There is a cult of ignorance in the United States. There has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge. —Isaac Asimov
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Why did the vast majority of educated people vote for Harris and the Democratic Party’s agenda?
The answer’s in the question.
Education.
That doesn’t mean educated people are necessarily more intelligent than uneducated people. It certainly doesn’t mean they’re “better” or morally superior. It’s just that educated people know things uneducated people don’t.
Educated people know more history which is important because as the Spanish philosopher George Santayana said: “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.”
Educated people know about the conditions that gave rise to authoritarianism in 20th-century Germany. They know the machinations of tyrants.
Educated people know that the foundational principles of the United States are rooted in secular humanism, not Christian nationalism.
Educated people know that the polity of the United States is based on checks and balances and the rule of law, not the whims of a president.
Educated people know the probable consequences of particular policies. Data and statistics matter.
Educated people trust science, not conspiracy theories. Without science we fumble in the dark.
Trump voters aren’t stupid. Okay, maybe some are. But the same goes for Harris voters. It’s a statistical thing as in “one-out-of-every-so-many people are stupid.”
Stupidity’s a condition. It can’t be helped.
Ignorance is a choice. It can be helped. The antidote to ignorance is education.
Still, some educated people aren’t very smart.
My mother reached eighth grade and then had to get a job. Education’s a good thing, she told me often. Just don’t let it go to your head.
And that’s smart because education, like wealth, can delude you into thinking you’re better than others. And smart people aren’t fooled. No one likes to be looked down upon. It creates resentment.
Still, this is no time to disparage education. It’s time to promote and cultivate it even more.
There’s an education gap in our country. And that—just like the wealth gap—needs fixin’.
Not everyone needs higher education. But everyone needs higher intelligence and deeper wisdom.
And a little more grace and humility wouldn’t hurt either.
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BOOK LAUNCH AND SIGNING. The Train Station at Shepherdstown (100 Audrey Egle Dr.) Sunday, December 1, 2:00-4:00. Reserve your copy now ($19.95) with Four Seasons Books. 304-876-3489 or fourseasonsbooks.com.
SECOND SIGNING EVENT to be announced next week.
