The following fiction captures much of the essence of the thinking person’s experience in the Internet/Information Age, and the extremes of contrast between an ‘informed’ netizen and an experienced leader in his field. The purpose of this story, although rather humorous, is to illustrate just how corrosive, distracting, and disruptive many people have become in the modern world as a consequence of having an excess of information where they lack dearly in earned wisdom. The basis of this tale is real, as there are actually people in this world who run the argument featured in the story (and other arguments quite like it), who feel justified not only in maintaining this belief but in starting arguments in an effort to gain attention, to insert themselves into conversation, and to elevate themselves by making other people feel or look stupid — even when the agitators themselves (the ones initiating the argument) are the ones who are wrong or out of accordance with ‘the science’ that ...
There is much chatter and confusion around the topic of “illegal immigrants”. Of particular interest is the status of their children if born on American soil: are they United States citizens? Let’s consider some of the relevant facts before reasoning to a conclusion. And let us bear in mind the fact that language-based arguments and provisions have their limitations, relying on much which goes unstated — proper understanding of context, including time, place, and circumstances. In the course of describing ideas, we are limited in foresight and by the customs and universal assumptions of our time; and in the course of reviewing those descriptions, we are limited by our understanding of their language, the concepts, the definitions of terms, and the experience and intentions of the writers. This is why it is imperative to carefully study and properly contextualize the history, the debates, and the supporting literature around the founding of the United States. The meaning of words and th...