We have gone backward.
I remember vividly that during my high school years I considered people in Tennessee to be quite backward as I read about the famous Scopes trial, the so-called “monkey trial.” In 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee, a young high school teacher was arrested and put on trial after he violated state law and taught about evolution. Despite the best efforts of the legendary Clarence Darrow, the nation’s leading defense attorney at the time, Mr. Scopes was found guilty. How unbelievably backward I thought.
Then my attention would focus on William Jennings Bryan, who came in to prosecute the case. Bryan, a Democrat and populist (that word) who ran three times for the U.S. presidency (1896, 1900, 1908), became the leader of a full-fledged national crusade against evolution. His last hurrah was winning the battle with Clarence Darrow to the delight of the many Tennesseans. This was the famed battle of modernism against fundamentalism, enlightened progress against primitive thinking. How unbelievably backward I thought. I considered it a good thing that we no longer had those views in the 1950’s and 1960’s. We may be back there again. Rather than moving forward from the 1950’s and 1960’s we have gone backward.
In recent years, supporters have taken over several state school boards and mandated the teaching of creationism (or intelligent design) as well as evolution, only to be overturned by the courts. However, they are still trying, especially in Texas, where the recent election tilted the board for the creationists, who are expected to mandate the teaching of creationism/intelligent design in a manner that will be upheld by the courts. Yes, we are going backward.
After his unsuccessful runs at the presidency, William Jennings Bryan had a major role in helping Woodrow Wilson win the presidency. When Wilson entered the office, many African Americans worked as federal employees in integrated settings and participated in the daily commerce of the city. Southern white supremacists objected and wanted their city back. Wilson, promptly accommodated them, driving blacks from the government and segregating D.C.
Now there is President-Elect Donald Trump, who does not accept the science of climate change, calling it a Chinese hoax. His Vice-President-Elect, Mike Pence, does not believe that smoking causes deaths, does not believe in climate change, and wants creationism taught in all schools.
Similar to Woodrow Wilson, Trump is a practicing racist. Yes, his campaign was racist–among other despicable things–but he also has a long record of discriminating against African Americans, including the refusal to rent them apartments in his buildings. Trump followed Woodrow Wilson’ example in bowing to his constituency–who want their country back. He appointed his campaign chief, the practicing white supremacist, Steve Bannon, as one of the key leaders of his administration.
It should be eminently clear. We have gone backward. Future generations will look upon our current era like I did the 1920’s in Tennessee and say, “how backward.”