Recently, I completed my graduate studies at Indiana University Southeast (Go Grenadiers!) earning a Master of Science in Secondary Education with a concentration in technology. That's just a fancy way of saying that I went to school for a few more years and learned a few more things. However, simple as it may seem, I am a fairly proud of my accomplishment. As a result, I felt it was time to update my resume. After all, I've got a few extra letters to put beside my name.
The implication it seems is that by furthering one's education, one is more qualified to complete the tasks associated with one's profession. When I walk into a doctors office I get a sense of security knowing that my physician has completed years of rigorous training and education. The letters by his or her name let me know that the person treating me is qualified to address my needs. In the coming weeks, we'll be having some work done to our house. Before the first nail is hammered into place, I want to know that my contractor is licensed. Heck, even in my faith walk I would value the guidance of those who have been professionally trained. Want to sell your house? Find someone who is not only licensed to sell real estate, but also has a track record of getting the job done. In short, education and experience create expertise. All of this should seem rather obvious, but in our current political and social climate, it seems that Americans have a distaste for those who know what they're talking about. People who have a level of expertise are viewed as elitist, crooked, or part of the establishment. Americans tend to value the opinions of those that speak the loudest rather than those that speak with authority. When a 3 year old child fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, trapping him with a large, agitated silverback, a heartbreaking decision was made to shoot the animal in order to save the child. In the days that followed, suddenly everyone with access to social media became on a primate behaviorist. Obviously, the gorilla was comforting the child and posed no threat. It doesn't matter that they people who made the decision to kill the animal have spent a career working with these creatures. It doesn't matter than a majority of well known animal experts agreed with the decision the of the zoo, people on social media remember how gorillas raised a young Tarzan, so their opinion should count just as much as Jack Hanna and Jeff Corwin. The distaste for expertise and education is particularly evident within the world of science. Ask a conservative politician about climate change and their answer is usually "Listen, I'm not a scientist." No, you're not and neither am I. This is why we need to rely upon the expertise that such individuals possess. If an overwhelming majority of scientists agree that climate change exists and is a result of human activity, I'm inclined to believe them. Still, many do not. According to the doctors the world over, there is zero evidence that vaccinations are linked to autism and yet the myth remains prevalent on social media. Why? Because American's don't trust expertise. Heck, we even have a major political party's candidate for president who argues against vaccinations on national tv and no one seems to bat an eye. After all, in America everyone is entitled to their opinion. Perhaps we confused the fundamental right to express an opinion with an insistence that all opinions must be given equal respect. Speaking of politics, there was a time when experience and expertise were required before individuals would even be considered for public office. With rare exception, all of our former commanders-in-chief came to office with a wealth of experience. Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and John Quincy Adams had all been Secretary of State before being considered for the highest office. In the years that followed, experience in the legislature or governorship was considered a bare minimum before being nominated. Those engaged in public service used to take a predictable path: State legislators wanted to become Congressmen. Congressmen wanted to become Senators. Members of the Senate had their eyes on cabinet or a governor's mansion. From this extremely qualified, proven, and experienced group of public servants a presidential candidate was chosen. As much as some would like to deny it, the Founding Fathers and Framers of the Constitution were a group of highly educated, elite, professional politicians. Today, American's want candidates with a blank resume. They want an outsider. Experience means you're out of touch or part of the establishment. A nuanced understanding of foreign policy, economics, or even the Constitution is considered a liability. It boggles the mind. Maybe there is a very basic explanation. People only want to rely upon the expertise of others when it doesn't step in the way of their world view. All of us hold deep ideological beliefs about some issue: faith, politics, economics, or something else. When the opinion of someone who is more knowledgeable about a subject seems to contradict something that we believe, we are less inclined to believe them. Against such people, the argument is useless. Sometimes I'm such a person. However, I tend to believe that all of us would be a bit better off and a bit more understanding if we had the courage to admit that sometimes we don't know what we're talking about.
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Derek Trent AshcraftA place to discuss, among other things, politics, culture, food, faith, and nonsense. Archives
July 2021
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