In this article, I would like to talk about the historian Howard Zinn, without going into the details of his biography. Because you can easy found this information on the Internet. I would consider his views on history in general, why and under what circumstances its occurred. Howard found himself in history and political science since his youth. A first rally Zinn visited when he was a seventeen-year-old young man, the friends who were breathing unevenly to the communist ideology invited him. After the meeting, young Howard changed his mind about the rule government and human rights in general.
Where he witnessed Mounted Police brutality against civilians. Zinn was also beaten. He was shocked by this situation. Moreover, he added: “From that moment on, I was no longer a liberal, a believer in the self-correcting character of American democracy“ (Howard Zinn).
A year later, when the then antifascists Howard turned 18 years old, he enlisted as a volunteer. From 1943 to 1945 years, he served in the US Air Force. Zinn was fulfilling orders bombing targets in Berlin, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the city Royan in France, despite the fact that it was a friendly target. A year later, in 1996, he learned that because of the use of napalm during bombing 1000 civilians were killed in this city. Thus, the military service radically changed his view of what is really happening in the world. He has not believed to the fairy tales that was invented by the government he saw what was happening in reality. Moreover, he understood that this was just the tip of the iceberg, because he began to expose lie of US history, with which the Government was feeding the growing generation. At the end of the war, Howard returned home and put all his medals away. Later, he proved the illegitimacy and illegality of the bombing of cities such as Dresden, Rouen, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Zinn also condemned the napalm bombing during the Vietnam War and the airstrike on the shelter Amiriyah. Therefore, he began his history as a writer, activist and political scientist. As Zinn explained in his liner notes to “Fellow Workers”:
it might have been a good thing if we had one — maybe we would have gotten together and asked the question: Why are we dropping bombs on this peaceful village this morning? (Howard Zinn).
History under the prism of Howard Zinn.
Teaching the history of the University, Howard Zinn became convinced that civilian position of Americans is incredibly passive and it is held down prejudices, but in fact, it is the usual ignorance. These books inspire a new generation to subjective opinion on the realities and reinforce the domination of the bourgeoisie: it grows law-abiding citizen and consumers. Such textbooks ignore the history of the world, cultivates the ideas of patriotism and national exclusiveness. Therefore, they close their eyes to the social contradictions and conflicts within the country. That is why Zinn thought that history should be written not by the top of the authorities, officials or the upper classes of society. He argued that history should be written on behalf of ordinary people, witnesses of the events, middle-class people who really know how the government's actions reflects at the level of life of the people. On behalf of the people who care, who are defending their civil rights, rally, fight for Justice. Therefore, Zinn set out to create a fundamental and comprehensive work on the history of the United States of America, written from the point of view of ordinary people, ordinary people, not by the ruling elite. In other words, to oppose the ruling conservative-liberal interpretation of the history of the American.
Historian and political scientist Howard Zinn wrote his books with a sincere belief that they modify the view of younger generation. He believed that the caring people who are fighting for their rights and have a solid civil position would lead to progress. They already will not believe everything that is written in their textbooks, they share to settle all doubts about what they hear on the news and read the newspapers.
He also believed in the transmission of his own experience to his students. Zinn was a good example of how experience and the views of one person can create history. Teaching in the Spelman College in Atlanta (1956-1963), Howard could not help noticing that into the college atmosphere reigns racist and gender inequality. He invited many of his students to the struggle for civil rights. Among his pupils from the college in Atlanta - a dark-skinned writer, Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker and the current chairwoman of the protection of children, Marian Wright Edelman of the Fund. By the way, very Alice Walker is grateful for her achievements in the field of literature to Howard Zinn and his lectures of Russian history. This is a prime example of how one person's experience inspires hundreds. Many Howard students became activists. In a such way, Howard Zinn formed a new US history not only thanks to his books, but also thanks to his students with whom he worked. Howard Zinn can rightly be called a real teacher, in every sense. He was not just a teacher and mentor; he was an inspiration to his students. Howard passed on his experience and through his books.
Such people like Howard Zinn our views become wider, we can see beyond their noses. In addition, my worldview has changed dramatically after reading several works of Zinn; he gave the opportunity to look at the common facts with the other side. Someone says: "How many people - so many opinions." Yes, it is true, but it is not necessary to take into account only the opinion of politicians. The people have the right to remove the rose-colored glasses and contemplate the realities of its part. I completely agree with the point of view of Howard Zinn about history in general, whom and how it should be written. And completely agree with his civil position - not to be indifferent, not to be a vegetable in the vegetable store. All because really starts with small. With you.
Work cited
Denis Pilash, “Howard Zinn. A People's Historian USA”.2010. Web. Retrieved from:
http://saint-juste.narod.ru/Howard_Zinn.html
Howard Zinn,“Fellow Workers” .1999. Web. Retrieved from:
http://zinnedproject.org/materials/fellow-workers-liner-notes-by-howard-zinn/
Howard Zinn, “You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train”.2004. Web. Retrieved from:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416825/
Michael Powell, “Howard Zinn, Historian, Is Dead at 87.” 2010. Web. Retrieved from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/us/29zinn.html?_r=0
