A Day in the Teaching Life

Yesterday, I struggled all day with how to make my English reading and writing class at the Community College of Philadelphia both technically instructive and intellectually inspiring. And I had to arrive at what I'll call a "two-state solution" to my problem. Henceforth, I decided, the writing portion would be very basic, focused on mastery of simple structure and technical proficiency. The reading portion, however, would be far more adventuresome, intended to goad long, hard thought about one's life and times.

Today, I will begin to take my new two-pronged approach. The first half of the 3-hour class will be a back-to-basics writing workshop; the second half will be a reading and discussion workshop in which they explore notions about heroism by studying people unknown to them whose bravery made them stand against their society.

On Monday, we studied Martin Niemoller (1892 - 1982), a highly-decorated German U-boat captain during WWI who became a clergyman in the 1930s and ended his life as a pacifist and passionate advocate of nuclear disarmament. In between, he was thrown in Dachau for differences of opinion with Hitler over Third Reich infringement on religious freedoms. Yet his fights with the Nazis never rose above theological disputes. Indeed, in 1939, while in a concentration camp, he volunteered for duty in the German Navy and encouraged his three sons to join the armed forces. It was only in 1946 when he attended the Nuremberg War Trials that he realized the full horror of the Hitler regime and denounced his personal failure to fully condemn his government for its racial policies. From then on, his "radicalization" was steady and inexorable. During the Vietnam War, he visited Hanoi and praised Ho Chi Minh. He protested America's bombings throughout all of Southeast Asia. He died, calling himself a socialist on the road to becoming an "anarchist."

Niemoller came to my attention for a poem about the need for political resistance attributed to him that is really just an assemblage of lines from speeches and lectures he gave after WWII:

First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out

because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out

because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out

because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.

Given Labor's struggles in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, plus the domino-like spread of uprisings in the Middle East, I thought the poem would speak to, if not for, my students.

Today, the instigation will continue.

English 098 - 099

Mr. Federman

March 2, 2011

Reading/Discussion Assignment

Profiles in Courage #2, William Stafford's "The Mob Scene at McNeil"

If someone asked me to name the bravest group of people, I would not answer soldiers, police, or fire fighters. Yes, these are all men of courage who face danger every day. But these are men who are seen as heroes and applauded for their bravery.

No, I would have to say the bravest group of people for me are pacifists. Also known as conscientious objectors (COs), these men refuse to serve in armies and fight in wars--no matter how noble or just these wars may appear to be. So they are rarely applauded for their bravery.

To the contrary, COs are often seen as cowards and traitors. Sometimes they are subjected to the kind of violence which they themselves vow to resist. Imagine being so committed to the idea of non-violence that you refuse to serve in your country's military, even in the midst of a war like World War II that most men think was necessary. Imagine being so sworn to non-violence that you will not resort to violence (except, perhaps, minimal self-defense) if you are attacked for your beliefs.

Meet pacifist and poet William Stafford (1914 - 1993). From 1942 to 1946, he was interned in CO camps across America--fighting fires, planting trees, helping with irrigation and soil conservation projects. After the war, he wrote a book about his experiences as a pacifist, and submitted it as his master's thesis to the University of Kansas, in his home state. Called "Down in the Heart: Peace Witness in War Time," the book was published by the Brethren Publishing House in 1947. The title refers to an old spiritual, "I Know God Down in My Heart." In other words, the principles by which Stafford lives come from deep down in his heart.

The book's first chapter, "The Mob Scene at McNeil," describes a Sunday afternoon where a small group of COs are allowed a day off in a small Arkansas town to pursue private pleasures such as painting, writing and reading. While engaged in these activities, a small group of towns people gather who know they are COs and ask them about what they're doing. Within a matter of minutes, all cordiality disappears and the situation escalates into a confrontation between locals and COs. Greatly outnumbered and faced with physical violence, Stafford and his friends try to pacify the crowd and escape harm.

Read this chapter and try to put yourself in Stafford's shoes. What would you be feeling? How would you behave? Do you see why I think he belongs to the bravest group of people I know? Or do you think he is wrong for refusing to serve his country in a war that is universally seen as honorable and necessary?

If you feel the later, know you're not alone. I've had passionate debates with friends who think COs are the equivalent of "spiritual freeloaders," safely removed from the battlefield while their neighbors are dying to protect their freedom to refuse to bear arms. While I think Stafford was the ultimate patriot, I have had friends tell me he was a coward. What do you think? More importantly, if you put Christ's teachings of forgiveness and pacifism above all other beliefs, what would you do if asked to fight another Hitler?

After reading this excerpt from "Down in the Heart," we'll hold a class discussion and exchange views about Stafford's views and actions on their behalf. As you read, try to recall any situations in your own life where your deepest beliefs pitted you against common belief and public opinion. What did you do? Did you remain steadfast? Did you find a way to compromise that still left you with your dignity?