Freedom Rides
On the way home last night, I listened to Terry Gross' interview of Raymond Arsenault, who has just written a book about the 1961 Freedom Rides. Like most people born after that era, my perspective is limited. However, when you really dig into what they faced from the perspective of the time it was happening, you can't help but admire people like that. It seems these days that the title of "hero" is bandied about for all manner of people; it particularly bothers me when it is given to people who happened to die with no knowledge of what was about to be unleashed upon them. I think that undermines the idea of heroism and reduces it to a meaningless term.
You want to see the face of a hero? It's not pretty.
This is Jim Peck, who required 52 stitches after being beaten by a mob for riding a bus. I found this image from the badly in need of editing article on Wikipedia. It took me to something that nearly brought tears to my eyes.
The image was on the website of David Frankhauser, a professor of biology and chemistry at University of Cincinnati Claremont College. Frankhauser was part of the second wave of Freedom Riders. He was arrested for sitting in the Coloreds Only waiting room in Jackson, Mississippi, and subsequently spent time in the infamous Parchman Farm prison. His story is told here, and I highly recommend a visit to the page.
The method of non-violent civil disobedience is nearly irrational. The idea is generally credited to Gandhi, who developed the philosophy while trying to end oppressive taxation (notably of the Salt Tax), foreign rule, and widespread discrimination. The idea is to put yourself on the truly right side of the law (the side opposite the government, and in the case of Jim Crow, opposite violent gangs) and invite arrest, notoriety, beatings, and perhaps death in the process. Who would voluntarily do it? Especially given the high risk and potentially low payoff?
To listen to the rabid partisans, you would think that change only comes about at the hands of benevolent, powerful politicians. Note here that positive changes were brought about by private actors, despite the politicians. Segregation and Salt Taxes were the work of politicians, and creatures of the law, and change was inconvenient for the politically powerful.
You want to see the face of a hero? It's not pretty.
This is Jim Peck, who required 52 stitches after being beaten by a mob for riding a bus. I found this image from the badly in need of editing article on Wikipedia. It took me to something that nearly brought tears to my eyes.
The image was on the website of David Frankhauser, a professor of biology and chemistry at University of Cincinnati Claremont College. Frankhauser was part of the second wave of Freedom Riders. He was arrested for sitting in the Coloreds Only waiting room in Jackson, Mississippi, and subsequently spent time in the infamous Parchman Farm prison. His story is told here, and I highly recommend a visit to the page.
The method of non-violent civil disobedience is nearly irrational. The idea is generally credited to Gandhi, who developed the philosophy while trying to end oppressive taxation (notably of the Salt Tax), foreign rule, and widespread discrimination. The idea is to put yourself on the truly right side of the law (the side opposite the government, and in the case of Jim Crow, opposite violent gangs) and invite arrest, notoriety, beatings, and perhaps death in the process. Who would voluntarily do it? Especially given the high risk and potentially low payoff?
To listen to the rabid partisans, you would think that change only comes about at the hands of benevolent, powerful politicians. Note here that positive changes were brought about by private actors, despite the politicians. Segregation and Salt Taxes were the work of politicians, and creatures of the law, and change was inconvenient for the politically powerful.
Labels: philosophy, private action
<< Home