In 1983 we saw the TV movie, The Day After, starring Jason Robards and about middle America (Kansas) devastated by a nuclear exchange. I was a high school teacher in Canaan. Our principal ordered us not to discuss the movie.

Every morning my students wrote for 10 minutes, whatever was on their minds. They had the habit to sit down, start writing. All having watched the gut-wrenching movie, wrote about that. To share came next. Rapidly the students’ cares arose, and I especially remember their wonder about EMP, electromagnetic pulse, causing the highway’s cars to die.

Eye-opening. The students paid attention to an engineering concept in the movie and wanted to understand.

It comes to me now with HB1255 aiming to stymie inquiry. Our principal thought he could lay down a law for the students and teachers. I saw that not work. Mother always said, “The truth will out,” as one cannot forever quell it. HB1255, if passed, will cause mockery of lawmaking and those lawmakers trying to quell truth, and inquiry leading to truth.