What was, still is. We watched the classic movie "Inherit the Wind" tonight. Chillingly like today

[NRaleighLiberal]

It is the movie about the Scopes Monkey trial, a dramatization about the trial for the teacher who was using Darwin's Evolution theory in his classroom in a very insular, fundamentalist town. But it is about so much more than that - it is about how so many fear science, and progress, and hide behind their belief systems - and how those belief systems turn people into the very thing that they think they hate.

We really aren't coming along so well as a species, are we?

And thanks for the edit suggestion by a caring DU'er! Long day (and too much wine at lunch!)

[Captain Hilts]

1. With Tracy and March it's a real heavyweight class fight. nt

[htuttle]

2. Well, we can be proud that we stopped throwing feces and leaves at each other

...most of the time, anyway.

There's that, at least.

[anonymous171]

3. "Inherit the Wind" is about McCarthyism actually

The actual scopes Monkey trial was much more complex and Bryan's anti-evolution stance was much more nuanced. He was against Darwinism because he felt that it justified Eugenics (which back then it pretty much did.) William Jennings Bryan was a famous progressive who had dealt with industrialists and other parasites who used social Darwinist arguments to support their oppression of the common man.

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. agreed - hence my use of the word "dramatization". Still, a good flick.

[Aristus]

7. Bryan and Darrow actually supported many of the same progressive causes.

William Jennings Bryan was a great man in many ways. I try to ignore the Creationism thing. I admire him tremendously...

[WCGreen]

12. They were depicted as old friends in the Movie...

[WCGreen]

11. Jerome Lewis and Robert E. Lee wrote the play the movie was based on...

They also wrote the Mame and The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail...

All about challenges to the establishment. They were my heroes when I was growing up and wrote I a term paper about the defiance that individuals can take in plays for my Senior Year Honors English....

[Beartracks]

5. Spot on, sadly. n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

6. "Gimme that old time religion..."

I actually heard somebody using that song as a ringtone a while back,

[Laelth]

8. We have come a long way in a very short period of time.

I know it seems like a slow process, but, for all that's wrong in the world and in this country, these are the best of times.

More here: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Laelth/36

:dem:

-Laelth

[timeforpeace]

9. Trying to change human nature has been a fool's game forever.

[rwheeler31]

10. Great choice, young people should watch this debate.

[spanone]

13. we've devolved to a degree imho

[saltpoint]

14. A tasty play, and unfortunately, still timely.

I love the language in that play / script.

Such as,

"I may be rancid butter but I'm on your side of the bread."

[Cassandra]

16. I read somewhere that Hornbeck...

was meant to act as a Greek chorus, as well as being inspired by Mencken. They certainly gave him some of the best lines.
When I was a child and watching the movie on TV, they often cut the revival scene. When I finally saw it, I was quite determined to not be a Christian if that involved being mindless. Now I know it was fundamentalism and authoritarianism I was avoiding.

[saltpoint]

17. Hi, Cassandra. You called it right, and you called it real early.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :hi:

[Libertas1776]

15. A most excellent film!

And I have also seen the Broadway revival of it with Christopher Plummer, which was also excellent.

[RedCloud]

18. I saw some religious zealots munching on bananas yesterday.

That old primate staple.

[Blue_Tires]

19. i remember reading that for school back in 1991

even as a teen i remember laughing at the bass-ackwards notions and thinking of a future where those anti-science attitudes would be long dead...

yeah, i guess i ended up being wrong about a LOT of things back then....