Studs Terkel is 94 years old and he's been telling the truth since 1934, when he completed a law degree but chose to go to work for FDR's WPA instead.. One of the great heroes of American hsitory and culture, he's been giving voice to working folks for over sixty years. And here's what he has to say about today's La Raza:Feelings of self-respect, appreciation and pride do not show up on economic forecasts or on a profit and loss spreadsheet, but they are the result of decent pay for honest work. The security a breadwinner feels knowing a sick family member will receive the care they need. The joy a mother and father experience when they can afford to help send their kids to college. When people come together to join a union, they build something bigger and better for themselves and their families. They create community.
Studs remembers the first advent of the Wobblies, before the fascist minions of Woodrow Wilson broke the law to try to destroy them. And he recognizes that we're coming back.
Solidarity forever.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Studs Terkel: true American hero
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One of the greatest thrills in my life was when some friends and I got to give Studs a ride to a memorial for Michael Harrington, who had just died. We picked him up at his house, and he invited us in to meet his wife while he got ready. He wore, of course, his trademark red and white checkered shirt and red socks.
Seeing him on The Daily Show last week, it was a bit jarring to realize how old and frail he's become. Well, frail in body perhaps, but still strong in conscience. They ain't makin' them like that anymore, I'm afraid.
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