Name :
Hanifatus Sholihah
Class :
TBI-A / 4
Subject :
Writing and Composition 4
Lecture :
Mr. Lala Bumela M.Pd
Amount
of word : 1281
Courage
of Howard Zinn Reveal the History
INTRODUCTION
This paper offers to a critical insight or perspective on Howard
Zinn’s article entitled “Speaking Truth to Power with Books”. In the article "Speaking
Truth to Power with Books", mentioned the crucial thing by the author,
Howard Zinn, who stating that the book is able to change someone's life . Like
the story when he met a student who reads the book The Color Purple by
Alice Walker (one of his students) and she gives an opinion that the book
changed her lifes after she read it. From here Zinn thinks that a book can
change the consciousness of the reader, the book had the effect to be able to
change the world sooner or later in an unexpected ways. One of way to change the world through the book is to
introduce an idea that had never previously before by the readers.
The book is the window of world. The window that can be accessed by anyone,
anywhere, which is capitalize in historied the history of extinction granted.
The book as the held documentary science and knowledge. Therefore, people read
books, articles or the others, typically have three objectives, such as :
searching for or looking for the answers to curiosity and ignorance, as the
lightening because the text that he or she reads is able to provide explanatory
information and the last as the reinforcement answer of ignorance. The book can
also be referred to as igniter. It gives a new perspective, which is often able
to torn the previous order.
SUMMARY
A
good book is always beneficial impact in reader’s mind. It will exalt the soul
and thoughts. It will increase the wealth of knowledge of the reader also. However,
reading book brings revolutionary change
for someone view. Like the viewpoint about the Columbus that different between Howard
Zinn and Samuel Elliot Morrison, which according to Morrison, although Columbus
is a cruel which have committed genocide on Indian Arawaks, but he still exalts
the greatness of the sailors. Morrison overlook the small fact about Columbus
cruelty with his heroic service.
Different
with Zinn who sees with another version, based on his book A
People’s History of the United States that looking
from the viewpoint of the Arawaks were lost. Zinn told that the inventor of the
America is the Arawaks tribes (because seen Arawaks beforehand living there).
In this case, the reader must be carefully to pick and choose ones that he made
qiblat. Basically there is nothing the wrong book, it just about the truth is
not 100 % guaranteed.
There are several basic points that Zinn wrote the truth about Columbus,
whom we ridiculously percieve as the hero/the discoverer of America. First, Columbus
is a raped man, because he ever doing something bad to the woman who blue blood
generation from Spain. Second, he tortures the real inhibitant, to hanging, to flagellated, just for one important
thing, “Where is the Gold?“ to the Indians Arawaks. Third, he is one of
cause the sifilis disease in Europa. Fourth, the inventor of the America
is the Arawaks tribes.
MAIN
BODY (CRITIQUE)
Christopher Columbus called
America as " The New World
" when for the first time he sets
his
foot on the continent on
October 21, 1492. However, for Muslims people in the golden era, America is not a "New World" .Therefore, 603 years before the Spanish explorers
discovered the continent, the Muslim explorers of West Africa and built a
civilization in America.
There
are several names that ever came to America, such as Amerigo Vespucci
who discovered a new continent in 1499-1500 AD, Leif Ericson (± 500
years before Columbus), Admiral Ceng Ho (70 years before Columbus came),
Khashshash bin Said bin Aswad who had landed on the continent in the 889
AD. that means 600 years quickly than arrival of Columbus, whereas Christoper
Columbus just arrived in the year 1492 AD.
Western
historical claim that Columbus as the discoverer of the America finally broken.
A series of historians found that Muslim explorers have come and spread Islam
on the continent more than a half of millennium
century before Columbus. Historically Muslims have contributed to the
science, art, and humanity in the America. “Needless to say, historically
Muslims have an influence in the evolution of America society a few centuries
before Christopher Columbus discovered it.”
That is
what a Howard Zinn’s said too. He courage to reveal the truth of discoverer of
America, reveal the dark side of the new continent's history. Although Howard
Zinn knew about Columbus badness, he never told us if the real man who found
the United States is the Muslim one, especially the Indians Arawaks who
beforehand living there. Zinn was a legend for young
radicals. If we heard his name, I tend to connect with Noam Chomsky. "His
writings have changed the consciousness of a generation, and helped to open the
new avenues in understands as well as providing an important meaning for our
lives, "according to Noam Chomsky, " When action has been called for,
someone must be sure at the forefront, give the example that can be used as a
model and trust."
But instead he is without a weakness. Zinn's just say at the end of his
book that he told all based on the experience of teaching and of the books
which he read. Whatever it is, Zinn remains a Howard Zinn. Inspirational writer
and activist who firmly pass the road less travelled by. Alignments
Zinn, is a matter of ideology in the writing of history. He is someone who is
anti-violence and reject whatever the bad reason. It seems that, because of
that Zinn's abhorence he tried to uncover the dark past nightmares tub, from
the loser side, so that one day we wake up from something we called
"injustice" and "oppression".
CONCLUSION
From the shelf above it can be concluded that history is not
static. There will many changes when found
many of evidence that more reinforcing . Like the example above , when there is
evidence that more clear, so there is now a history was moved into a new
historical results. Not just a case of Columbus that probably going to change
the paradigm of history, recently that seen many of new facts emerges. Such as
Borobudur temple is the Palace of Prophet Sulaiman reportedly because there
Basmallah carved in stone and also constitute a city named “Sleman” . It will
continue as more as advanced age.
The book as a tool for distribute the information will be
continually updated as changes are created history. Howard Zinn on the
condition that gets a lot of opposition from pro- Columbus era are in truth
obstacle facing today, people like Howard Zinn , that " lost " in the
straight road on past events , may be considered imagination , while the people
who stand on the "misguided road" and believe misguided path as a
straight path, it will said that Zinn was wrong and they are that right because
what they said is in line with the agreed alignment world. (fixed claimed
Columbus as the hero, the inventor).
This world agreement it can be if one day have to force Zinn’s thought (set out in his book) that is lost on a straight road, to have to admit they wrong road because that is crooked path straight deal agreed by the world. Whatever it is, Zinn remains a Howard Zinn. Inspirational writer and activist who firmly bypass road Less Travelled by.
REFERENCES
Hart,
Michael H. 1989. Seratus
Tokoh yang Paling Berpengaruh dalam Sejarah. Jakarta: PT. Dunia Pustaka Jaya
Howard
Zinn. Speaking Truth to Power with Books
Howard
Zinn. Book Review of A People’s History of the United States
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