Quote: Howard Zinn, the Boston University historian and political activist who was an early opponent of US involvement in Vietnam and whose books, such as "A People's History of the United States," inspired young and old to rethink the way textbooks present the American experience, died today in Santa Monica, Calif, where he was traveling. He was 87.
His daughter, Myla Kabat-Zinn of Lexington, said he suffered a heart attack.
"He's made an amazing contribution to American intellectual and moral culture," Noam Chomsky, the left-wing activist and MIT professor, said tonight. "He's changed the conscience of America in a highly constructive way. I really can't think of anyone I can compare him to in this respect."
Chomsky added that Dr. Zinn's writings "simply changed perspective and understanding for a whole generation. He opened up approaches to history that were novel and highly significant. Both by his actions, and his writings for 50 years, he played a powerful role in helping and in many ways inspiring the Civil rights movement and the anti-war movement."
Zinn is one of those few scholars who make one believe that scholarship can be more than an arid endeavor practiced in an ivory tower. Requiescat in pace.
His ideas and example live on.
just few weeks ago i came to know Howie Zinn, and yes, he was that much captivating that allows me call him Howie
:)
November 11, last year, he gave a lecture "Holy Wars" (this post subject is one of the phrases in his lecture)
:.full video in DemocracyNow
damn, the man was goood, what a fine irony and sharp analysis
the holy wars he talks about are not the crusade or jihadi types...
they are: Independence War, Civil War, Second World War (the much hyped 'good war')
