Free Speech forum
In this project, I was assigned to find a piece of free speech that resonated with me. I picked Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States. I chose this because it is a controversial book that attempts to tell history through the lens of the oppressed people throughout history. After I chose this, I did some work with the book, including preparing a 5-minute PowerPoint presentation. Lastly, I wrote an essay and created a visual piece to make a beautiful wall piece. I wrote my essay on how educated but controversial opinions, like Howard Zinn's, are integral in keeping the government in check and continuing the democracy. Below are my visual and my essay!
Free Speech visual
a people's view of free speech
Originally published in 1980, famous historian Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States boldly takes on U.S. history from the perspective of the lower classes. Zinn added new sections to the book, the latest coming in 2003 and detailing the Bush presidency and 9/11. Critics varied in their judgment. Many people viewed Zinn's work as a revolution in history, bringing a crucial unheard opinion to the public. Others were very critical of his book’s cynical viewpoint. Oscar Handlin, from Harvard University, said that “It would be a mistake, however, to regard Zinn as merely Anti-American. Brendan Behan once observed that whoever hated America hated mankind, and hatred of mankind is the dominant tone of Zinn's book.” In the beginning of the book, Zinn tells the reader that history is, above all, subjective. He takes the view of the “people”, the lower-class majority consistently oppressed by a wealthy, white minority. Using his right to publish what he believes, Zinn deftly exposes readers to his underlying biases against the inequality that capitalism creates. Though it’s important for everybody to have the right to speech in a free society, it’s controversial but educated opinions like Howard Zinn’s that allow a democracy to survive.
While the freedom of speech is a crucial pillar of a democratic society, the freedom to hear a wide variety of opinions is even more important. The freedom of speech allows anybody to state their ideas, whether they are pro-government or anti-government. More importantly, though, free speech allows these types of opinions to be heard by large amounts of people through various media. For example, Martin Luther King was an incredible speaker, but he could never have transfixed the entire nation without the medium of television. While King had an uncanny ability to convey his beliefs for an audience, he needed a public willing to listen and to spread his message. Similarly, Howard Zinn’s ideas are powerful, but he needed the free press to get his work published and spread throughout the nation. Though everybody enjoys the freedom of speech, it is the inevitable spreading of educated, compelling opinions like Zinn’s that makes free speech a pillar of democracy.
Zinn’s work is compelling and controversial, spreading his unique and insightful version of history with the country. In particular, his take on modern history is controversial. Though Democrats and Republicans think of themselves as fundamentally different, Zinn criticizes them for being the same: “Both [Bush and Gore] favored a large military establishment, the continued use of landmines, and the use of sanctions against the people of Cuba and Iraq.” He portrays both Democrats and Republicans of the early 2000s as having the same ideology, supporting big businesses and protecting the mega-rich. After covering the 2000 election, he goes on to criticize Bush’s post-9/11 tactics: “It should have been obvious to Bush and his advisers that terrorism could not be defeated by force. The historical evidence was easily available. The British had reacted to terrorist acts by the Irish Republican Army with military action again and again, only to face even more terrorism.” Zinn uses powerful historical examples to back up his ideology, that the American government corruptly favors the wealthy while disregarding the majority of people.
Spanning from Columbus’ time to the 2000s, A People’s History of the United States forces readers to think critically about the role of government, both historically and in modern life. Zinn begins by showing a pre-United States colony run by the elite of society, who had different motivations than ordinary citizens: “...the elite of the Puritans wanted the war [against the Indians]; the ordinary white Englishman did not want it and often refused to fight.” He continues to highlight the role of government, eventually portraying both George Bush and Al Gore as elitists like the early Puritans: “Neither Gore nor Bush had a plan for free national health care, for extensive low-cost housing, for dramatic changes in environmental controls…” Zinn’s theme is a capitalist, anti-people government run by the rich. Though he states himself that he doesn’t want to romanticize the poor, he gives his readers historical and modern evidence that the government should be run differently. By making his audience aware of the wrongdoings of the U.S. government, Zinn uses his free speech rights to increase the capability of the voting public to make informed decisions.
It is important to note that radical opinions like Zinn’s cannot be the only opinions present in a free democracy. Educated people like Zinn, harnessing the power of rhetoric, can influence masses of people with their words. This can be dangerous if all opinions begin to sound the same, Powerful rhetoric can convince people to act in ways they normally wouldn’t. For example, in World War II, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels used their power of words to convince millions of otherwise upstanding German citizens to commit the unthinkable atrocities of the Holocaust. If Zinn’s way of thinking were the norm, the United States would look very different and much more socialistic. For this reason, it is important to have radical but informed ideas on every side of a debate, to let the people decide what they want to hear. When educated radicals like Howard Zinn are able to voice their opinions, no matter what the side, they can hold both government and voters in check and stop them from become too one-sided in policies and ideology.
As members of a free democracy, surrounded by knowledgeable sources on every topic, it is our duty to use our right of free speech to improve this country. It is crucial to use our freedom to listen to a wide variety of opinions and critically analyze them to inform our personal beliefs. Spread over many people, these kinds of educated voters lead to a government that is truly by, for, and of the people. People like Howard Zinn, even if we don’t agree with what they say, give important insights that more moderate scholars never would. A democracy can only truly flourish if we, the people, use our freedom of speech to listen and inform ourselves on how to make our country better.
Works Cited
"A People's History of the United States." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Sept. 2014.
Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: From 1492 to the Present. London: Longman, 1996. Print.
Images Used
"A People's History of the United States." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Sept. 2014.
Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
"Good Bye to Howard Zinn." Lo Zio DAmerica. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
"Howard Zinn, Popular Jewish American Historian, Dies at 87 - American Jewish World." American Jewish World RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
While the freedom of speech is a crucial pillar of a democratic society, the freedom to hear a wide variety of opinions is even more important. The freedom of speech allows anybody to state their ideas, whether they are pro-government or anti-government. More importantly, though, free speech allows these types of opinions to be heard by large amounts of people through various media. For example, Martin Luther King was an incredible speaker, but he could never have transfixed the entire nation without the medium of television. While King had an uncanny ability to convey his beliefs for an audience, he needed a public willing to listen and to spread his message. Similarly, Howard Zinn’s ideas are powerful, but he needed the free press to get his work published and spread throughout the nation. Though everybody enjoys the freedom of speech, it is the inevitable spreading of educated, compelling opinions like Zinn’s that makes free speech a pillar of democracy.
Zinn’s work is compelling and controversial, spreading his unique and insightful version of history with the country. In particular, his take on modern history is controversial. Though Democrats and Republicans think of themselves as fundamentally different, Zinn criticizes them for being the same: “Both [Bush and Gore] favored a large military establishment, the continued use of landmines, and the use of sanctions against the people of Cuba and Iraq.” He portrays both Democrats and Republicans of the early 2000s as having the same ideology, supporting big businesses and protecting the mega-rich. After covering the 2000 election, he goes on to criticize Bush’s post-9/11 tactics: “It should have been obvious to Bush and his advisers that terrorism could not be defeated by force. The historical evidence was easily available. The British had reacted to terrorist acts by the Irish Republican Army with military action again and again, only to face even more terrorism.” Zinn uses powerful historical examples to back up his ideology, that the American government corruptly favors the wealthy while disregarding the majority of people.
Spanning from Columbus’ time to the 2000s, A People’s History of the United States forces readers to think critically about the role of government, both historically and in modern life. Zinn begins by showing a pre-United States colony run by the elite of society, who had different motivations than ordinary citizens: “...the elite of the Puritans wanted the war [against the Indians]; the ordinary white Englishman did not want it and often refused to fight.” He continues to highlight the role of government, eventually portraying both George Bush and Al Gore as elitists like the early Puritans: “Neither Gore nor Bush had a plan for free national health care, for extensive low-cost housing, for dramatic changes in environmental controls…” Zinn’s theme is a capitalist, anti-people government run by the rich. Though he states himself that he doesn’t want to romanticize the poor, he gives his readers historical and modern evidence that the government should be run differently. By making his audience aware of the wrongdoings of the U.S. government, Zinn uses his free speech rights to increase the capability of the voting public to make informed decisions.
It is important to note that radical opinions like Zinn’s cannot be the only opinions present in a free democracy. Educated people like Zinn, harnessing the power of rhetoric, can influence masses of people with their words. This can be dangerous if all opinions begin to sound the same, Powerful rhetoric can convince people to act in ways they normally wouldn’t. For example, in World War II, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels used their power of words to convince millions of otherwise upstanding German citizens to commit the unthinkable atrocities of the Holocaust. If Zinn’s way of thinking were the norm, the United States would look very different and much more socialistic. For this reason, it is important to have radical but informed ideas on every side of a debate, to let the people decide what they want to hear. When educated radicals like Howard Zinn are able to voice their opinions, no matter what the side, they can hold both government and voters in check and stop them from become too one-sided in policies and ideology.
As members of a free democracy, surrounded by knowledgeable sources on every topic, it is our duty to use our right of free speech to improve this country. It is crucial to use our freedom to listen to a wide variety of opinions and critically analyze them to inform our personal beliefs. Spread over many people, these kinds of educated voters lead to a government that is truly by, for, and of the people. People like Howard Zinn, even if we don’t agree with what they say, give important insights that more moderate scholars never would. A democracy can only truly flourish if we, the people, use our freedom of speech to listen and inform ourselves on how to make our country better.
Works Cited
"A People's History of the United States." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Sept. 2014.
Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: From 1492 to the Present. London: Longman, 1996. Print.
Images Used
"A People's History of the United States." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Sept. 2014.
Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
"Good Bye to Howard Zinn." Lo Zio DAmerica. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
"Howard Zinn, Popular Jewish American Historian, Dies at 87 - American Jewish World." American Jewish World RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.