Author: agatz

The following is part of my essay, in which I argue that Hayden, through his memoir, argues that the court is inherently biased. Let me know what you think!

Hayden’s memoir as well as Sossi and Condon’s play allows the reader to have insight into the inherent biases of the United States judiciary, although Hayden’s memoir contains bias as well.  The Chicago Eight trial itself was inherently biased, the outcome seemingly predetermined. Even before the trial started, the political left held little faith in the government. Hayden refers to Johnson with the phrase “sitting as a lame duck president” (Hayden et al 151). Further, leading up to the trial, the ability to obtain a permit was severely hindered by the government. Hayden describes the extensive measures taken to obtain the permit, yet the government went so far as to lie about the reasoning behind not issuing a permit. In a meeting with Deputy Mayor Stahl, the Parks and Sanitation Department and police forces were blamed for the permit, despite the fact that Hayden and Stahl were aware that Mayor Daley made those decisions (161). As Hayden describes his attempts to obtain a permit, the tone of the writing is hopeless and dark. Hayden had a right to be frustrated; despite his many attempts to legally protest, higher governmental powers refused his wishes. During the trial, there are a multitude of examples of biased interactions against the defendants. Further, the Judge himself repeatedly mispronounces the names of the defendants and Mr. Weinglass, one of the defense lawyers (41, 68, 97). Of course, an initial mispronunciation could be viewed as a mistake, but the action was repeated so frequently throughout the trial that it appeared to be intentional. The purposeful mispronunciation of a name has the goal of making another person feel inferior. Judge Hoffman, through these repeated “mistakes”, was passively showing his disdain for the defendants. Stu Ball, a defense lawyer, also experienced at length the partiality of the court. Ball was forced to temporarily give up documents with information related to the case. Clearly, this event was a “flagrant breach” of security that definitely warranted the requested mistrial (57). The Judge immediately denied the motion and did not mention the events for the remainder of the trial. Ball was also permanently dismissed from the court based on the accusation that he had laughed, despite the fact that multiple of the defendants, Hayden included, admitted to laughing (84). The Judge took advantage of the situation and further inconvenienced the defense. There was now one less lawyer on the defendant’s side, one less person to combat the systematic prejudice of the court system. A judge should be seen as impartial and above reproach, yet Judge Hoffman acts in a completely different manner. The actions of Judge Hoffman, such as the mispronunciation of names and removal of Stu Ball, caused Hayden to describe the atmosphere of the courtroom as containing “dreary oppressiveness” (218). The dejected tone in this statement allows the audience insight into how exhausting the trial was. The binding and gagging of Bobby Seale began the transformation in Hayden and also clearly shows the bias of the court. Seale’s lawyer was not able to attend the trial due to surgery, and Seale wished to defend himself.  The Judge, however, would not permit Seal to speak (33-34). After multiple attempts at exercising his constitutional rights to defend himself, the Judge ordered Seale bound and gagged (65). The Judge was easily able to deny the only African American on trial his right to free speech. Clearly, something about the governmental court system was wrong and needed fixing. This cruelty of the court is a prime example of what Hayden knew he should protest against, evidenced from his distraught mindset after seeing Seale gagged in the courtroom analyzed above. 

This week our class focused on the literary work “The Trial of the Catonsville Nine,” which surrounds the trial of nine people with a heavy Catholic affiliation. The men and women were being tried for burning 378 draft files with the goal of protesting the Vietnam War. Although we have had many good discussions throughout class this week, the idea that stuck with me most was the theme of martyrdom throughout the literary works that we have read thus far. The parallels between The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Stewart Parker’s Pentecost, and John 5 from the Bible are astounding. At first glance, I was having trouble piecing them together while in class. Listening to the thoughts of my classmates and professor, however, the picture was becoming clearer. Personally, I think that martyrdom was the most distinct connection. 

In The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, the nine men and women have an overarching goal to act upon their Christian values and save lives. They are aware that the 378 files burned may be replaced with other draft files, meaning that different men will go to war. However, they wanted to bring attention to the injustice that was the Vietnam War. They did not think that the toll on American lives was worth it. In order for their message to be heard, they complete the task in broad daylight with witnesses present. They go to trial and give their testimonies. They willingly accept their sentences. All of this is done so that their actions are given attention and the morality of the war is given deeper thought by the American public and government. Serving time in jail was a necessary personal sacrifice that must be made so that others (those directly serving in the Vietnam War) could be saved. Similarly, there is an aspect of martyrdom with Stewart Parker. We read in class about his experiences at Harvard with African American students. There were multiple controversial protests, one of which Parker was involved in. His experience in this protest is reflected in Pentecost. Peter, a character in the play, seems to be based on Parker and his experiences in the US during the civil rights movement. Last, John 5 in the Bible discusses both testimony and Jesus’s willingness to be a martyr. The Bible also displays the general theme of martyrdom with Jesus, who sacrificed himself for our sins. 

Although we only focused on two literary works from class in comparison to the Bible, the other works we have read parallel the idea of martyrdom as well. For example, in The Informer, Gypo is seen as a martyr figure. Gypo is shown spreading his arms out in a Christ-like fashion in the movie, hinting at a strong parallel to Jesus. Those involved in the Chicago Eight trials were also martyrs. They, similar to the Catonsville Nine, were put on trial for their protests against the governmental system. The Chicago Eight were not as heavily affiliated with Christianity as the Catonsville Nine were, but there was most definitely an aspect of sacrificing oneself for the good of others. We have also read multiple speeches written by Martin Luther King Jr. Due to his Christian roots, he emphasizes the need for love over violence. Eventually, MLK is killed, becoming a martyr for many across the United States. 

Overall, I think that there are more parallels between the literary works than just martyrdom, and I am looking forward to exploring these themes in the upcoming classes.

Our discussions in class thus far paired with the reading and conversations with Eamonn McCann has made me realize how truly different Irish Americans are from those who still live in Ireland. Of course, one can expect that when people emigrate from a country, their ideals and habits may change as they find themselves in a new country and a new culture. However, in the case of Irish Americans, there are very stark differences between the two groups. For example, when Eamonn traveled to America to talk about Irish civil liberties, he came into contact with the Black Panthers. This was frowned upon by Irish Americans, and his talks were canceled. The following quotation clearly displays the differences in ideology between the two groups:

“The argument of the Left was that our natural allies in the United States ought surely to be those who, like us, were fighting against oppression. The counter-argument, not just from Irish Americans but from many civil rights ‘moderates’ at home, too, was that it made no sense to alienate powerful US interests, that to gratuitously introduce issues of injustice in the US would, as one prominent Bogside Repiblucan put it to me, ‘split our support’” (McCann 4). 

Of course, not every Catholic person in Ireland held the same ideology. There were plenty of those with conservative beliefs who aligned with Irish Americans. After listening to Eamonn talk about his life in Ireland, I think there are distinct differences in people’s everyday lives that created this divide in ideology. In America, the Irish did not experience extreme persecution. They were free to practice their religion, and their ability to speak English enabled them to prosper in the new culture. Catholics in Ireland, on the other hand, faced extreme persecution from the Protestants. Of course, this treatment was not on the same level as the dehumanization that occurred in America with African Americans, but Catholics were definitely treated as belonging to a lower class than the Protestants. Those that were actively persecuted were able to see the connection between their struggles and those of African Americans. To those in Ireland, it made sense to ally themselves with people in America who were able to understand their struggles. Both African Americans and Irish Catholics had the same overall goal: an increase in civil liberties for those who had been oppressed. 

Towards the end of class, I began to think about the fight for African American civil liberties that is still ongoing today. I thought to myself, “I wonder if there are parallels in the Irish community today. Surely Catholics in Ireland would support the BLM movement as they had supported the civil rights movement years ago.” However, according to Eamonn, those in Derry who attempted to participate in BLM protests were warned that they could go to jail for their actions. When people attempted to express their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, police would begin to question them: “Why are you here? What is your name? You could get in trouble for this.” The goal of the police was clearly to disrupt the event. Eamonn told the class that he has seen many protests in Derry and none of them have had the same resistance from the police that occurred for the BLM protest. I found this very interesting, especially since I had thought that Ireland would be more sympathetic to the BLM cause. After doing some research, I found that although there isn’t persecution of Catholics in Ireland today as there was in the 1960s, there is still prejudice present. The peace walls that divided the Protestants and Catholics are not completely torn down. For those of you that read this post, my question to you is this: Why do you think that Derry had such a negative reaction to the BLM movement when plenty of left Irish Catholics supported the civil rights movement? This question is something I’ve been asking myself over the course of the week and I have yet to formulate a satisfying answer.

Today in class, the main discussion revolved around the visiting guest lecturers that talked with us. To me, the idea that stuck out the most was that the revolutions and riots surrounding the 68 period still influence the actions of others today. Although there are of course parallels between Black America and Ireland during this time, both of their ideals have contributed to the protests ongoing today. For example, today was the day that many people at Notre Dame chose to protest against the systematic inequality that African Americans experience not just in the United States but at the University of Notre Dame. Students at Notre Dame aim to bring their message about peacefully. Using the internet to their advantage, students shared their ideas through Zoom at the beginning of every class they attended for the day. This lasting impact, of course, goes beyond the Notre Dame community. There are peaceful Black Lives Matter protests throughout the world. 

The speakers from last week told us that they still thought of themselves as radicals. They still carry their ideas from the past with them today, influencing how they live their lives. I believe that since one can see the impact that the protests and revolutions of 68 had, it is also important to look to the origins of the 68 era. These origins were discussed with Matthew Reilly. In a broader sense, I think that the discussions we have had both today and throughout the class thus far show that no one event is truly singular. Every movement has its connections to the past and its contributions to the future. Black Lives Matter protests have connections to the Civil Rights Movement and will most influence future generations’ attempts to bring about equality. 

If I were asked to compile a list of my academic strengths, writing and literary analysis are two concepts that would not be present. In light of this, I am entering this class with simultaneous excitement and nervousness. Despite writing being a weakness of mine, I am excited to see how this class can enhance my skills as well as allow me to explore a connection I didn’t know existed between Ireland and African Americans in the United States. The first couple of classes have been a whirlwind of information. I am not very familiar with history during the period surrounding 1968, so I have learned plenty of new things already. What has stood out to me the most, however, is the theatrical nature surrounding the protests. The public’s perception of a certain group or event may be fairly different than the truth. For example, the civil rights movement is normally associated with peaceful protesting and the Black Panthers with violence. In reality, however, the civil rights movement was more violent and the Black Panthers less violent than the public believed. Perception is just as important in today’s world regarding politics and movements. That being said, along with improving my ability to analyze a literary work, I would like to explore the importance of perception and theatrics throughout the 68 era.