Stephan:   I have been writing about willful ignorance for almost a decade, beginning when I first saw this trend blossom like a noxious plant in a garden. It has been growing year by year, and has reached a level where it is a serious threat to our wellbeing. I did a story yesterday about Louisiana Republicans who hold President Obama responsible for the Katrina response, even though it was three years before he was President. But that was just a taste of the truth, it is much bigger than that, as this essay describes.