Religion vs. fascism seminar (Episode 12 of 12); United front against fascism conference

We are very delighted to welcome you. To a very serious discussion on religion versus fascism. We are especially delighted. To participate in this conference because we believe. That the segment of religion versus fascism is a very critical and crucial time by which we must engage in a serious discussion related to the ramifications of of this dimension and we are very proud to have. Such an array of distinguished persons who have been on the battlefront by the way who've been in the midst of the people sharing contending confronting. And at times being jailed. And therefore we feel that it's very important that at this time we have them bring to you.

The discussion on religion versus fascism. So we're very delighted to present this section at this particular time. First of all we're going to call on some of the speakers from the local scene in the Bay Area. And in particular. A person who has opened up Piers facilities. By which a number of groups have found themselves participating in so many many many engagements related to the community. I am very very proud to present and introduce at this time father Earl Neil of St. Augustine's church in Oakland. All power to the people bar to the people free

hewing right on OK. Past. Friday night when the conference opened. Dr. abductor was making a speech and he made some reference to somebody who said use the word Jesus and I heard a lot of groans coming from the audience. And a lot of you might have some kind of groans in your internal organs when you see a collar you see clergy or hear the word religion or hear the word church. And you've been rapping on institutions for the last two days. Right now I want to take a few moments and rap on you. You can rap on the church all you like but how many pigs have you killed today. You ain't kill no more and I haven't I haven't killed any. One the reader knows a very important thing why lab ya got hang ups on religion or on Jesus because Jesus if I understood

correctly was really a very profound very dedicated revolutionary. When Jesus described what his own work was going to be he said that he came to preach good news to the poor. He came to heal the broken hearted not to put reply first thing but he came to heal the broken hearted. He came to release kept Is he came to give sight to the blind. And more important he came to give liberty to the whole press. And if any of you CIA and FBI pigs out there don't believe in check outs in Luke Chapter 14 verses 18 to 19. Jesus was a revolutionary and he's saw his own work his own ministry is dealing with the human condition of dealing with all press people.

And you know when you really look at Jesus. Jesus would be very much at home here because Jesus was a political prisoner. He was arrested. Not because he was an Uncle Tom June but because he was a threat to the establishment. Of Jesus was Uncle Tom Joad and they left him alone their little one keep their keep the Jewish people or press to feed them all kind of Kool Aid make them think it was God. Jesus also was an organizer he organized workers. It took some fishermen in the organized them they were called his apostles. Because Jesus moved on the condition of the oppressed people of his day and he came to be a threat. To the fascist Roman government. Of his day.

He was arrested. If you try backing the court. There were there was an informer who fink on him. There were his buddies who won Peter in examples and I must stick with you through thick and thin with things got to keep in doubt. And you see all that we've been talking about and all that we have experienced Jesus experienced too. And so when you really get down to understand Jesus. And you really understand the role the vital role that religion is going to have to play in this whole united front against fascism. Now one of the reasons that. We all get hung up about religion or Jesus when you hear this Jesus talk is it's. Referred to is because the same fascist power structure. Who gives us a distorted view of the Black Panther Party who gives us a distorted view of the Third World Liberation Front who gives us

a distorted view of STDs who gives us of the Stuart a view of the young patriotic etc. the same fascist power structure is responsible for society getting a distorted view of what Jesus was all about. Jesus was a bad dude now nor any of you could really relate to him if you really understood anything about it you will take the time to seek out the truth about the Black Panther Party you take down to seek out the truth about Third World Liberation Front. You take time to think out the seek out the truth about STDs and the young patriarchs. And remember that without investigation you got no right to talk. And you've been chump enough to believe all this crap that they've been talking to you about the church and what the church is all about. Well we're here to try and put an end to this right from the get go. The distortion that you have understood the church and religion in Jesus to be. Is just a nother part of very

subtle and a very vicious and a very insidious part of this whole fascist Rhes regime that we are living under. And this whole distortion about what the church is all about what the church should be about. Or what religion should be about is started in the seminaries. It started in the theological schools. Where fellows go to be preachers. Because the same men who contribute to the finances to the upkeep of those schools are the same man who are sitting on the boards of General Motors. Same one who sit on the board of Safeway stores. Same average as business man that you've been talking about reading about all week in the same manner financially supporting the seminary. Enough there is a theological professor a teacher in the school who tries to instill any kind of social consciousness in the students. Then he is off just like Dr heroes are. OK no wait this fascist regime uses the church uses the churches in

its national church bodies. As national. Church bodies. Also are the benefactors of the contributions of these ever ever richest businessmen the economic powers of this country. You Biskup aliens got Harvey Firestone The name one. The national bodies of which the Episcopal Church is one which I am a member of the national bodies of the Episcopal Church among many other national bodies. Invest money. In banks. There are ten banks in a consortium. That have established a 40 million dollar loan fund for South Africa to support fascism in South Africa. In New York City is the Chase Manhattan bank Morgan Guaranty and trust in the first New York bank in Chicago the Continental Bank out here in San Francisco as the Bank of

America those are five of the 10 banks that have invested in a 40 million dollar loan to South Africa to support their fascist regime there. And the Episcopal Church has got its bank account in The Chase Manhattan Bank and who runs a Chase Manhattan Bank David Rockefeller. OK now this is Alice just a little bit of digressions out this 40 million dollar loan runs that's been supported by this 10 bank support consortium. And who holds the investments of our national church bodies say another set went down in South Africa like a shark to be a massacre and see that countries cut off their economic trade with South Africa. The South African government just draw on this 40 million loan fund as a revolving fund they just drone draw on to keep up their economic interest. In case revolution went down so the black brothers in South Africa really got ever arrived at the point where they're going to overthrow that apartheid fascist system. They can borrow

money from this 40 million dollar loan phone buy guns in France and wipe out the whole revolution this is how the set goes. It's very insidious in a way it's very complicated but the church by keeping its money in these banks is supporting fascism in South Africa. The church is supporting fascism internationally. Another way that fascism is operating in the church is that you check out right after Nixon was elected what was the first social commitment that he made. He went down to Los Angeles for some Jav testimonial dinner for that racist fascist pig Archbishop MacIntyre that was the first sort of commitment that devil Mame and then who did the next appoint as the head of the Civil Rights Commission. Father Hesburgh the president of Notre Dame the famed president Notre Dame the third of any of his students rebelled. He's given 15 minutes to meditate. Now they didn't change their mind they kicked their behinds up the campus. So next in is paid paid his dues to a church structure.

This is the step that goes down. Now. How can we. Revolutionize the church. How going to revolutionize religion. To deal with fascism that years that we are living under. But one way is. For us to form religious committees. In whatever organizations that we represent have some religious committees to relate to. The revolutionaries who are in the church structure and there are revolutionaries in the church structure you may not know their percentage of revolutionaries in the church structure is about the same percentage of revolutionaries among all the college students it's a small percentage but there are what you have to do is form religious committees to try and relate to them to try and get some communication and contact with the various revolutionaries within the various church structures.

Then when you get in. When you get in be it on a local level. Or. If it ever moves to a national level and you can be involved in the policy making and decision making. The first thing you ought to do is have the call your missionary back from Africa and send them to the heathen in the suburbs. And their lives would be in greater danger there from the Minutemen and birthers than they would be in the Congo. The next thing you do the next thing you do after you form a religious committee and establish some kind of a front with the revolutionaries within the church within church nomination or body will. Let you challenge the building programs that are going on. You challenge the use of segregated building trade unions. You challenge their use of the bill. When a church builds a building it's being built by

segregated discriminatory unions. And this is contributing to fashion contributing to racism you name it. Another area that we can move in is in church school curriculum. Now I could. I do not give a damn about teaching the young people in my church about how many parts there are to a church what the proper liturgical colors are. I want teach him about the Old Testament and you know what the Old Testament is about. It's about God leading the Jewish people in wars of liberation. So certainly skill should be liberation school. Finally perhaps the most important thing the clergyman and other concerned laymen have to do is that we're going to have to redefine what is moral and what is ethical. The specialist

government has used the church to teach its congregations its people what is moral and what is ethical according to fascist and racist definitions. We have to redefine what is moral and redefined what is ethical. What is necessary to survive America is moral and is ethical. To take an example our views from the Old Testament. The first time we got incident where Moses walks out one fine day and sees an Egyptian pig beating the hell out of one of his brothers. And so we read in there and again you see I am an FBI agent as an exodus to verses 11 through 13. You know we read that Moses looked this way and he looked that way and when he saw that there was no man he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the same. When Moses achieved the racial identity of political awareness and he saw Egyptian pig

beat the hell out one his brothers here have no Syrian on Pharaoh's palace here Insan no petition waving under pharaohs Noles. He looked this way and he looked that way and then he killed the Egyptian Moses did what was necessary. You know Moses did what was necessary to survive at that moment in history. Killing that Egypt and pig bashers was moral and was ethical because it allowed him to survive that at that time didn't upset God too much because later on God used Moses to lead the Jewish People Liberation anyway. When Christian clergymen or Jewish clergyman or a Hindu preacher. Have to. Think. Try think of a theological reason as to whether or not we should fight fascism. And there is no good we have to stop this. God gave us all life and life exists primarily to be preserved

not to be sacrificed. When you see a fascist pig moving on you. I certainly am not going to teach my people to get down in on their knees in prayer to ask God what they should do because the way the pigs are movement won't be around long enough to get an answer. If we have to take time. The man needs no reason to vamp on us. The fact that you are protesting and you want some change is good enough reason. So we do not have to think of theological reasons why we should fight fascism. So we get a law you get out of move out of all of this theory about love for people and their survival to get some practice. Moses moved from theory to practice. Nat Turner moved from theory to practice and the best prayer that I can suggest to anybody is to defend yourself. Make your defense a prayer. Now we have some. That are the speakers so I'm going to cut it off at this point

and say that you know I one more point I want to make one more point I want to make. And that. Do not that we must that allow the man to define what is moral what is ethical because he has no respect for religion he has no respect for the church he has no respect for a collar. On the night before Dr. King was murdered. The Oakland pig department tried to move them on a Black Panther Party meeting that was going on in my church. Broke in we shot guns and drawn pistol is going to be a bloodbath that night they had no respect they had no respect for that for the sanctity and sanctuary of their church building. When I was visiting hewing when he was incarcerated in the county jail. When you when a clergyman visits a inmate it's the same thing as when a lawyer visits an inmate It's a confidential interview session twice. The pigs broke in on Hugh and us without knocking without anything broke into this private and confidential session and told me to leave that I had talked long enough.

When I went down to visit you the first time in San Luis Obispo they refused to let me see you because they said I had to be on Huey's visitors list. There isn't any other clergyman I have to get on inmates visiting list visit downsampling your best were in these other institutions. But now in order to visit Huey I have to use up a slot on his visitors list. See they have no respect for the church I have no respect for a collar. They're about the only thing especially as big system as respect for is for another bashes pig. But as I said I walk in here and I'm not trying to put across any particular religious belief. I don't care if you're Roman Catholic as long as you're a revolutionary Roman Catholic. I'll give you a Baptist lawyer revolutionary Baptist and I'll give you a Methodist or an Episcopalian or your revolutionary Methodist an Episcopalian. OK if you're a Muslim or a Hindu as long as I don't care

I'll care if you're a Muslim or a Hindu. As long as you're a revolutionary Muslim or a Hindu. Now here if you do. I don't care if you do you believe you can live up to Moses and I'll talk to you right on our part of the people right. There are three speakers that we expect to take more than five minutes that's Father Neil. The Reverend Jesse Jackson and of course Rabbi Feinberg and the others are supposed to take five minutes and I've already said to the brothers if they go over five minutes give me the eye and we'll sort of make sure they said. Let me say this as we move on. I'm sure that you will discover that there are those of us who have similar stories to tell. Like Father Neal. If I can recall just last year my church

being vamped on by the tactical squad when there were some 300 black militants sitting there. And all of a sudden we discovered that the church was surrounded by the tactical squad. And you know the gas came in and said said we heard that your place was going to be bombed so we came to investigate. Yeah well you know at this time we have a man who has certainly participated in the revolution and we're delighted to bring to you now. Father Eugene Boyle of San Francisco Sacred Heart Church. Thanks very much. It's what a bit of apprehension that I stand before you today. Not only because I'm following the eloquent Father Neal but also because I'm following the prophetic Father Neal because he said

some very sharp things about the church. And specifically some very sharp things about the Catholic Church. Yes I stand here with this kind of apprehension. But I was very happy to know that he was willing. To join even with Roman Catholics providing they were revolutionaries. And in this connection I had. I guess I come with this as a kind of a peace thing or whatever I happen to be reading the New York Times about two days ago. And this quotation was in it. In an interview with foreign news man a year ago. Premier Fidel Castro of Cuba offered this view. And this is the quote. The United States shouldn't worry about the Soviets in Latin America. Because they are no longer revolutionaries. But they should worry about the Catholic revolutionaries who are.

Another reason for my apprehension and standing here. Is because I fully realize. The long sad history. Of union between fascism and the church. I realize that when thousands of German anti-Nazis were tortured to death in Hitler's concentration camps. When the Polish intelligentsia were slaughtered. When hundreds of thousands of Russians died as a result of being treated as a slab mix. And when 6 million 6 million human beings were murdered for being non Arian Catholic Church officials in Germany bolstered the regime for perpetrating these crimes. In the face of the greatest of moral depravity. Which mankind has been forced to witness to in recent centuries.

The moral teachings of a church dedicated to love and charity could be heard in no other form but in vague generalities. And what this says to me is this. Certainly the implication of the statement. The need for us to reassess. The relationship of the religious institution to the institution of the modern state. A reassessment in which the long dominant tone of almost automatic support for the legitimate authority and its programs should be replaced by a tone of courses reserved and in the case of war even OB suspicion. It cannot certainly be denied. That the experience of Hitler's Third Reich clearly demonstrates that a too eager. And too close identification of the church with the authority of the state and its interests had sad consequences for the church and for all of the

people. This of course. Brings me to the point. Where I feel that we have to as church men be strong and fearless in our denunciations obvious sins of a state no matter whose state it is. And I say that these various sins and I might even use an old category these seven capital sands of the state are first of all racism. That attitude which just spices and oppresses another human creature or group of human creatures of different race and color. That kind of attitude which is expressed so clearly today when white man goes to the moon and places on their the flag but one country and not of others. At this very moment.

Thank you. I say the churches too must stand up strong against colonialism. Which could be either foreign which is the exploitation of one country by another or domestic as it is here. When one privileged minority. Of wealth. Condemns thousands and thousands of our citizens to misery. For after all. Political independence without economic independence is worthless. Certainly they gave civil rights they gave voting rights legislation. But what good is that without some kind of economic independence. No group of people no class of people in this country can possibly be free. And then in our world today war itself is becoming more inhuman and immoral and is rightly rejected by youth not out of fear but out of contempt and out of revulsion. And then there is that other aspect of the modern system paternalism which

creates all the facilities. First sir by all state provided that the beneficiaries of this are not expected to use either brain or will. It fears the awakening of conscience and dislikes men who reject benefits and demand their right. It will go along with the. More sedate the more specific civil rights groups. But when a group like the Panthers comes along and says you are not going to tread on us we ourselves are going to demand the rights that are ours and we are going to defend their rights. Then they point at these people and call them subversives or communists. This is the kind of thing that has to go. It seems to me that only when the consciousness of exploiters. And exploited are well are really awakened we'll ma'am see the need to create a multi racial world in which different races respect and mingle with

one another. And that's why I say. That even though frequently Today I am under attack. That my first duty as a man as a Christian as a priest is to help human progress because men. Are men throughout the world and men yes in our very country are in a sub human condition. I certainly call for a change in the structure of the world economy and of the good Kaname of this country. To be just to redress the injustices against nations between nations and to narrow the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor. Certainly. I respect such men as Che Guevara and Camille Torres and I understand. I understand their turning to violence in order to try to achieve. What Otherwise they felt they could not achieve. They did opt for violence. I at this time still take my

stand. On the principle of nonviolence. Though I respect all of those. Respect those men who opt otherwise who feel it is only in that way that they can achieve the condition. Of peace and justice and peace for all men. But. I think that it is important for us to point out. Where is violence in our society. It is violence for the wealth of the few to be based on the misery of the millions. And this kind of violence I reject more than any other crime. As I've often said. That the revolution is here. People want change there is need for change. It must come about whether this revolution is peaceful our bloody is not going to have to bend upon the revolutionaries. What is going to depend upon the kind of reaction of the majority of society

to the legitimate demands of the oppressed people of our country. And if you are if you are great effort of moral persuasion fails. And that's what some of us are still trying to do. The consequences are going to be the establishments responsibility. That's the way I feel. It seems to me. Now. That it's necessary to realize. That when any man stands here or stands anywhere and began begins to criticize the establishment. To defend those who are trying to achieve their just rights or try it himself to cooperate in those things that he is subject to all kinds of attack and abuse. Both. Father Earl Neil. Father and Rev. Cecil Williams mention to you the kind of attacks that they received. Well you should have

seen the kind of abuse that I went under and the rest of my staff simply because in our basement we had the Black Panther breakfast for Children program. First of all on the very day that it was going to start a health inspector was sent out in order to inspect our kitchen to find out whether it was going to be sanitary enough to feed these children breakfasts. We have been serving Irish-American breakfast in that kitchen for over 80 years and no one gave one damn about whether. Our kitchen was clean are not. And then on another occasion. There was this matter of the. Coloring Book. And super sleuth inspector Ben last off. Who found this thing I must of you know the West something some subversion going on and he found it and made all kinds of Xerox copies of it

and brought it back to the McClellan committee and stuck it up in front of them and said look this is the kind of thing that's being handed out in the basement of Sacred Heart by the Black Panthers and with the cooperation of Father Boyle and the others there in that community. One day. Bobby Seale and David here and came to visit. After they left they haven't left for 10 for 10 seconds. What I'm mediately there was a police car in front of our house and a policeman got out looking something like Rod Steiger in heat of the night. And acting somewhat the same and came over to me and he said. I am just as any trouble around here no officer there is no trouble. Well we got a report that there were some suspicious characters around here. I almost at the time I almost said You mean Jake Ehrlich but I thought well I

wouldn't say that. But then within another 10 seconds there was another police car right there in front of our house. And so if you think. That there isn't a potential for the police state in our society by actions that are going on right now by any of those of us who try and some way to cooperate with the black militants in our society then you just don't know what's going on in this world today. And of course I could you could even go on and talk about the Harris meant of the youth for our basement was used by the G.I. as. March for peace program has been used by the Third World Liberation Front to spend used by all the other groups of this kind. This too has brought a great deal of heris ment upon us. But nonetheless I feel that the church in this matter must stand firm. And must not move. If we are to in any way keep ourselves

faithful to those principles. Of Christ. Those principles of the Gospel then we must keep moving in that in that way. It seems to me that an absolute requirement of the Gospel a matter of being faithful to Christ. No matter how wrongly this put this fidelity is interpreted. Is that the church as long as she is able to speak out. As long as our voice is not stifled we should demand changes in the in human social structures that are holding up the full development of our peoples and our keeping them in conditions which are subhuman and unworthy of the children of God and that the church should do this by every means possible. And I feel lets this time be with the people all throughout the centuries every time there is a revolution. Where is the church but on the side of the establishment. For once in our lives let the church be with the people for the people and by the people.

When I told Jean Paul that his time was up he said gave me a no no sign. Immediately. I knew he'd get started to be difficult to get into. Now let's move on. A man that has had quite an experience in one of the most exciting situations that we have in the Bay Area. Dick Young who works with the Free Church in Berkeley Dick York. My remarks will be very brief. The Free Church of Berkeley which is a. It's that church father Neil was talking about Catholics Jews Methodists Baptists all revolutionaries I hope. An ecumenical church. As has been vamped on as well

in particular last summer during the police riot on Telegraph Avenue. When the pigs came into the Free Church 15 strong followed by the mayor and the chief of police. Took gas and searches without warrants. And a club. Forty five year old priest to the ground. So I guess the list here of vamped churches is getting along. I'm here just to express the free church's solidarity. With the revolution for human liberation. And our commitment to a united front against fascism. I guess anybody who has felt the brunt of fascism is the man to trust in our ranks. We are a Christian church at the Free Church. A Christian church before it sold out was supposed to be I think a united front against fascism. That's what the church is.

In other words it was supposed to be a community of resistance to what we call the world pig. And an alternative community which tries to demonstrate the meaning of being fully free and fully human. Throughout history. Judaism and Christianity have talked in their mythology about. About saint and about the powers of exploitation of the people. They've called it saint the prince apologies and powers. This world and the Beast I think by now we all know what kind of a beast the beast is. What kind of an animal is the beast. The pig right. The world pig. And the. And the word is now that the world pagans on the loose.

The world pigs oinking. And the good news. Is at the church. And I look at this as part of the church. The united front against fascism is also on the loose. Looking at this conference I'd say along with the world pig. The world Panther is on the loose. Well just to summarize I only had two things to say and that was that our job as I see it is to be the real human family. To disaffiliate from the from the world of the pig. The church by the way calls that baptism disaffiliate. And then to be a community of resistance. This is Sunday and if I may be permitted my five minutes isn't up. And if you dig it. I think we ought to have a

short religious service. And I have to offer a free church a litany a litany of resistance to the world paying. Too many microphones. Well it means that the congregation responds. After the official makes his comment the response for this litany is power to the people off the world pig. When Pharaoh raised the brick quota. Moses and his people said Power to the people off the whole world pale. When Pharaoh offered concessions. Moses and his people said ha ha ha. When King sold the poor for silver Amos and the prophet said. Ha ha. When Athens asked eyes shut to murder.

SOCRATES stood up and said Ha ha ha. When Jesus occupied the temple all of his followers said ha ha ha. When Jesus disrupted the foreign recruiters all of his followers said Ah ha. When Jesus broke up the sacred agrobusiness all of his followers said. When they handed out incense for Caesar's altar all the Christians said ha ha ha. When the pope put the keys in his pocket Martin Luther said. When they slapped on a war surtax Henry Thoreau sat down and said Ah ha. When Hitler said bow down and worship Dietrich Bonhoeffer said Ah ha. Only in the copters came over Che Guevara said ah

ha ha. When the toadstool pushed up over Hiroshima AJ musti said Ah ha. When the directive said keep your mouth shut. Norman Morrison said not. What I say when they sent him to the back of the bus. Martin Luther King sat down in front and said. When they exiled Eldridge we stand up and say ha ha ha ha when I shook Bobby Hutton we stand up and say Ah ha when they jailed brother Huey we stand up and say Ah ha when they destroy our parks we stand up and say ha ha ha when they gas our churches we stand up and say ah ha ha. When they napalm the nursing mother we stand up and say ah

ha ha. When murderers speak of gradualism we stand up and say Amen. Power to the people. At this particular time we would like to present one of our keynote speakers. We are very delighted that he's had an opportunity to come from Canada. He is Rabbi emeritus of the leading Jewish congregation in Canada a man who 70 years old. But has a spirit that's on fire and he moves fast also physically. And you know as you hear him you'll know that that his mind is working and that he has the essence and the existence of a revolutionary. We are very delighted to bring to you now Rabbi Abraham Feinberg.

Before I begin this address. Thank you. I would like to suggest. Something new in one to use a long word it's called nomenclature namely your. Specific verbal means of communication. We Jews haven't liked pig. For three thousand years. In fact when my father wanted to say something especially nasty about someone he told him in Hebrew which means pig. Therefore in view of that long history

of just paying for the paying you I suggest that you express your gratitude to the Hebrew language. By using sometimes for the sake of diversity not the word pig but Hauser. Now can you say Hauser with the Hauser. I have participated in many. Celebrations of what is called Brotherhood Week. When ministers or various denominations get together in order to talk about love for each other. This is the first time that I have met with clergymen of other faiths not to talk

about love but to. Do something in action for freedom and peace. You have talked a great deal here about a united front. I believe in that united front. But I want to remind you that there is one form of unity which must now be established namely the unity of the generations. As the chairman said in my 70th year I am not an old fuddy duddy. I am not a square. And there are millions like me. Therefore home for my young friends I propose. That as part of the project of a stablish ng a united front. You break down that artificial.

Generation gap you break down that artificial generation gap. And establish unity between the men and women of 17 and to those of 70. This pain which I hold in my hand was presented to me by Uncle Hoh. Holcim president president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. I went to Hanoi in 1967. With AJ mustering who was mentioned here a moment ago with Bishop Ambrose Reeves now of London England formerly Bishop of your highness Burke South Africa forced out of that country by his opposition to the racial policy of the South African government. And also with Pastor Martin Niemoeller of Germany.

Past an e-mailer wrote that famous statement which was paraphrased in your announcement. In which he pointed out that if all the people who love freedom and peace in Germany had realized that the persecution of the Jews. Was merely a preliminary to the persecution of all Germans and peril to all mankind they would have resisted. We have a similar situation now. The ruling powers of this country. Have been aroused. By what they call. Unrest and incipient rebellion. They have mobilized the media of communication. They have assembled the police power. They have declared war. On whom. On the Black Panthers. And

because the Black Panthers are the prime targets. Of persecution. Of repression. Of fascism in this country. It is not only their moral duty. It is a measure of practical self-defense for everyone in the United States to stand up and support the Black Panthers. I do solo they are formed. Not. Merely as a lifelong opponent of racism. But as a human being. To us. The battle of the Black Panthers must be our battle. We shall unite. Behind them. In order. To make sure that we shall not be behind bars.

What are the faces. Of militarism. Of racism and poverty. They are the twin faces of fascism. What are they. First. The belief. That man is merely an instrument to power. That he is merely a draft number. Registration Card a commodity a tool. I mean I am an object. That has been the essence of racism. Particularly as related to the black people in this country for almost three hundred years. The essence of fascism is dehumanization to convert the human being into a means to an end. To deny him dignity and worth and value. And because of that. This must be the battleground

for every human being who believes himself to be in a sense the child of God and therefore inviolable. This. Spirit of fascism is demonstrated today particularly. At this very moment. The movie is now perhaps being reached and trod upon for the first time by a human being. I join perhaps with the whole world. In praising the courage of the astronauts. The skill of the technology that sent them across space to the moon. But. That project which is now at this very hour. Reaching its glorious climax. Viewed by the whole world that project leaves me as cold as an excited as indifferent as the

surface of the moon itself. Why why. First. In b bad counting. In which the John F. Kennedy Space Center is located. There are two hundred thirty one thousand people. According to an estimate of the Welfare Council that conducted a survey. 7000. Of the inhabitants to be barred counting. Are suffering from malnutrition. Most of them black. Eight hundred seventy five million dollars has been expended in construction. The annual income in wages paid to space workers is five hundred million dollars. Be Bored counting. Is one of the richest in all the state of Florida.

The average income is ten thousand dollars and yet. AS. A representative of the Toronto Daily Star on song on the desk of an undertaker on. A death certificate. Announcing. That a cool half year old black child named John Daniels had died of malnutrition which means in plain language that he starved to death. I say. That if these conditions exist in the very place from which the mood's ship was sent to that far off planet. We should demand. That our responsibility is not to place man on the moon but to see to it that earth man is fed and clothed and sheltered in dignity.

That Earth ship cost 25 billion dollars over a period of a number of years. Yet a large percentage of the people in the United States. Are living. Under the subsistence standard established by the government itself. The promise made by Lyndon B Johnson. That a poverty campaign would be conducted has fizzled out into empty rhetoric. And as far as Richard Nixon is concerned he scarcely even condescends to talk about it. And as long. As there are millions of people in the United States. Who are suffering. From

hunger. Wherever they may be whatever other color. Then I suggest that the dispatch of the moon ship to that far off place. Is a dereliction of duty. It is a spectacle. It is in consonance with the old policy of the Roman Empire's give them circuses and let them forget their misery. We're a great deal about law and order. Law and Order and. Empting without justice. The time has come. For us. To make the government of the United States realize. That unless it can prove that laws are made for all the people home. Particularly for those who are weakened by

illness and old age and poverty then the whole concept of law and order becomes a mere a smokescreen for tyranny. More important. Than law and order is justice. I am tired of seeing that slogan Law and Order become a gimmick for politicians aspiring to public office. As in Los Angeles and Minneapolis and New York City. Law in Orem. As I said before. Will be an encouragement to disobedience. I went to Hanoi as an American citizen. I. Lost my passport which has been returned to me since. Committed civil disobedience. Because it seemed to me that there was a higher law then that established by the State Department in Washington.

I felt that the waging of a senseless destructive. Cruel better indefensible war by the mightiest nation on earth. Against the little people of Vietnam must be resisted by every means in my power. I don't regret that civil disobedience and I can understand why the young people in this group intend to commit it if necessary. What is the value of the moon ship. There's a good deal of controversy about that. By the scientists. But I am sure. That there are men in the Pentagon who conceive their moon ship to be the beginning of the establishment of military installations out in space. Military installations vice president Spiro Agnew.

Boastfully said. That the visit to the moon is just a preliminary to an outreach to Mars. Mars has you know was the Greek god of war. It is symbolic. That the people in Washington are now beginning to identify the exploration of space with the waging of war. There are other contradictions. On the plaque. Which the astronauts may at this very minute be installing on the surface of the moon there is something to the effect. That we come in peace. This statement. Is not only a contradiction it is a supreme statement of hypocrisy. When at the same time 80 billion dollars a year are being spent by the United States. For the creation of a weapon ring.

In order that the whole world particularly the undeveloped countries and peoples might be forced to follow the dictatorship of the American Empire. I consider that statement we come in peace to be a statement of hypocrisy. Elaborate precautions are being taken. In order. That the public might be protected from some unknown and unfamiliar germs that will be brought perhaps by the astronauts from the moon. And yet at the same time the United States government in the spirit of fascism. Is conducting experiments. In biological and chemical warfare. Experiments which have already received some testing in Vietnam.

J Edgar Hoover. Has said again and again. That the calls upon rest. In the United States on the campuses in the streets. Is communist propaganda. That is a symptom of senility. That. Is a childish remark. Because any social phenomenon as widespread as this unrest. Has a root. It has a basic cause. And when we are told. That people are hungry. People who are persecuted people who are without hope. Resist protest or fight. Because of communism. That is an insult. To the sensitivity and awareness of human beings. The cause of

unrest in United States. Is militarism. As indicated in that supreme act of violence in Vietnam. It is racism. It is poverty. Finally. We are told a great deal about violence. What is violence. When a kid throws a brick into a store. That is visible that is specific. That is something tangible. And immediately the government says This violence must be stopped. But I tell you when you know. That the humiliation the degradation. The deprivation visited upon the black people of the United States for 300 years or more is a continuous. It is a cumulative.

It is a cruel and unforgiving form of violence. There is violence. If you. Are. In Canada. Millions of bushels of wheat. Are rotting. Out in the western prairie is. Because there is no purchaser. And yet. One third of the human race. Is suffering. From a degree of hunger. The indifference of the world of our society particularly in the West. To that kind of contradiction is a form of violence. In Vietnam. Our government has set this supreme example of violence. When we speak of violence. We should remember. That fascism. Does violence to the body to the spirit

to the mind of man. And that when the government. Begins to succumb to the blandishments of fascism in order to preserve its power it is the example of violence. And. When J Edgar Hoover describes the unrest to. Communist propaganda and influence. He is giving. Fascism a smokescreen behind which to practice its own form of brutality. Now I will tell you a little story very briefly. Two years ago I delivered an address. In Whittier California. Where Richard Nixon spent his boyhood. I was scheduled to speak about Vietnam. And in order. That both sides should be heard in a truly liberal spirit. One of the preachers of what he or who had.

Spoken out very vociferous flee and be imminently against my appearance and which hero. Was invited to engage in a dialogue with me afterwards. And he got up and spoke after I delivered my address. And he said. The Constitution states that any one will age and abets the enemy is a traitor. I was sitting on the platform and I spoke up to him and I said Are you accusing me of treason. He said no but I would not have visited him in. I said are you. Accusing me of treason publicly. I won't sue you for libel he says well I wasn't going to hold him in any home. At one point in his talk he turned to me and he pointed like this is here. How would you save the people of Vietnam. And I looked up at him and I said. In what world do you mean in this world or the next. And then he pointed out what was his sincere judgment.

That it was better to be dead than red. And that the people of Vietnam must be saved from the set tannic double hulled Shimon and his communist minions. Even if you had to kill them in the process. That is what the bogey of anti-communism has done to the American mind. And now finally. I came here traveling. Five or six thousand miles. In order to whom. Participate in this establishment of a united front against fascism. And yet I know. In my heart of hearts that the odds are very heavy. The mightiest nation on earth. Has infinite.

Capacity. For weapons. Infinite wealth. The mere fact. That it could send astronauts to the moon. Is an illustration. Of the technological and material power of the United States. And it also underscores. The failure of the United States to solve the problems of poverty and the cities. Because if the United States can send astronauts to the moon. Then we must conclude that if it doesn't solve the problems of poverty. And racism it is because the United States government doesn't have the will to solve them. It has the money anyhow the odds are very heavy. And there will be times during the next few months and weeks and years. When we shall be called upon to make great sacrifices.

I want to tell you. That when you go forth. Against Fascism. You are doing so whether you believe it or not. In the name of God. I am not interested in the question whether God is dead. It is totaling in my mind totally irrelevant. I am concerned about the death of man. The human being. I am concerned. I am concerned that people are being stripped. Of their sensitivity to evil. That they are being denied the fulfillment of their sense of dignity and self respect which the Black Panthers are notably. And courageously and valiantly attempting to revive among the black

people of United States. It is. But you shall go forth. And fight. As Moses did. As the ancient children of Israel did. As most of the great true leaders of religion have done. In the name of the dignity. Of. The inviolability. The worth. The value. Of a human being. Because I believe in God. I demand that no human being. Shall be harried. By fascism. Harassed. By the police. Hounded into a concentration camp.

Mistreated after an unjust trial that sent him to prison. Because I believe in God. I believe that we must fight with 0 0 our strength. And the will and power and courage and intelligence. For the. Dignity of man. With that word. I say to you. All power. To the people. According to the American dream. Power does reside in the people. We want to make the people aware of that power. So that they shall use it. Valiantly. With all to retreat. In behalf. Of all the people whatever their race creed or color.

Whether you believe in God or not God bless you. Rabbi Feinberg's Rabbi final.