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1. "I still think [the U.S. of] America is the best nation in the whole world. If anybody finds a better want, call me collect". That is a quote from Rev. Ben Cox's appearance on NPR this morning. Cox, along with Ed Blankenheim and Hank Thomas visited UIUC last weekend. They are three survivors of the famous 1961 "Freedom Riders", a civil right movement to end seggregation. It's disheartening to even imagine how this country treated black people back then. Prior to 1961, Blacks --niggers, as they call them-- have to sit in the back seats when riding bus. Front seats were for the Whites. This segregation also applied in most public utilities. Schools, toilets, waiting rooms, sport events, etc.
Then, a group of seven whites and six blacks got together for the Freedom Rides, a non-violent act of protest in the form of bus trip from Washington D.C. to New Orleans. The plan was, along the trip, the blacks would sit in the front rows and the whites in the back. Also, whenever they stop for restrooms, restaurants, etc, they would use the facilities designated for the opposite race. Well, they never made it through to New Orleans. The bus was set on fire by a mob in Alabama. While the 13 riders were trapped in the bus, the mob held the doors closed. They were faced with only two choices: to break the bus window to get out to get beaten by the mob, or to stay in the bus to die suffocated by the smoke. They finally managed to fled the burning bus. But the ride ended there.
This morning, I heard one of those 13 heroes talking on the radio. He still loves this country, yet he sounded wounded.