Ignorance means “lacking knowledge or comprehension of the subject being considered.” There are times we expect to hear ignorant comments, like when folks calling into talk radio go off on a rant. There are also times we don’t anticipate ignorance to rear its ugly head, like in the musings of Supreme Court justices, who are supposed to be erudite.
Yet in the recent decision that struck down affirmative action in college admissions, the opinions expressed by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Chief Justice John G. Roberts demonstrated a stunning level of ignorance about the benefits of diversity in education, as well as the systemic racial bias which affirmative action helps remediate.
