A
crack hand at change the world
Introduction
This review discusses Howard Zinn’s article entitled
“Speaking Truth to Power with Books”. I shall claim that while the article is a
very valuable text for a number of reasons, Howard Zinn have conveyed the real
story courageously even though everyone against him.
Howard Zinn is a very brave. He has broken the great
statement that made by Elliot Marison that Christopher Columbus is discoverer
and Christopher Columbus like a hero. Moreover, Marison’s statement was
justified by all of the people in the world mainly by Americans. However,
Howard Zinn stated otherwise. He conveyed that Christopher Columbus is not
discoverer of America. He has conveyed all of his statement in his book that
entitled “A People's History of The United States”. Then I found awkwardness on his statement.
Why he is not revealing all of the truth that has not been revealed about
Christopher Columbus. He reveals only partial. Beside that, based on his
article, he also overlooked something from his article about reading.
Summary
There are several basic points that I have caught
from Howard Zinn’s article some of them is about reading and Christopher
Columbus. Howard Zinn said that someone can change the consciousness by read
the book. The book also can affect the world. The second point is Howard Zinn
also reveal about the fact. He said that there is no pure fact there is only
the fact that represent a judgment. And the third point he told us about the
Christopher Columbus who everyone knew as a hero that discovered the united
state. Howard Zinn said a little bit about his book that told about Christopher
Columbus.
Main Body
(Critique)
There is a point that is neglected in Howard Zinn’s
article. He only explained that the book can change someone consciousness and
the change the world by reading. Where, reading is not enough to change the
world. In addition to reading, someone also has to be able to write to change someone’s
consciousness and then change the world. It means someone who wants to change
the world he has to be able to read and write well.
However, if someone wants to be able to write and
then change someone’s consciousness and then change the world, he has to be
qualified reader or critical reader first. It is because good writer is a good
reader, but good reader not necessarily a good writer (Chaedar Alwasilah, 2005,
chap 8). It is because the good reader can pour his ideas that he get from the
process of critical reading.
Moreover, to become a good writer he has to make the
reader helpless. It means a writer has to make the reader feel amazing and
believe what we write. From here a reader will regard that the writer is
powerful. It is happen because the writer was discover a new insight or reveal
the hidden truth. In order to people believe what writer was written. The
writer should have good background. It is because the reader will see who the
writer. This also happen to Howard Zinn. He is good writer because he could
discover new insight and reveal the hidden truth about Columbus.
The book that entitled a people’s History the United State is the amazing book. This book
can arouse people’s awareness, basically about discoverer of the United State.
He is Christopher Columbus. Before the time everyone knows that Christopher
Columbus was hero because he has found The United State. It has been explained
by Samuel Elliot Marison at his book and everyone in the world assume that
Christopher Columbus is discoverer of The United State.
However, Howard Zinn break everyone’s assume by his
book- A People’s History of the united
state. He changes everyone’s awareness about Christopher Columbus is hero.
He told that Christopher Columbus is murder. Christopher Columbus did genocide.
He told at his book that Christopher Columbus has killed indigenous who
well-known as Taino. Crimes committed by Christopher Columbus submitted and it
is told by Howard Zinn in his book that Christopher Columbus cut native’s hand
and he let bleed to death because they cannot pay tribute. Beside that
Christopher Columbus also decapitated native’s children and it was given to his
dogs.
Beside that, Howard Zinn also explaind that
Christopher Columbus and his explorer who follow him to go and found the new
world based on one reason: financial again. All of his action - killing,
mutilating, torturing and enslaving- based on one reason. He found out the
wealth. In one article mention that Christopher Columbus would tortured the
native if they cannot gave him information about golden and another wealth. In
other words, all of what Christopher Columbus did is greed.
The reason why Howard Zinn wrote the book is because
he wants to influence the new generation of young students into becoming
revolutionaries whose hatred for the united states would impel them to work
toward “a transformation of national priorities “ and a comprehensive “change
in the system.” Will continue to rebel.” Beside that, Howard Zinn also said
that he hope our grand children or our great children, might possibly see a
different and marvelous world[1].
We could assume from that book that Howard Zinn as
an author siding with the people who lost not like Elliot Morison. Elliot
Morison wrote about Christopher Columbus as an intellectuals so, he wrote about
the good affected has been brought by Christopher Columbus and Marison override
the bad affected. It is because Elliot Marison as an intellectual believes that
sacrifice, however inhuman it is necessary for progress. So that Elliot Marison
wrote from the winner side. Despite based on the fact that Elliot Marison Also
wrote about killing, mutilating, torturing and enslaving what Christopher
Columbus did. But Elliot Marison not stressed it.
Different from Elliot Marison, Howard Zinn precisely
describe about Christopher Columbus with the bad effect. He produces the
history based on his ideologies. He wrote based on bad affected that brought by
Christopher Columbus. He has ever been as a bomber. He has ever worked as an
Air Force bomber in the 18th Division, and he was "awarded" for
services and rose to the rank of second lieutenant. From here, he realized that
he crush human life. Then, he felt guilty.
From the above description, we know when Howard Zinn
reveal the history, he not reveal entirely of the history about Christopher
Columbus. Even though at the first Howard Zinn describe about his position. He
was in loser side. He not reveal about loser side exactly in Islamic side.
There are many truths that Howard Zinn did not reveal. Some articles convey
that the people who discoverer of America is Muslim such as Khashshah bin Said
bin Aswad. He landed in America in 889. it means he landed in America 200 years
before Columbus. He spread the religion of islam. However in the another
resource there is Muslim else that landed in America 70 years before Columbus.
He is admiral Ceng Ho- Muslim Chinese.
So that, basically both Elliot Marison who has
written about Christopher Columbus naively at his book, mariner or Howard Zinn
who has written with one topic and used another ideology.
Conclusion
There are two basic points that can be concluded
from Howard Zinn’s article. The first is about how the reading and writing have
a role in change someone’s consciousness and change the world. If we want to
change someone’s conscious we are not enough only read the book but we have to
writing. Moreover, to be a good writer that can change the world the
requirement is has to be critical reader first. The second is about the
statement of Howard Zinn about Christopher Columbus. He talk to us that he is
in the loser side but he is not reveal of the hidden truth about Christopher
Columbus. He overlooked about Islamic side that also loser side in the history
of America.
References
Zinn, Howard. (1980). People’s History of the United State.
Alwsilah, Chaedar.2005. pokoknya menulis. Bandung: Kiblat
Alwasilah, Chaedar. 2012. Pokoknya Rekayasa Literasi. Bandung:
Kiblat.
Retrivied March, 25, 2014 from http://www.ivanaris.com/2011/03/colombus-bukanlah-penemu-benua-amerika.html
Retrivied March, 25, 2014 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Eliot_Morison
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