Slog - Comments on It Ain't Inherit the Wind...

Comment by flamingbanjo

flamingbanjo — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:33:45 -0800

Inherit the Wind is pretty fictionalized. The "guilty" verdict in the Scopes trial was returned because Scopes was found to have violated the statute prohibiting the teaching of evolution. The idea behind the show trial was to force a higher court to rule on the constitutionality of that law. The Tennessee judge had no choice but to rule that the law was violated, because Scopes admitted to teaching evolution.

Although it was billed as a battle between reason and religion (particularly in the ficionalized version), the actual ruling had nothing to do with which view of human origins was correct.

Comment by Greg

Greg — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:06:56 -0800

I seem to recall that the Scopes judge also awarded a puny fine on the schoolteacher. Not exactly a mighty blow for creationism.

Comment by cw

cw — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:53:49 -0800

Scopes later stated (not sure if this contradicted his trial testimony) that he couldn't remember if he did actually teach evolution.

Much of the impetus for the trial was drummed up by the local leaders to put Dayton on the economic map...which it successfully did. Tourist still flock to this little town.

Check out Edward Larson's book on the subject. Excellent historian and book.

Comment by DOUG.

DOUG. — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:04:02 -0800

This show was freakin' brilliant! Three cheers for the GOOD people of Dover, PA (and fuck the rest of you).