"Facts" of the matter

Sometimes I wonder why I write this silly little blog. I think it annoys a lot of people and probably changes no minds. But then something like this happens, and I have to mentally throw up somewhere. A friend of mine sent me and a whole group of people he knows a link to a story about how in the era of Taxed Enough Already, Americans are paying the lowest taxes in over half a century. I had seen the story already, but I always appreciate being included in anything that demonstrates the inanity of the TEA Party. Then a new message showed up in my Facebook inbox, from a name I did not recognize. It confused me at first, but then I realized it was a reply to the tax story. I'll let you soak it up for yourselves:

[D]o you really know anything about what's going on in government right now, or are you relying on the propaganda press of this administration? Have you ever been to a TEA party rally? Also, have you every actually watched an entire show of Glenn Beck? When was the last time you read the Book of Mormon, or Doctrine and Covenants? We are in the midst of the war in Heaven, being replayed her on the earth. Until you have actually hard evidence to "factually" refute the claims of either Glenn Beck, or the TEA parties, please don't think you will persuade me... The times we are currently in, are TERRIFYING!!!!

I don't think the quotes around "factually" are a symptom of the bad grammar and punctuation that pepper this reply. I think she is looking for "facts" and not facts, which, to quote Ronald Reagan, are stupid things. "Facts" are things like "we are in the midst of a war in Heaven", which are really strong assertions of things that are wildly speculative with no evidence to back them up. Facts are boring things like reports from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, derived from empirical measure. Factually refuting Glenn Beck is easy, just let him speak then compare what he says to the actual data. "Factually" refuting him is trickier because it requires an appeal to a supernatural force for which one has no reason to believe exists. The old adage "you are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts" does not apply to "facts". You can get "facts" from radio hosts, friends, your bishop, or simply make them up yourselves. and they are equally valid.
I know the woman who wrote that reply will not read this and see the gross errors in her thinking. I realize that nodding their head in agreement right now doesn't feel any different now than they did when they started reading this post, but I feel like any little chip in the monumental misguidedness that gives rise to this kind of thinking is worth trying for, so I'll keep chipping away.