Honoring Their Legacy By Providing Clean Water for Children in Gaza

I write to you today as the 1st anniversary of the death of our dear, beloved friend and teacher Howard Zinn approaches.  As the horrible events have unfolded in Tuscon, Arizona, we have all been shocked and horrified but, given the hate speech that we have listened to over the past few years, we should not be too surprised. 

Honoring Their Legacy By Providing Clean Water for Children in Gaza

I write to you today as the 1st anniversary of the death of our dear, beloved friend and teacher Howard Zinn approaches.  As the horrible events have unfolded in Tuscon, Arizona, we have all been shocked and horrified but, given the hate speech that we have listened to over the past few years, we should not be too surprised. 

Howard and his wife Roz were both personal friends of mine and Howard helped MECA raise funds for our projects for children in Palestine by coming to the Bay Area and doing events for us. I have been thinking a lot about what Howard Zinn would say to us if he were here with us.  I found an old poster that I have had for many years and I would like to share the words on it with you.


PEOPLE ARE PRACTICAL

They want change but feel powerless, alone,
do not want to be the blade of grass that
sticks up above the others and is cut down.
They wait for a sign from someone else
who will make that first move, or the second.
And at certain times in history
there are certain intrepid people who take the risk
that if they make that first move others will follow
quickly enough to prevent their being cut down.
And if we understand this, we
might make that first move.

….And if we do act, in however small a way,
we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future.
The future is an infinite succession of presents
and to live now as we think human beings should live,
in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself
a marvelous victory.

-HOWARD ZINN

Howard's words and thoughts not only comfort me but give me the strength to continue to fight for justice in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq and here at home for the children.  MECA will continue to bring clean water to schools in Gaza.

I am asking all of you who feel the same way I do to join me and help me raise enough funds to support the MAIA Project and build a water purification and desalinization system in a school in Gaza in honor of Howard & Roslyn Zinn.

This is the right thing to do.

Barbara

PS: For more information about how Howard and Roslyn supported MECA, please read the article Every War is A War Against Children,