-
4 out of 5
by
Judith
from
The United States | Aug 30, 2009
This is a beautiful and inspirational book about the real heroes in America, mostly people you never heard of. The most interesting story to me was the one about the 4 librarians in Connecticut who launched a civil liberties lawsuit against the American government and the FBI, when they were served with a "demand" for library records to show who was reading what books and what sites each individual was checking out on the library computers. As an attorney, i found it fascinating that the American government circumvented the entire legal system by serving this demand and a gag order simultaneously, thus avoiding the usual remedies offered by the subpoena and/or court orders. In other words, our very system of government was just ignored following 9/11, with that ridiculous Patriot Act. I knew this before, but it is so dreadful to see the exact tricks they used. The only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars is that it was somewhat repetitive and not easy reading, but that is really my problem. It's not a cliffhanger and it's nonfiction.
-
5 out of 5
by
Paul
from
Albany, CA | Jun 20, 2009
My labmate Tim sent me an email on Wednesday (April 15th) saying that Amy Goodman “Democracy Now! fame, and my heroin” [sic:] was speaking on campus at noon. The place was packed, and it’s the best way I could have imagined to snap back out of the Qualifying Exam bubble I’ve spent the last several months in, and re-engage with the world at large.
One of the excuses for the tour is the paperback release of Standing up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times by Amy and David Goodman.
Now that I’m a tenured grad student, I can actually allow myself to read for pleasure – guilt free! So I went to the library that Thursday, and picked up the hardcover, which came out last year.
What I liked about this book is what sets it apart from other political books of today. Amy and David don’t just provide us with a laundry list of wrongdoing by the Bush administration, congress, various governmental agencies, as well as highlighting some of the ongoing local struggles. Though the book is chock-full of such details, they are all provided in the context of a particular vignette. What’s more – instead of simply stating the problems, or providing an outline of the authors’ opinions regarding what course of action should be taken, the book highlights the work average citizens have already done to oppose injustice, censorship, racism, etc. One example is T-shirt “terrorist” Raed Jarrar, who wore a shirt with the words “We will not be silent” – written in both English and Arabic – a reference to the White Rose – and was forced to put another shirt over it because JetBlue customers were threatened or offended. With the help of the ACLU, Jarrar sued the TSA and JetBlue, who ended up paying $240,000 to settle the discrimination charges.
Like Hochschild’s King Leopold’s Ghost (1), this book is non-fiction that reads like fiction. Not because it is well-written, though it is, but because of the shocking realities of the content. Leadership cannot be taught, it can only be revealed. Standing up to the Madness gives us dozens of snapshots of the ongoing work of ordinary heroes.
1. which, after I first read it in 2001 became my measuring stick for gauging the quality of non-fiction↩
-
3 out of 5
by
Patti
from
Madison, WI | Jun 28, 2009
This is a book that makes you proud of the Americans who stand up and say "No! No more, things have to change." Many of the people who are profiled in this book did not set out to take a stand, they made that decision on the fly and made a difference.
My favorite section is the one about the students at Wilton High School who were putting on a play, "Voices in Conflict" featuring the words of Iraq War Veterans. They had previously done plays that dealt with graphic sex, homosexuality, and violence, but this play was banned from being performed at the school. The subject of this play was war and that would not be tolerated.
The banning backfired because the story spread and the students were asked to do nine performances of the play at the National Theater in New York City and other theaters in Connecticut. After the last performance, the actors stated their feelings as they stood on the stage.
"Why is talking about the war 'sensational and inappropriate'?
Since when has war not been graphic and violent?
If they consider the words of the soldiers biased, why do they allow an army recruiter into the school cafeteria?
Why has the school been silent on these issues?
Why did it take a New York Times article to start discussion?"
-
3 out of 5
by
Adam
from
Chicago, IL | Feb 15, 2009
The title summarizes the book well. “Standing Up to the Madness” paints portraits of individuals who are resisting oppression, usually by the State. Given that these are stories covered by Democracy Now! Radio, it's not surprising that these strike me as being better as radio segments. While the stories are powerful as written, I bet they are more powerful heard in these “ordinary” people's voices. The writing is not particularly strong, but the stories are very compelling, and totally enraging.
My biggest complaint with the book is that the authors don't transcend reporting the stories. The stories provide a great opportunity to glimpse into the nature of the State, or the psychology of individuals, or an inquiry into social change, or a study of hope in America (The authors write, “Saying 'no' to injustice is the ultimate declaration of hope” (216). But why don't the authors ask how it is that Americans come to hope? See Rebecca Solnit's excellent “Hope in the Dark,” soon to be reviewed by me). There's no attempt made to explore the motivations behind these people's willingness to act, nor is there any indication as to why our government is so oppressive. The result is a journalistic brushstroke across a range of struggles.
The stories are diverse, though many deal with censorship: NASA scientists fighting the censorship of environmental research; high school drama students fighting the censorship of a play dealing with the Iraq war; psychologists fighting the censorship of colleagues' role in the torturing of political prisoners.
Another common thread I identified between these stories is how for many of these individuals, the oppression they were fighting intersected with their jobs. Injustices were being justified by their professions. The NASA scientists , psychologists, high school teacher, and librarians (fighting surveillance of patrons' check-out histories) fought back by appealing to the values of their professions. And so, the librarian, a public servant, stands off the government in the name of civil rights, a core value of the library profession. Even soldiers speak out against the war by calling upon their values of honor, truth, and duty.
For me, these stories are deeper than just “people standing up:” they also demonstrate how people develop loyalty to their professions. They also uncover the contradictions that can form in one's work, and call into question where the boundary lies between people's own actions and those actions that are just performed as “doing their job.”
-
4 out of 5
by
BookBanter
from
The United States | Jun 6, 2008
STANDING UP TO THE MADNESS BY AMY GOODMAN AND DAVID GOODMAN: The award-winning and bestselling brother and sister team Amy Goodman (popular and successful host of the TV and radio show Democracy Now!) and David Goodman (an investigative journalist), authors of Static and Exception to the Rulers return with Standing Up to the Madness. The Goodmans strike out on a new path in, aiming to not retread on the familiar ground of endlessly criticizing the Bush administration and its endeavors, but to report and record grassroots stories of people from across the country who have suffered under the current regime, and how they have fought back and gained some ground.
The stories in the book are grouped into subjects on how science is being threatened, schools and education being threatened, the war in Iraq, and simply “Standing up to the Madness.” There is the story Malik Rahim, a native of New Orleans who was there when Hurricane Katrina struck, and is still there now trying to rebuild the ravaged country and its torn and exiled people. Rahim tells of the little help he has seen from the government, and what there remains now. He also provides startling insights into the horrific acts of racism that are now commonplace in the ruins of the city. But Rahim has started a charity group from scratch, Common Ground, that is now strong and increasing in size and popularity, providing aid and shelter to the many citizens of New Orleans that still have no where to call home.
Raed Jarrar, a US citizen originally from Iraq, tells the story of his being prevented from flying on JetBlue because he was wearing a T-shirt that read “We Will Not Be Silent” in both English and Arabic. Clearly it was because of the color of his skin, and with help from the original manufacturers of the T-shirt, he was able to make a stand for freedom of speech. Librarians across the country tell their story of standing against the Patriot Act and its supposed allowance of turning over library members reading histories. Psychologists speak out against the use of their members being used as litmus tests and decision makers when witnessing torture at Guantanamo Bay. American soldiers back from Iraq tell the true story of what was really taking place in the Middle East, and why every day is another step in the wrong direction.
It is easy to criticize the Bush administration, but the authors of Standing Up to the Madness challenge the reader to do something other than criticize. Through the voices and lives revealed in this book, one can see that change and justice is possible, and with an epilogue of advice and suggestions, it gives one fuel to begin the change that is necessary to make American the land of the free once again.
For more reviews, and writings, or to buy yourself a copy, please visit www.alexctelander.com.