Your humility was evident, and your question was sound. Those chastising and mocking you are the non-rigorous hysterics, who want to wish harmony into existence, instead of engaging in the rigor to bring it about.

How am I being simple, Kara? (Serious question).

That was damn rude. VonQueso is a thoughtful commenter who has been here for a long time. She asked an honest question in order to educate herself, and you replied with both, ‘Don’t be simple’, and then further insulted her with a reproduction of a dictionary entry. The question wasn’t even directed at a column YOU…

Can I ask a question that might get me in trouble?