Building a Nation of Know-Nothings

Title: Building a Nation of Know-Nothings
Author: Timothy Egan
Publication date: August 25, 2010, 8:30 pm
Publication organization: New York Times
Class: Theory of Knowledge
Category: In Class

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            This article from the New York Times states that many of the Americans believe that Obama is not a U.S. citizen but instead, a Muslim. Most of the people believing in this are Republicans who were for McCain during the election. Although McCain has disproved this idea, many continue to believe this as being true. This article suggests that this is due to the media’s influence. It points out that the media is to blame for this rapidly spread idea as many people depend on the media as one of their source of knowledge. Although Obama clearly states that he is an American, and there is a birth certificate available as proof, many still believe he is not an American citizen and that he is a Muslim instead.

            To these people, is media their main source of knowledge? I begin to wonder why it is so hard for them to believe Obama when there is a birth certificate to explain that he was born in the United States. Is it because our technologies have improved so much that they think that the birth certificate is fake? Or is it because they don’t want to believe it and so they come up with reasons that support their ideas? They are practicing the pragmatic theory. Because believing that Obama is a Muslim will make them feel secure in the sense that they will be able to think that Obama is ineligible to become the president of the United States, they will believe it. Thus, they believe this to be true. But we, who also believe that Obama is American, could also be practicing pragmatic truth. We want to believe that Obama is American. We believe this because it will make us feel like we are right and the others are wrong. If everyone practices pragmatic theory, how will we ever know which is true? With everyone wanting to believe that they are correct, is it possible to know which is true? Is truth all opinions? If so, should they really be considered as something that is true?