Howard Zinn: The Radical Man

Eka Ramdhani Niengsih

PBI-D Forth Semester

NIM 14121320237

Howard Zinn: The Radical Man

Introduction

This paper offers a critical insight on Howard Zinn’s article entitled “Speaking Truth to Power with Books”. Radical. Selfish. The clear world would be so dark when Howard Zinn gave statement. That what I feel when the first I know Howard Zinn. But, Personally proud of him. He changed thinking the other  by his writing. He made history with his craft. He gave me new insight that do not just to be listener about one history, we have to know what the truth of history which seen from many aspect like fact. Beside that, Howard Zinn told us to be critical person to face something. However, Howard Zinn just common person who has weakness and perhaps sometimes he ignored things in his craft. For this reason, here I will try to extend those things which missing from Howard Zinn..

Summary                            

There are several point what could I get from Howard Zinn. First, One of his craft  is “A People’s History of the United States” Chapter 1 Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress in the famous article Speaking Truth to Power with Book. Which explained about history the discover of America.  He has different opinion with the information mostly heard by many peoples. Zinn briefly said that Columbus is not a hero who discover America, but he is a man who has bad attitude, Genoside and made torture. Columbus should not celebrate in “Columbus day”.

Second, citizens gave critics to Zinn. There was fact which said that the discover of America is moslem . So far before Columbus come, the moslem already came. There was islamic’s building like mosque found by Columbus when he there was in America. One of the famous literatur is Essay from Dr. Youssef Mroueh from Preparatory Commitee for International Festivals to celebrate the millennium of the Muslims arrival to the Americas in 1996, with title “Precolumbian Muslims in America”. Dr. Mroueh wrote “several fact show that Moslem from Spanyol and West Africa arrive in America at least about five century before Columbus. In the middle of ten century, in government Khalifah Umayyah that Abdurrahman III (929-961M), moslem from Africa sail the sea to west area from Delbra harbour in Spanyol to pierce the dark and fogy ocean which recently we know as America.

In an interview conducted near the end of his life, Howard Zinn said, “The really critical way in which people are deceived by history is not the lies that are told, but that things are omitted”. By this standard, Zinn deceived his readers. But perhaps the application of this standard is too harsh. A People’s History was almost certainly meant to be read alongside the conventional accounts it sought to challenge. Ultimately, we can accept this partial defence but still find his interpretation dissatisfactory. Perhaps we expect more nuance and more honesty from historians of the left: they are supposed to speak truth to power.

Third, Howard Zinn was an activist and sometime playwright, his interpretation of U.S. history emphasised the agency of ordinary people at the expense of political, commercial, and military elites. Zinn said that America has the dark history. In contrast with our interpretation commonly about America.  Perhaps it was overturn what we perceived the greatness narrative of American which presented in the country’s textbooks.

I am very interested to his created entitled "You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train ( Howard Zinn; 1994) I should try to always be honest with different views, but I want more than just teach the objectivity, and I want my students to leave the class not only just get better informed, but more prepared shatter the silence, more prepared to speak, be ready act against injustice wherever they find it. This is of course, is a recipe for overcoming the problems. It was gave insight to his students.

Main Body (Critique)

Beside all of Zinn’s best craft, he also has the weakness. In my opinnion, there was several point which become the weakness from Howard Zinn. First, he did not brief to mention who the first discover of America. He did not explain that Moslem was the first discover of America. He just said that Columbus saw Islamic building in his journey. Almost many West nation covered Islamic civilization in the long time ago. Islam ever gotten their golden era. Many excellent historian and scientist of Islam who famous and made many craft. But, in one time Islam colonized by West nation. It happened about Abbasiyah’s leadership, library of Islam destroyed by Mongol’s group (1258). Second, Howard Zinn did not mention background of Columbus. I believe if Zinn mention how background of Columbus is will strength his opinion. To emphasize that background someone would be show how his or her attitude being a human.

Third, Zinn less explanation on influence policy. In the fact, history has relation with policy. When Zinn said that Columbus  is a man with bad attitude, made torture, genoside I believe that all what Columbus did influenced on policy. But, Zinn did not explain about that. History not static, it depend on who or what the created itself. History created by ideology of historian. Ideology one of the strength the historian to crush unknown and accompany what be the faith of historian. Zinn with his radical ideological presented new history in the world. He open our mind to more critical to be human.

Forth, Zinn did not write any references in his article when talking about Columbus and others. For this reason, reference is the strength of any readings, without it the reader still perceive that the writer is like playing or pretending in his writing. The reader will hesitate to the writer if there was not strength references.

Conclusion

There are some points that can be concluded from Zinn’s article. First, Howard Zinn with his craft was create history will be history. His spirit when he learn about something good should we appreciate and follow. Second, His radicalism really shocked the world. He tried to be inspire  people to protest and unsatisfied which sign by not justice. He can be the model for who want to get  justice. The last, Howard Zinn was a leading advocate of a grassroots historical perspective—one that inspires educators to rethink and revise their thinking attack on Zinn is a way of discouraging educators from teaching a people’s history.

References

 Zinn, Howard. 1980. A People’s History of The United States. United States: Harper &    

           Row; Harper Collins.

Lehtonen, Mikko. 2000. The Cultural Analysis of Texts. London. Sage Publication             Ltd.

http://www.oxonianreview.org/wp/howard-zinn-death-of-an-historian/ diakses pada 18 Maret 2014 pukul 19.30 WIB

http://kisahmuslim.com/benarkah-columbus-yang-pertama-melintasi-atlantik-menuju-amerika/ diakses pada 18 Maret 2014 pukul 19.55 WIB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Zinn diakses pada 19 Maret 2014 pukul 16.45 WIB