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Quote by Howard Zinn

“We've never had our injustices rectified from the top, from the president or Congress, or the Supreme Court, no matter what we learned in junior high school about how we have three branches of government, and we have checks and balances, and what a lovely system. No. The changes, important changes that we've had in history, have not come from those three branches of government. They have reacted to social movements.”

Quote by Howard Zinn

Author

American historian known for his critical analysis of historical events and advocacy for social justice. His work emphasizes the connection between history and contemporary social issues, particularly focusing on the role of ordinary people in the historical process. more

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“The mountain of history books under which we all stand leans so heavily in the other direction-so tremblingly respectful of states and statesmen and so disrespectful, by inattention, to people's movements-that we need some counterforce to avoid being crushed into submission.”

People Needs Book States Movement Mountain Submission Crushed Respectful Statesmen History Books Disrespectful Inattention

Book:A People's History of the United States

Source: A People's History of the United States

“If you want to end terrorism, you have to stop being terrorists”

Ifs Want Ends Terrorism Terrorist

Author:Howard Zinn

“We cannot be secure by limiting our liberties, as some of our political leaders are demanding, but only by expanding themWe should take our example not from the military and political leaders shouting 'retaliate' and 'war' but from the doctors and nurses and firemen and policemen who have been saving lives in the midst of mayhem, whose first thoughts are not violence, but healing, and not vengeance, but compassion.”

“I don't believe in angels, no. But I do have a wee parking angel. It's on my dashboard and you wind it up. The wings flap and it's supposed to give you a parking space. It's worked so far.”

Giving Believe Religion Space Wind Angel Wings Don't Believe Marijuana Parking Parking Space Dashboards

Author:Billy Connolly

“The rule of law does not do away with the unequal distribution of wealth and power, but reinforces that inequality with the authority of law. It allocates wealth and poverty in such calculated and indirect ways as to leave the victim bewildered.”

Way Doe Law Wealth Poverty Authority Victim Inequality Distribution Rule Of Law Indirect Bewildered Distribution Of Wealth Wealth And Poverty

Author:Howard Zinn

“If democracy were to be given any meaning, if it were to go beyond the limits of capitalism and nationalism, this would not come, if history were any guide, from the top. It would come through citizen's movements, educating, organizing, agitating, striking, boycotting, demonstrating, threatening those in power with disruption of the stability they needed.”

Ifs Given Democracy Movement Needed Citizens Limits Capitalism Guides Nationalism Stability Threatening Disruption Demonstrating

Book:A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present

Source: A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present

“The chief problem in historical honesty is not outright lying. It is omission or de-emphasis of important data. The definition of 'important', of course, depends on one's values.”

Important Problem Lying Values Courses Honesty Depends Historical Definitions Chiefs Data Emphasis Omission

Book:Failure to Quit: Reflections of an Optimistic Historian

Source: Failure to Quit: Reflections of an Optimistic Historian

“It is no longer simply the merchant prince, or the aristocratic monopoly, or even the employing class, that is exploiting the world: it is the nation, a new democratic nation composed of united capital and labor.”

World Nations United Class Labor Democratic Monopoly Merchants Employing Aristocratic

Book:A People's History of the United States

Source: A People's History of the United States

“Objectivity is impossible and it is also undesirable. That is, if it were possible it would be undesirable, because if you have any kind of a social aim, if you think history should serve society in some way; should serve the progress of the human race; should serve justice in some way, then it requires that you make your selection on the basis of what you think will advance causes of humanity.”

Ifs Thinking Way Should Humans Kind Would Be Humanity Social Causes Justice Race Progress Impossible Bases Aim Human Race Selection Objectivity Undesirable

Author:Howard Zinn

“Voting is easy and marginally useful, but it is a poor substitute for democracy, which requires direct action by concerned citizens.”

Action Easy Poor Democracy Citizens Concerned Direct Voting Thrive Substitutes Direct Action

Book:The Historic Unfulfilled Promise

Source: The Historic Unfulfilled Promise