I don't understand the title. There isn't a hate mail to be found. Some of the justifications are better than those of your average crackpot: at least most of these kids realize they want Pluto to be a planet, instead of arguing that it is a planet by some non-existing absolute standard.
Actually, I'd say its that they haven't learned how to lie ineffectively. Crackpots are usually deemed to be cracked-pots when they no longer make enough sense to pay attention to. They argue by a self-standard of usefulness instead of adapting.
Well let me break down what I meant. The average adult who argues that Pluto is a planet honestly just wants Pluto to be a planet, but he knows that's not a good argument and knows to manufacture another, more convincing argument in its place. He even convinces himself that his rationalization is really the reason why he thinks Pluto should be considered a planet. He lies to himself, in other words.
Kids aren't necessarily clever or knowledgeable enough to think that far. But kids can and do lie, and they're not always effective about it.
The one thing that really surprised me was how polite the disagreement in opinion was voiced by the 6 to 7 year old.
That is, as evidenced daily in abundance at work, the internet, etc ..., something that seems completely lost with a significant proportion of the grown up population.
Makes one think why that is so?
Your friend Erik
