CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY

Attended tonight at the University of South Carolina a lecture by Bancroft-winning legal historian Tomiko Brown-Nagin as part of her promtional tour, I guess, of her book Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement (2011). As she described it, the work is a corrective to the common view of looking only at the big cases and lawyers (such as Brown and Marshall) and exploring the work of many lawyers in both fighting on a local level and contesting the focus of the struggle, as seen through the advocacy of Atlanta's CR lawyers. Sponsored by the Institue for African American Research and held at Cooper Library, Dr. Brown-Nagin sketched out the three major waves of legal involvement as it morphed from emphasis on voting rights and limited inclusion, to more radical push for complete equal rights, to an emphasis on making sure advances addressed poverty, housing, and other economic ills. I was dismayed somewhat by the low attendance, both from within the department and generally, especially by undergraduates (who seemed completely absent).

And this is only a light criticism, but someone needs to do a better job editing the IAAR newsletter.

MIDDLE EAST MOVIE TOUR

With the boys off on a one-night camping trip with the Scouts, Dad decided to catch a few movies, as well as sneak off for a nice dinner (and ice cream, don't tell anyone). I don't get these opportunities often, so it was a nice diversion. I decided to spend some of it on the CIA Rehabilitation and Restoration of Respect Tour. Yes, I went to see Argo and Zero Dark Thirty. And I found both films pretty entertaining, with good acting and compelling stories, though not totally accurate. And my first thought, especially in the latter movie, is that there probably was a lot going on that they have not (and likely won't) reveal for many years, if ever, to protect individuals and the agency. But the essential stories seemed true. Furthermore, I hope people realize the very hard work, long hours, terror, stress, and effort a whole range of government officals and employees, from politicians to intelligence officers to foreign service officers to the military give to protect this country. They are only human, often make mistakes, may even fail, but they also carry off spectacular feats (among the thousands of lesser achievements every day) that are usually hidden from attention or praise. In the Iranian situation, embassy guards could have fought back with deadly force, killing hundreds and possibly sparking a war, but they held back and suffered a 444 day captivity. And many people came to the aid of Americans.

Argo, the story of how a CIA operative and specialist in secretly extracting individuals from countries (played by Ben Affleck, who also directed the movie) duped the Iranian authories and gained the freedom of six embassy personnel who escaped the initial takeover by the students. In some ways the early scenes struck a parallel with Bengahzi, where prepared agitators used the cloak of a street protest to gain access to a facility. I think they know the first inclination of American guards is NOT to shoot into crowds. This movie had a personal note, and interest, for me because I worked with about eight Iranians during the revolution and captivity, and I got many insights from them. I even risked my job standing up to a member who was verbally and racially abusing an Iranian employee (who, by the way, lived the rest of his life in the United States and is a contributing member of society). In fact, in an aside, I believe the vast majority of refugees and immigrants from the Middle East to this country have added to the diversity and strength of our nation, many sacrificed and offered their lives to defend us and have contributed mightily, especially Iranians who came here. Ok, let's get back to the movie. I have read about the escape, the creation of a dummy movie-productiuon company, and the film rightly applauds the contribution of the Canadians in hiding and protecting our citizens. The movie avoids a lot of saccharine and sappy aspects some films employ, and tried to be a straightfoward account, with levity being provided at the expense of Hollywood. Since the Academy nominated nine movies for Best Picture, I see how it made the list, but I thought Affleck was rather bland in the lead role (perhaps because he was expected to be, in which case he did a great job). But even in many places where I would have expected a higher measure of anxiety, I didn't feel it, at least to the extent I expected. Perhaps I expect too much. I thought the cast was good, and I loved the John Goodman/Alan Arkin parts (they could make a spinoff and just make a deliciously savage commentary on Hollywood). I loved Adrienne Barbeau's cameo. Although most people probably won't notice, but I thought the smaller roles of Iranians and crowd scenes were very well done, and quite believable, not over the top or exaggerated (such as when the bazari goes crazy when his picture is taken, which reflects the real fears and tumult ordinary Iranians were feeling). I know some Iranians will complain that the movie made some look silly or incompetent, but I thought the filmmakers tried to show just how smart and dedicated (even if fanatical) many revolutionaries were (and also the pain and violence experienced by the population as a whole). And sadly, I think most Iranians continue to suffer from fanatical oppression, and I hope one day they can shed their current clerical leadership. This movie sported a huge cast and must have been a nightmare for costumers and support staff, but I think they pulled it off. I enjoyed the film.

Zero Dark Thirty was a bit more troubling, though it was an exciting film. I thought Jessica Chastain and Jason Clark were very good (even as they glorified torture, which I oppose) as CIA operatives dedicated to destroying Al Qaida and killing its head, and the rest of the cast was good as well. I wondered a bit about the conservative outcry against the movie as a vehicle of adulation for Obama (which, frankly, I did not see). I was a bit surprised that (at least I can't recall hearing it) the SEAL team did not get more mention, because the movie seemed to indicate it was a CIA team. I bet CIA personnel were there, but it doesn't sinc with what I read in No Easy Day. I liked the fact that they showed the contributions of many Pakistanis (as well as Americans of Middle Eastern heritage) in helping kill Bin Laden. I think the film also correctly showed how smart, tenacious, and sneaky our terrorist oppoents can be (and maybe people will realize how difficult is the job to counter fanatics). What a gigantic and coordinated effort is needed to keep these jackals at bay. No doubt Americans will never know the sacrifices and effort made by thousands of public servants who have staved off attacks or killed and captured terrorists. Every terrorist attack is a failure of sorts, but I suspect many more potential disasters were avoided by good intelligence and timely interventions. Depending on the mood of the voters, I wouldn't be surprised if the Academy gives the Best Movie award. Possibly these two movies may cancel each other out and the award will go to a happier movie (though my vote goes to Lincoln). Many scenes are troubling, and I would highly encourage parents to heed the R rating.

As an aside, there will be some Americans who will feel superior and snigger at the Middle Eastern fanatics, but I say we have them too, in elements of the fanatical Christian fundametalists and Tea Party crackpots, and they are just a step away from becoming domestic terrorists, and that what keeps them from destroying this country is that they do not have the advantage of a homogenous (and often oppressed)population, but that we as a nation benefit from broad diversity of cultural heritages and political outlooks and multiplicity of religious and social belief. It's great to be an American, even if we make mistakes and can be wrong (my opinion) on many issues. We must stay vigilant, both at home and abroad, and remain engaged in world events (even when it costs us), and hopefully stay true to our higher ideals and avoid adopting tactics or measures that do not honor us.

MAGIC TRIP

The early sixties was a time of transformation, exploration, protest, and weirdness, much of which can be summed up in the crazy bus trip orchestrated by celebrated author Ken Kesey (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and his friends, known as the Merry Pranksters, on their excursion from California to Florida and then up the east coast to New York (where they visited the World's Fair) and then back to the west coast (via Canada). The trip is captured in a new documentary, Magic Trip, by Alex Gibney and Alsion Ellwood. The documentarians took original clips from the 30-hour film made by Pranksters and squared the audio with the film, and then added interviews, photographs, other footage, as well as provided commentary, to produce an insightful and engaging movie about this trip. Wonderful. As for the drugs, I think I would have been stoned too knowing Neil Cassidy was driving! Cassidy seemed like a gyroscope that spewed nonstop chatter, often nearly intelligable. The filmmakers did a great job of explaining the trip, fleshing out the diverse characters and how they got their nicknames, and presenting some of the dynamics of the relationships. Some really good scenes (my Deadhead friends will love some early footage of their heros). It probably will be a nostalgiac ride for those who lived through the sixties, a record and history for later generations, and an entertaining look at the center of a cultural phenomena.

PEA ISLAND

Watched today a nice documentary film Rescue Men: The Story of the Pea Island Life Savers (2010), funded by the North Carolina Council for the Humantities, covering the valiant and professional service of a group of African American lifesavers at Pea Island, North Carolina (on the barrier islands) during the post Civil War period. Led by the stern yet fair Richard Etheridge (a former slave, decorated Civil War sergeant and Buffalo soldier), who fought to keep his crew in topmost readiness, as well as countered racist criticism and worse. The segregated crew managed to obtain an almost perfect record of saving lives, including a daring rescue during a hurricane (which would not be honored for more than one hundred years) in which crew members swam out into the surf to bring the entire crew of a grounded ship to shore, without the loss of any lives. Coastal lifesavers eventually melded with the Cutter Service to establish the U.S. Coast Guard, and this film reveals a forgotten part of the story. I recommend it for teachers and personal use, and applaud the historians who uncovered and wrote about the story of these brave men.

ASSASSINATION VACATION

If you are the type of reader who enjoys books such as Confederates in the Attic by Horwitz or even Bryson’s Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, you may be a perfect victim for the charms of Sarah Vowell’s delightful Assassination Vacation. A humorous stew of history, historical trivia, personal observations, flippant asides, and almost reverent affection for museum docents and National Parks rangers (the fact that she was a Smithsonian intern is no surprise), the reader is taken along a meandering trip through the historical oddness that is presidential assassination history. One is not quite sure at times when she is poking fun or being serious; you also wonder if all the sidekicks who ferry her to different locations (she claims to be phobic about driving) and accompany her to the sites are fictitious or real. But it is a trip worth taking. Although some of her friends do not feel her excitement or appreciate her morbid interest, I for one would be right alongside her enjoying each new nugget of unusual fact or frippery. I too would be fascinated by the off-the-track museums and historical sites (as one who has driven many family members crazy, and will continue to do so, by stopping during road trips to read every historical marker). Her blatant anti-W and liberal stance endears her to me as well. I must confess, however, that I am envious of her ability to travel so freely, even if handicapped by phobias.
Although much of what Vowell covers is familiar to me (yes, I was a history major), there were plenty of interesting tidbits and anecdotes, delightfully told. I love her descriptions of ghoulish historical artifacts, from skull fragments to railroad-building tiles. Some of the stories are riveting. One Booth kills a president, while his brother later saves the slain president’s son from death in a railroad mishap. What a strange life did Robert Todd Lincoln live (having been in close proximity to three assassinations). While almost everyone knows about Mudd’s incarceration for helping Booth with his injured leg and his later heroics in fighting a yellow fever outbreak while in federal detention off the coast of Florida, her account of his probable complicity and actual life in prison was very instructive. She humorously rehabilitates, to a degree, the memory of James Garfield. The account of the Oneida Community and its role in tolerating Charles Guiteau is interesting. I love the line, in connection with describing the sexually liberated community that later spermed (ahhh, I mean spawned) the kitchenware company, in talking about her favorite tea pot: "but now, when I watch the steam rise from the yellow spout, I like to pretend I’m seeing people breathe." I really smiled when I read her assertion that the secret theme of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition was (in response to Western Hemisphere jitters caused by the US becoming a world power in 1898): "We’re Not Going To Shoot You (Especially If You Buy Our Stuff).
Oddly enough, there is almost nothing, if I remember correctly, on JFK (except for a piece those who highlight the similarities between the AL &JFK events), and definitely no separate section, though choosing not to do a humorous take on this assassination may have been prudent in light of its more recent occurrence, and the fact that still-living individuals who witnessed the horror might stalk the author with terrible designs in their hearts.
Nevertheless, her writing and book are enjoyable. Perhaps she is master at being prepared when she enters a museum or historical site to ask the best questions of the staff. Clearly she is enamored with New York City. I think this would be the kind of book that would draw more young people to history, or at least the pursuit of the unusual. So, where do I sign up for her next vacation trip?