by Dan Berman (Guest Critic)

Howard Zinn has changed the way we think about many of our social and political issues. He has caught the attention of the American people through his strong efforts in supporting our way of life. Award winning writer known through his timeless written work including his Zinn Reader, and the always-treasured book titled A People’s History of the United States has given us a new political, and social look into our America. The way he looks at war and explains the importance of having the freedom of not sending thousands of our troops into battle has certainly been a welcomed presence. War is just one of the issues that gets revealed to us through his own life experiences and be assured war is something that Zinn has personally experienced himself.

Zinn joined the Air Corp in early 1943 he was only twenty years old when he taken on his first tour of duty. At first he could have stayed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard where he was building of Battleships and landing them in port. Zinn is charismatic, and well spoken his primary mission is to set things right with our America by changing the way we think about the consequences of going to war. Zinn is always looking for the nonviolent solutions without having to give up innocent lives to the grimacing realties of our brave men and women who protect us all.

The book You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train is also the title of the documentary film that follows his life and times. The film is directed by the brilliant minds of Deb Ellis and Denis Mueller who guide you through his life with an accurate account of just how he became a national symbol of an ever-changing world that we live in today. No matter how dysfunctional the world seems to us, Zinn puts our minds at ease that there are solutions to these problems without having to pick up a machine gun. When George W. Bush gave the order to bomb Iraq it went completely against everything Zinn has tried so hard to encourage in us trying to convey nonviolent solutions.

The film certainly has encouraged me to pick up that sign and join that picket line for a better America. This cinematic wonder is enlightening, rich in history, and I hope an ever-lasting symbol of peace for us all. Matt Damon narrates the film with a musical score by Woody Guthrie, Billy Bragg, and Eddie Vedder.

Dan Berman