The right to think is a freedom that not everyone in the world possesses. It is the freedom that any individual should have to hold a viewpoint that is different from others’ viewpoints. Most people never need to or have to think about not being to have their own thoughts and private opinions. We do not stop to think about how vital this human right actually is. Personally, I have never thought about the “right to think”. I, one of many, just took that free will for granted rather than as a privilege. After reading Inherit the Wind I feel as though the right to think is not the only thing in which we take advantage of. We, as people who live in the United States, which is known for its freedom, are selfish for not realizing that sooner.

In the 1920s, it was not as easy to have your own opinion. People in your town would think that you were a sinner if you thought differently from everyone else. In today’s society anyone can have any belief that they want, as long as it does not harm other people. We are a very free nation, in which we can have our own outlook on things and are able to express our beliefs without restraint and the fear of being judged. The John Scopes trial forced people to think for themselves and have their own thoughts about choosing between evolutionism and creationism.

Also, I believe that it was not literally the fact that people were not allowed to think for themselves, but the fact that they had a hard time sharing their thoughts with anyone. They were scared of being criticized for their ideas and could not bring themselves to change what was already fixed into their society.