Every idea you cite as stupid was once believed to be true. Respecting the right of people to make stupid statements makes it much easier for us all to realize someday which of own beliefs are stupid.
But surely making stupid statements or performing harmful actions isn't consequence free? And we should not give equal platforms or "balance" to every statement, should we?
Aristotle believed women had less teeth than men. If someone states that belief now, is it wrong to say "no that's wrong", and then laugh/ignore them?
Making stupid statements and performing harmful actions are vastly different things. Focusing on the former: making stupid statements does have consequences: Others may question the judgement of the person making the statements. For whatever reason, Eich's views haven't raised those questions in those closest to him, perhaps, because they aren't discussed.
If someone stated that men and women have different numbers of teeth, why not encourage an experiment? It's not an absurd statement unless you've gathered evidence or trust the evidence you've read elsewhere.
The challenge in this case is that morality can't be determined objectively without reference to some other framework, which itself is likely subjective. So it doesn't tell us whether Eich can reason or incorporate evidence. He likely formulates his view from a different set of assumptions.
