Being neither a scientist, a physician nor an economist I defer to those with these credentials for my information about how to handle the pandemic. But the most unfortunate thing to note is that for so many the question is not the economy or public health. For many with the politicization of every aspect of our culture it seems that the question has really become public health or Christian fascism. Almost a replay of the days of the Scopes Trial. We all assumed we had learned to do better. We need to return to the wisdom of Prof. Richard Hofstadter, recently illuminated by Prof. Sean Wilentz in the Weekly: the horrible strength of anti-intellectualism in our country’s history right up to the present.

Norman Ravitch *62
Savannah, Ga.