Meltzer's history of war resistance in the United States is most notable for its forthright condemnation of war—which is not exactly beside the point. He clearly supports the view of early peace groups that "wars are most often fought for profit under the banner of national honor." In this vein he notes how "land-hungry Western warhawks in Congress" pushed through the unpopular war of 1812; and he points up the Mexican War's link with slavery. Similarly, the Spanish-American War of 1898 was fueled by "white racism combined with economic pressure," and World War I, "a war nobody wanted and nobody could stop," stands as an object lesson for today. In Vietnam, "America's most disastrous military adventure," our government deceived its own people and destroyed South Vietnamese society, essentially to avoid political embarrassment. Some wars have been harder to condemn, and Meltzer, having traced the "just war" concept since its fourth-century origin, goes into the Quakers' conflict of conscience during the Civil War and the "terrible moral dilemma" for pacifists posed by World War II. He doesn't presume to answer the question of whether a Hitler could be resisted by nonviolent means, but points to occupied Norway and Denmark as examples of just that. Developed in counterpoint with his history of the wars, Meltzer's chronicle of conscientious objectors and war-resistance groups sometimes becomes a blur of names and acronyms. We learn too little about too many groups, and are served with judgments that deserve further development. However, this is a limitation endemic to the YA survey; and if Meltzer's readers don't remember many names, they may well respond to some of the many quotes from resisters' writings and speeches. They may also be impressed by the long tradition of resistance, the persecution that conscientious objectors have endured, and the large number of today's young men who have ignored draft registration requirements.
Pub Date: April 17, 1985
ISBN: 0375822607
Page Count: 308
Publisher: Harper & Row
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1985
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change.
Artist and activist Vaid-Menon demonstrates how the normativity of the gender binary represses creativity and inflicts physical and emotional violence.
The author, whose parents emigrated from India, writes about how enforcement of the gender binary begins before birth and affects people in all stages of life, with people of color being especially vulnerable due to Western conceptions of gender as binary. Gender assignments create a narrative for how a person should behave, what they are allowed to like or wear, and how they express themself. Punishment of nonconformity leads to an inseparable link between gender and shame. Vaid-Menon challenges familiar arguments against gender nonconformity, breaking them down into four categories—dismissal, inconvenience, biology, and the slippery slope (fear of the consequences of acceptance). Headers in bold font create an accessible navigation experience from one analysis to the next. The prose maintains a conversational tone that feels as intimate and vulnerable as talking with a best friend. At the same time, the author's turns of phrase in moments of deep insight ring with precision and poetry. In one reflection, they write, “the most lethal part of the human body is not the fist; it is the eye. What people see and how people see it has everything to do with power.” While this short essay speaks honestly of pain and injustice, it concludes with encouragement and an invitation into a future that celebrates transformation.
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change. (writing prompt) (Nonfiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09465-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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