter aside, there is something I’d like to point out. In the United States I hear similarly stupid things all the time. Recently on CNN I heard a guest on Anderson Coopers show vehemently argue that Cornell West and Jill Stein were both Russian operatives. Not only that, but their respective political campaigns were in reality a Russian operation to destroy the re-election of President Joe Biden. I can’t understand how Anderson Cooper was able to listen to that and not burst out laughing. Or how about all the people who constantly howl and scream about the ‘totalitarian’ regime of Donald Trump? Personally I had my disagreements with the Trump administration, but never once did I see anything vaguely reminiscent of a dictator. Certainly nothing even barely resembling Adolph Hitler.

This is the state of our nation. People all over are making completely idiotic and baseless statements, all the time. I mention all of this because recently I’ve been doing a lot of reading. I tried a free subscription to Kindle Unlimited and have been thoroughly enjoying myself. At first I read some thrillers from authors I liked, but then reminded myself I should probably take advantage of the free books to educate myself. One book in particular stands out, “Lyndon Johnson and The American Dream” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Goodwin is a phenomenal historian, I’ve read “Team of Rivals” at least five or six times. I’d never even tried to read her book on LBJ because I have an immense disdain for President Johnson. In my opinion, Lyndon B. Johnson was the worst President in American history. As I was about to scroll down and read something else, a thought occurred to me. How much did I really know about President Johnson and his administration beyond his obvious failure with the Vietnam War? I realized that I didn’t know very much.

I then began to think about all the people making incredible dumb statements. In most cases I’m quite sure that the individuals in question are wholly convinced that they are correct. These people hold drivers licenses, go to work every day, interact with society, all that. These are usually not mentally disabled people, suffering from Downs Syndrome or whatnot. So how did they come to believe such laughably stupid things, like ducks being killed to make duct tape?

The answer is simple. Lack of understanding. Because people do not understand what they’re talking about, they soldier on in ignorance. We had a slew of incredibly violent protests sweep through our nation because large groups of people honestly believed that our nation was being assaulted by neo-Nazi’s lead by the incarnation of Hitler himself. Had any of these people ever done any reading on the Nazi regime? Had they ever read Elie Wiesel? How much did these people actually know about what happened in Germany before, after and during World War 2? With some basic education I believe the crisis we faced during these violent revolts could have been completely averted.

I believe that it is imperative that we all educate ourselves as much as possible. We need to read as broadly as we can, in order to avoid the epidemic of stupidity sweeping our nation. Since the war in Ukraine has begun, it shames me to admit that several dozen cases of Russian/ Americans citizens being murdered have been reported. Why? Because the media has planted the idea in peoples minds that Russians are these insidious people. In outrage these citizens have paid for an act they had nothing to do with. Would the same reaction have occurred if people read Alexander Pushkin, Leo Tolstoy Fydor Dostoyevsky? As far as I’m concerned the brutal murder of these citizens is ten times worse than George Floyds death. It was an act of blatant racism against innocent American citizens, and yet the media pretended that nothing ever happened. That is absolutely sick, and an insult to real journalism. A series of terrible tragedies that could have been avoided through basic education.

In short what I am arguing for is that we all learn to be less reactionary. I’m saying this to both liberals and conservatives. All 300 million+ citizens in the United States. That even includes myself, I confess that I am not immune to blindly reacting to various news stories either. That’s why I’m currently reading about Lyndon B. Johnson. I don’t think there’s anything that Doris Goodwin can tell me that would change my opinion of LBJ or his administration. Yet I still feel that it’s important to understand what happened, to gain some historical context if you will. That way I don’t make idiotic statements or engage in protests to stop the killing of ducks.


As I said, this epidemic of ignorance has pervaded everything, everywhere. I’ve seen it across the board, popular authors, TV hosts, teachers or just random TikTok videos all purveying utterly baseless ideas. There is right and there is wrong, and we have to understand the difference between the two. Even if we come across something we disagree with, there is a way to disagree where innocent people don’t end up dead on the street. I believe that through reading we can combat this issue. When reading, it’s not about merely accepting whatever information you read. You have to read critically. You don’t just swallow whatever you come across, you have to consider what you’re reading. At times I think its a good idea to read or listen to someone you don’t agree with. If for no other reason than to be able to articulate why you disagree with what is being conveyed. Or at the very least, being able to apply basic logic and understand that ducks have nothing to do with duct tape.