[July 10, 2016] Like today, the early 1920s in the United States were a time when social patterns were in a state of flux and debates over values were at the forefront of politics. Who would dominate the future of American; the traditionalists or modernists? The showdown came at a courtroom when a jury would decide the fate of John Scopes who was being tried for illegally teaching evolutionary theory. What would become one of the most famous trials in U.S. history, the Scopes Monkey Trial would test the resilience of American society.
Social change is, of course, inevitable. At issue in any democratic society is the inherent struggle between traditional values and those that would supplant them. And so it was in the state of Tennessee where it was illegal to teach children about evolution because it was theory and because the word of God on evolution was sacrosanct. It pitted William Jennings Bryan, three-time candidate for President and populist, to lead the traditionalists and the anti-Darwinians against Clarence Darrow, an old agnostic and curmudgeon.
On this date, July 10, 1925 the opening salvo began in a courtroom drama that grabbed the attention of millions across America. It was classic theater; a trial as titanic as the struggle between good and evil or truth and ignorance. To add to this, the judge moved the proceedings outdoors adding to the carnival-like atmosphere where more people could hear and see. That’s when defense attorney Darrow changed his tactics and asked that the jury return a verdict of guilty and thus avoiding a boastful speech by Bryan.1
Inevitably it was the leaders of the traditionalists and modernists who were on trial in the court of public opinion. Cleary, Darrow had won the day and had humiliated Bryan soundly during the trial. But over the next decade more fissures in the dominant values of U.S. society would continue to show and it would take World War II to thoroughly bring the nation together again.
Today we see a similar pattern between those who value the U.S. Constitution and what it stands for (traditionalists) and those interested in social justice and inequality (progressives). These values are playing out in the current Presidential contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Their respective political parties are divided on how their own candidate will hold close to their philosophies and values. With the stakes being about closely held values, it is no surprise that emotions are charged.
Leadership means standing tall on what you believe to be right; morally and ethically. It also means being able to listen to what the opposition has to say and providing counterarguments. Like Clarence Darrow, your argument needs to be based on strong values that are logically formulated and clearly stated. Otherwise the leader will be on trail on the stage of public opinion and their opinion will not be respected.
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- In 1927 the Tennessee Supreme Court overturned the Scopes Monkey Trial verdict.