Legislating ignorance

 

The Scopes Trial ran from 10-21 July 1925? The crime? A teacher had taught evolution breaking the Tennessee Butler Act forbidding the teaching of evolution and Charles Darwin's theories. The idea was to protect children from ideas different from the Bible.

How far we haven't come with laws that prohibit teaching some subjects such as Critical Race Theory, Black, Latin American history or gender variations being enacted in Florida and mainly other southern states. Lord knows, we don't want kids to learn about reality. Better to leave them in ignorance.

In Puritan times Boston kids went to school to learn to read and do basic math. Boston Latin was founded in 1635 with heavy courses in Greek, Latin and other erudite subjects to prepare them for the ministry, law, teaching, medical careers. Harvard University was founded the year after for the BLS graduates to continue those studies.

Boston in the 1600 and 1700s also had Writing Schools. These trained the accountants and small business owners. 

Public schools should be designed to produce a literate and educated citizenry. It allows them to work in needed professions or jobs. Some of these can evolve into trades that still require basic reading and math skills.

I read an article where a mother was furious her child was studying world history. "What does she need that for?" she demanded.

The rude answer is, "So she won't be as ignorant as you are." The diplomatic answer is "what happens in the world will affect your child."

Parents want to say what their children will learn and some are amazingly hostile. Usually these are the parents that want to limit information to their children.

What do kids need to know? First to learn the 3 Rs -- "Reading, Riting, Rithematic."  In today's world let's add how to use a computer (mobile). Of course, the second they have access to a computer, the entire world, true and false, is available to them. 

The phrase "my tax dollar" echoes throughout school board meetings. Between the woman who didn't want her kid to learn world history and myself who wanted my daughter to learn the good, bad and ugly of the world so she would be prepared when faced with them has the same gap as between an orange and a Tesla.

I doubt if any child will faint if they hear the word gay. And it really wouldn't hurt them to know some kids and adults are not only different, but they might learn compassion and appreciation for differences that would go beyond sexual differences. This might even extend to religious differences and national differences. 

Basic biology, chemistry and physics wouldn't hurt them nor would history, good and bad about the U.S. and the world. And if there's time the arts for their hearts and soul.

The problem with ignorance is that it doesn't make anything go away. Reality will be there to damage us when it wants to.

What bothers me most is we haven't advanced much since 1925 in trying to legislate ignorance.