anything of importance

My friend Bill Mandel is in hospital right now, recovering from being hit by a car several weeks ago. At 88, Bill has been a leading activist for social justice and human rights in this country for over 70 years. His testimony before the House Unamerican Activities Committee in 1947, and his scathing attacks on the vile Senator Joe McCarthy, are still alive in the memories of all those who lived through that shameful period of America's history. Bill's autobiography, Saying No To Power, has taught me more about the real history of America in the 20th century than almost any other book.

Right now, Bill can't perform the most basic functions for himself. Yet, his mind is still alive and wide-ranging to an extraordinary degree; his curiosity and interest in the world, deep, probing, and as always, referenced by a huge wealth of knowledge and depth of analysis. His capacity to be larger than his circumstances awes and humbles me.

Yesterday, on the phone to me from his hospital bed, he said:

The notion of not expressing my views on anything of importance is utterly foreign to me.