Inherit the Wind

 

Maddie D 

One of the many questions explored by the 1960 film “Inherit the Wind” asks how religious freedom impacts civil discourse. There’s no doubt the film was created in favor of thinking beyond the confines of religion. Those opposing the teaching of evolution were framed as blind followers who didn’t think through their actions while those in favor were shown to gain power through knowledge. I see similar themes today in the media I consume where individuals’ perceived lack of critical thinking skills is used to discredit and dismiss arguments that are brought up. At times I believe there is truth to this due to logical fallacies or improper arguments, but I also believe that there are times when disregarding or devaluing people’s thoughts is harmful to thoughtful discourse. I think that lack of discourse and respect on many political issues brings about greater polarization.

In the film, it can be seen that the plaintiff and defense cannot truly listen to one another, and the plaintiff especially fails to understand the concept before attacking it. In the United States I see similarities in many social political issues such as abortion, LGBTQ and other minority rights, and public school curriculum discourse. There are not only two sides to every argument, but those we encounter most frequently either support a liberal or conservative take on these issues. I routinely encounter conservative individuals who use religion as their bias on these topics without an understanding of what those supporting these issues want or the reasoning behind it. It makes me wonder if the US will ever be able to make meaningful change as people become more polarized and there is less civil discourse. 

This also makes me wonder if there needs to be a shift in mindset in order to make change. Could it be something taught in schools to put yourself in uncomfortable conversations and constantly question your values? How do we shift from two parties that don’t talk to each other to a population of people that want to work together? These are the questions the film left me asking, but unfortunately I don’t think there’s a simple answer.





Comments

  1. Catherine BolzendahlFebruary 18, 2023 at 11:23 AM

    Excellent questions and provocative image! You bring out an issue that is important but that we didn't get to in our discussion - how often we really listen to each other and whether we are really open to another argument. Do you think that the lawyer played by Spencer Tracey however what trying to say there was a middle ground? That it didn't have to be all or nothing? It seems like they tried to soften his message at the end in his discussion with the journalist. I do hope that college and education in general allows us to have tough conversations but it takes creating really brave spaces.

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