I’m reading a fine book by David Halberstam called “The Children” about the civil rights movement and have allowed myself to get behind on my magazine reading. Nonetheless, I’ve been able to read a few pieces here and there. Today’s quotations come from recent readings.
1. Howard Zinn, writing in the March issue of The Progressive (a piece that, as you’ll see, ties in nicely to the Halberstam book):
Historically, government, whether in the hands of Republicans or Democrats, conservatives or liberals, has failed its responsibilities, until forced to by direct action: sit-ins and Freedom Rides for the rights of black people, strikes and boycotts for the rights of workers, mutinies and desertions of soldiers in order to stop a war.
Voting is easy and marginally useful, but it is a poor substitute for democracy, which requires direct action by concerned citizens.
2. From “Winter Soldiers Speak,” by Laila Al-Arian, in the April 7 edition of The Nation:
“It’s criminal to put such patriotic Americans…in a situation where their morals are at odds with their survival instincts,” said Adam Kokesh, who served as a Marine sergeant in the raid on Fallujah in 2004.
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Hank Kalet 