The terms "geek" and "nerd" were once used to tease, ostracize and even bully those whose passions and interests were not understood. But instead of lashing out, geeks and nerds developed a counter-culture of intelligence, imagination, mutual respect and fun.
Today when we think of geeks we think of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We think of cell phones, personal computers and the Internet. Comic book characters are coming to life in movie houses, epic fantasy novels are being turned into successful television shows and works of science fiction are challenging us to explore philosophical ideas, such as identity, desire, morality and social structure.
It's time we recognized the values, accomplishments and societal contributions of these extraordinary Americans.