Howard Zinn (1922-2010): Why Civil Disobedience Matters

Professor Zinn's appearance on KUCI 88.9FM's Justice, or Just Us? marked the 35 year anniversary of the publication of his book: Disobedience and Democracy: Nine Fallacies on Law and Order recently re-issued by South End Press (www.southendpress.org). The book was written in part as a response to a 7-1 Supreme Court decision that upheld the criminal conviction of David O'Brien for burning his draft card. When Justice Abe Fortas wrote a booklet on civil disobedience justifying such prosecutions, professor Zinn drafted a response, which contained 9 fallacies. Zinn's essay immediately sold over 70,000 copies, and remains as relevant during the current push for war as it did during Vietnam. In celebration of his life, we revisit this interview recorded circa late 2002/early 2003.