Living the Bill of Rights: How to Be an Authentic American [Paperback]

Nat Hentoff (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520219813 | ISBN-13: 978-0520219816 | Publication Date: December 1, 1999 | Edition: 1

Nat Hentoff is one of America's most passionate and prominent writers about civil liberties and civil rights. In Living the Bill of Rights, he has taken what is too often thought of as an abstract issue and enlivened it by focusing on representative individuals for whom the Constitution is a vital part of life. As the late Supreme Court Justice William Brennan told Hentoff, Americans need to know how "American liberties were won--and what it takes to keep them alive." With characteristic eloquence, Hentoff covers the full range of American life in these inspiring profiles and stories about public and private heroes--Supreme Court Justices William Brennan and William O. Douglas, Dr. Kenneth Clark, and students, teachers, lawyers, and others who challenge assaults on the Bill of Rights.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Through portrayals of the famous (Supreme Court Justices William O. Douglas and William Brennan) and the not-so-famous (Anthony Griffin, a black lawyer who, as an ACLU volunteer, defended the First Amendment rights of the Ku Klux Klan), Nat Hentoff pays tribute to American citizens whose lives embody the values and principles of the U.S. Constitution. For Hentoff, that means a strict insistence on individual rights that leaves him opposed to mandatory prayer and pledges of allegiance in schools, the suppression of prisoners' civil liberties, and quota-based affirmative action programs. President Bill Clinton emerges as a particular object of Hentoff's scorn, as much for conducting an official state meeting with the chief architect of the Tiananmen Square massacre as for domestic policies, such as the failed Communications Decency Act, that are an "evisceration of basic liberties." "Unless more Americans know the Constitution and live the Bill of Rights," Hentoff argues, "the future of the nation as a strongly functioning constitutional democracy will be at risk." Although you may not agree with Hentoff's particular authorial focus--First Amendment enthusiasts will be thrilled with his emphasis on free expression, while Second Amendment advocates will have to search elsewhere for their champion--Living the Bill of Rights should make more Americans think about what it means to be an American. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

According to Hentoff's (Speaking Freely, etc.) introduction, the late Supreme Court Justice William Brennan once told the author, "The Bill of Rights never gets off the page and into the lives of most Americans.... But you've got to tell them stories... about people out there now who are not afraid to fight to keep on being free Americans." And in 13 profiles Hentoff does just that, reminding us of the power?and duty?of dissent. He begins with the late Justice William O. Douglas, who, in battling the status quo, filed more dissenting opinions (531) and stayed longer on the bench (36 years) than any other justice. Theres the courageous black lawyer Anthony Griffin, who at the bequest of the ACLU, defended the Ku Klux Klan against the state of Texas?and as a result was fired by the NAACP as its Texas general counsel. Justice Brennan himself is profiled in three of the essays as an idealist who liked to quote from Yeats's Cathleen Ni Hoolihan and who believed that "even the vilest criminal remains a human being possessed of common human dignity." Two essays are dedicated to educator Kenneth Clarke, who played an essential part in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The book is filled out with recent cases that made the national media (such as that of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, a professional basketball player who on religious grounds refused to stand for the national anthem) and plainer folk who have stood up and spoken out. Hentoff has compiled a lively and timely guide to the U.S. Constitution in action.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 253 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520219813
• ISBN-13: 978-0520219816
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,044,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars People who live the Bill of Rights, October 9, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living the Bill of Rights: How to Be an Authentic American (Hardcover)

Americans, since the birth of the country, have in words, stood by the Bill of Rights. Nat Hentoff's book shows us people whose actions display the true meaning of the Bill of Rights. In a very readable style, Hentoff tells the stories of true Americans as they defend the rights that are guaranteed all citizens. One example is the story of Anthony Griffin, a black lawyer, who chose to defend the Ku Klux Klan's right to free speech. Said Griffin, "If you take the First Amendment from the Klan, we, as black folks, will be the next to suffer." While Griffin would not agree with the Klan's point of view, he recognizes that they have the right to voice their opinion no matter how many people are offended. Hentoff's book is notable because it shows us examples of people who live the principles behind the Bill of Rights instead of just talking about them. In addition, you will come to realize how the Bill of Rights is always being challenged by those citizens who try to silence others whose opinions don't agree with theirs. I highly recommend this book to all!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best First-Amendment Books I have read, January 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Living the Bill of Rights: How to Be an Authentic American (Hardcover)

This book is excellent because it refuses to align itself with the either side of the spectrum when dealing the blows. Almost every political book today has a sever right or left slant,its nice to see common sense instead of rhetoric. It shows that Nat Hentoff is not afraid to go against the mindless "Political Correctness" of our day give credit where credit is due, even to a president as popular as Clinton. A must read.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but a decent book nonetheless, December 12, 2000

By 

"ebreit42" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living the Bill of Rights: How to Be an Authentic American (Paperback)

I thought this was a pretty good book, which makes one wonder why I only gave it three stars. It's all summed up in the title to the Introduction, "Tell them stories about how our liberties were won and what keep them alive." That comes from the mouth of Supreme Court Justice William Brennan in a conversation with the author.

All in all, Hentoff does a decent job. The first chapter on William O. Douglas was easily the best of the book. A story of a man who was deeply committed to the Bill of Rights for ALL Americans, not just the ones with popular views.

The only reason I gave the book 3 stars was that I just did not agree with all of the stories selected by Hentoff as giving examples of, in the author's words, "authentic Americans." Chapters 6, 7, and 8 come to mind. Chapters 6 and 7 deal with Dr. Kenneth Clark, an integrationist.

Now, I'm no segregationist, but I firmly believe in the right of people to choose to segregate themselves. I don't agree with it, but I also don't believe in using the force of government to make people live, work, and play together. Hentoff and Dr. Clark disagree.

...

All in all, three chapters devoted to this issue was a bit much, although many of the stories in them were valuable. For example, also in chapter 8, was a story about a high school that required people running for homecoming court to disclose their race. Why? Because the court had to be 1/2 white and 1/2 black. Clearly that is wrong: the government should not use race as a factor if people really are equal before the law.

Finally, Hentoff's views on Clinton do not impact the quality of this book.... Just because Hentoff doesn't like Clinton, does not mean one should give his book bad reviews. Clinton is mentioned 5 times out of a book of more than 200 pages, and Hentoff's points are valid. The Clinton administration has presided over a vast expansion of the war on drugs which greatly curtailed civil liberties (the FBI's Carnivore system comes to mind), and has overlooked Chinese human rights violations, among other things.

Overall, I wish I could've given this book 3.5 stars. I didn't feel it was worth 4. The title of the book, "Living the Bill of Rights," makes it sound like anyone who disagrees with any of the positions promulgated in the stories somehow doesn't care about the Bill of Rights, or isn't "an authentic American." Yet that just isn't true. Many people who opposse forced busing, for example, do so because they believe in freedom of association. Hentoff is walking a fine line, and disagreement is valuable and I encourage it. But the book went just a bit too far.

It's still a valuable contribution, and the majority of the stories should make most people proud to live in a country that has a bill of rights. Hopefully it will also make people more likely to defend it.