May 5, also known as Cinco de Mayo, was an important celebration in Mexican history, honoring their great victory over the French in 1862. Unfortunately, in American history, May 5, 1925, was not a day that can be celebrated, especially by American educators. It is on that day, 96 years ago, that John T. Scopes was arrested in Dayton, Tennessee, for violating state law and teaching evolution. He was tried, found guilty and fined $100. The conviction was overturned by the state supreme court on a technicality, but the trial itself, was thought to be the “Trial of the Century.”

It is ironic that we here in New Hampshire are dangerously close to a similar situation as our state Legislature considers passing a law also designed to muzzle what is said in the classroom. No, not about evolution, but about diversity and our historical problems dealing with it. Such a law is blatantly opposed to the concept of learning critical thinking skills through the presentation of, and discussion of, our historical past.

Teachers of the core subjects of history and language arts would, in fact, be required to severely limit their students’ exposure to important, if disagreeable, parts of our past, that which contributes to who we are today.

It is, or should be, anathema to bring politics into the classroom by demanding that American history must only be taught the same, approved, way in every school in the state, blocking out the most disreputable parts of our past because some in positions of power would appear to prefer ignorance to the dissimulation of knowledge.

Scopes had a team of legal minds led by Clarence Darrow in his defense to no avail. Who will defend New Hampshire students’ right to the truth?

Let your state representatives and senators know that you stand up for a well and truly informed public education for your sons and daughters. To quote Jorge Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Never more true than today.