Evilution

 Nearly one hundred years ago, a trial was held in the state of Tennessee. The Volunteer State was prosecuting high school teacher John Thomas Scopes for violating their law about teaching evolution in his classroom. It was illegal to teach the blasphemous musings of Charles Darwin to children. Of any age. Scopes was found guilty and charged a one hundred dollar fine. Somewhat abruptly after that, the case was tossed on a technicality. Advantage Evolution.

Thirty years after that, a play was written about that trial, and subsequently, in 1960, turned into a film entitled Inherit The Wind.  It featured the powerhouse acting skills of Frederic March (as Matthew Brady for creationism) and Spencer Tracy (as Henry Drummond defending evolution). From the relative safety of mid-twentieth century, the failed bluster of the bible-thumping creationist was on full display as the very clever defense of evolution ran rings around them logically. 

Without going too far into the whole question of Darwinism, I am here to suggest that this story remains more true than many of us care to examine. Not about evolution necessarily, though sadly that argument seems to gain traction even now here in the nominally United States of America. Instead, I would love to see a dramatic rendition of the trial that will never take place: The People versus Donald Trump. Bringing Gene Kelly back to play the voice of the alternately disenfranchised and empowered press, and there shouldn't be any need to add the sympathetic epilogue mourning the once great orator. Instead, there would be a series of questions put to the nonsensical and pathological ravings of the former game show host. Under oath, it would be fascinating to watch the Sharpie squiggles of reasoning that have poured from that slit under his nose wither and blow away in the light of day. It would be cathartic for everyone to feel that they had a voice once again, and to watch the delusional rants shown up for the nonsense they are and always have been. 

And it would be nice to have closure that would allow us all to put this clown behind us once and for all. 

Systems and process don't allow much hope for this, but the theater of the mind allows me to imagine it. This new vision might allow me to sleep better than I have in four years. I don't need a guilty verdict as much as I need to see the man twist and squirm in the witness stand. And to let him know that he is not the smartest monkey. 

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.