Satan-Proof

“It’s not just that we aren’t good at critical thinking; we don’t even value it. The United States, seeking to distance itself from its European counterparts, was founded on a deep anti-intellectualism. . . . Puritan John Cotton once wrote, ‘the more learned and witty you bee, the more fit to act for Satan you will bee.’”

—Sophia A. McClennen, professor of international affairs, Penn State, “Trolls and Hackers Find It Easy to Trick Americans Because We Are a Nation of Ignoramuses,” AlterNet, March 3, 2018.

• Editorial Comment: By that measure, Mr. Cotton, America is safe from damnation.

PeezPix

Evening Light

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Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD

“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard