The Progressive has reprinted Baldwin's letter to his nephew in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. A (sadly) timeless excerpt:
A Letter to My Nephew | The Progressive.
I know what the world has done to my brother and how narrowly he has survived it and I know, which is much worse, and this is the crime of which I accuse my country and my countrymen and for which neither I nor time nor history will ever forgive them, that they have destroyed and are destroying hundreds of thousands of lives and do not know it and do not want to know it. One can be--indeed, one must strive to become--tough and philosophical concerning destruction and death, for this is what most of mankind has been best at since we have heard of war; remember, I said most of mankind, but it is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. It is the innocence which constitutes the crime.
Incredible.
Read the whole thing. Not a wasted syllable and gives form to the term "righteous."
[via Maud Newton]
ae, this is why you are one of the blog greats.
Posted by: David | Tuesday, 17 July 2007 at 10:46 PM
David, you are too kind. Baldwin is an inspiration and if I had the time/wherewithal, I'd do a weekly feature.
Posted by: arse poetica | Saturday, 21 July 2007 at 11:40 AM