Wake Up America--The Problem Is Civil Obedience

Last night I read the first two chapters of Part Four: Law, of the Zinn Reader.

This is from "The Zinn Reader: Writings on Disobedience and Democracy", by Howard Zinn. The first article/chapter was interesting, called "Law and Justice", and I can relate. However, the one which really stood out was:

2. The Problem is Civil Obedience

How bizarre that everything I've come to think, and the ideas which have been forming in my mind, were basically said right HERE, over a decade ago, by Mr. Zinn. He says everything I think, except I don't know what I think of his tentative solution, that there should be no "enforcement" of law but just a communal agreement to do good. People can be good, but they are also sometimes sheep, and in groups, can create hysteria against a minority or individual. I'm not sure what I think the solution should be. I need to read more. I only read these two chapters last night.

It was encouraging, to read this, and find agreement with some of my ideas, but it was also scary. My conclusions are nothing new. This has ALL BEEN SAID, 10 years ago, and what has changed?!!!

Things have only become worse.

It will truly require a grassroots revolution, for any change to occur, and the people in general will have to be interested enough to become educated about what is really happening to their rights and to our country. The economic injustice affects civil rights.

I'm going to be reading the rest of this Zinn section at work when it's slow, if I have a chance. I'll read the whole book, but this section appealed to me instantly

I was just thinking, this is probably something which will require the help of the rich as well as the poor. I think the rich could be willing to advocate for change, and put their monies and clout towards something useful as this was done with some of the families that had plantations and slaves and bucked the system to free the slaves, and work for abolition. Some of the rich probably don't understand how the structure is actually going to hurt them, as it is currently, and the futures of their children, if something isn't done. What is good for the country as a whole is going to be good for them, as the U.S. cannot function with a collapse of the middle-class and lower-class. So maybe the poor just need enough time from their busy days to read up and understand what's happening, and come up with ideas for change and to implement the change, and then the rich, who have generally more time for such concerns, need only to be persuaded.