When exactly did it become a harsh liability to use words in whole sentences and be curious on all levels about something.  When did intelligence become an unearned privilege? When did addressing natural complexity become the vanity of the self importance?  Finally, when did George Orwell and the novel 1984 move from fiction to the prophecy shelf.  This writer can only approximate an answer; 2025.  In the first half of this year and first quarter of this century a lot of soft trends have combined forces to initiate the potent forces of dystopia that threaten what was once a promising nation of hope for peace, justice and prosperity. 

We all in this country survive on the thin functional veneered surface of deep complexity.  We enjoy daily the culmination of intelligence in just about everything we do.  The airplane stays in the air because of brilliant minds and innovations.  The same airplane lands safely on the runway because of the focus and intelligent discipline of the  air traffic controller.  The new knee you are no longer limping on is the product of years and years of the MD’s life study and sleep deprivation.  Scholars read until their eyes shed tears of strain to research our history and the world’s history while learning multiple languages in the dark of night in order that  we may learn in our own language.  And we, out of nowhere . . . resent their dedication and the modest rewards that dedication may bring.

Good is recognizing intelligence as something we all uniquely carry but in forms as different as our finger prints. If something is missing it is often the work of the discipline necessary to launch that intelligence we already have or a brute cultural refusal to recognize the value of the person’s unique intellectual gift. The injustices around intelligence may stem from the rigid rules of a false meritocracy and not the essential Universities and Colleges of this nation. The current administration’s war on the institutions of education misses this point dangerously.  This nation’s engine of intelligence and innovation is deeply complex and can only be damaged by chainsaw retribution and thoughtless funding cuts. Good is speaking truth about the diversity of our population, its glorious, ranging intelligence,  and its needs because diversity is undeniable, unopposable, and as relentless as this planet’s cycles of nature.  Only fools would dare to deny the inevitable needs of diversity. Good is using your vote to help send the fools home to do their homework.