Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee, Nedrick Young, and Harold Jacob Smith, are credited for writing, Inherit the Wind, play turned film, based on the real life Scopes Trial of 1925, depicting a clash between science and religion, in a southern town during the days of, Old Time Religion. In the film, a teacher, Bertram Cates, played by Dick York, is jailed, for teaching evolution in the classroom. The admirable, Spencer Tracy, plays Henry Drummond, a progressive lawyer defending, Cates. Fredric March, plays Matthew Harrison Brady, the opposing lawyer, failed politician, and fervent Christian follower, lionized by the deeply religious town of Hillsboro. Best known for his role as, Danny McGuire in Xanadu, Gene Kelly, plays journalist, E.K. Hornbeck, reporting on the highly publicized Darwin case. Although there is no roller skating in this film, the townspeople of Hillsboro do skate right over science, believing evolution is a hoax, and science is akin to sin.
With all the progress society has achieved since 1925, science and journalism are still being attacked, through the petty process imposed upon America, to be made great again. Science is proclaimed a hoax by the current President, journalists deemed enemies of the people, as this Administration pushes so-called religious freedom, like modern day Hillsboro heresy. We will see if justice in America is still blind or bigoted, or worse, both, as Trump and his DOJ consigliere, trample the law. Trump rally’s look more like the townspeople of Hillsboro, with Trump resembling a bloated, sweaty, Matthew Harrison Brady, shouting nonsensical speeches, however, Trump has no solid biblical sincerity, only a dedicated desire to exalt, and enrich himself.
The title of the film, Inherit the Wind, gets its name from God’s word, Proverbs 11:29, “He that troubleth is own house shall inherit the wind.” Currently, The People’s House, is being used as a fire retardant shield to protect Trump, against Trump’s self imposed, scorched Earth agenda. Shaking a Bible in the air, while pushing an obsolete view of society, is dangerously out of touch. Republicans desperately attempting to wrap themselves in the flag and scripture is comical, the curtain is opening, revealing a man disguised as a god. Although I follow no particular religion, it does seem that corruption, self glorification, greed, lying, and hatred, is at a minimum, frowned upon, by religion, with some of these deeds considered sinful, not successful. However, in America, we have separation of church and state, as well as an established democracy, right?
“The Bible is a book. It’s a good book, but it is not the only book.” Henry Drummond, Inherit the Wind, 1960