The Wrong Side of Murder Creek Quotes

“It is crucial that those who made this history be involved in passing it on and interpreting our movement to children and students. Already many “experts” are putting their spin on our history. That’s why the Freedom Curriculum is destined to make a major contribution to American education for the rest of this century.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“When you take up the weapon, you have taken into your hands your own protection, while in the nonviolent mode your protection is in the hands of a higher power, whatever it may be.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“we had no sense of what it would be like to live in a normal workaday world, no concept of working at something that didn’t require total dedication.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“A truly great feeling is a flash of genuine color-blindness. I don’t know if you forget or if color becomes so totally irrelevant because you’re simply relating to each other as human beings.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“A man in this society who is not a racist or sexist is rare indeed, being steeped as we are in paternalism and one of the most virulent forms of white supremacy in the history of man’s inhumanity. When Imus protests that there is not a racist bone in his body it is a big mistake. It’s much easier to say I am a racist and a sexist struggling to overcome my afflictions.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“This was the summer of 1964. The world had already been treated to images of burned buses, bloody Freedom Riders, armed attempts to overthrow the government when Meredith enrolled at Ole Miss, and assassinated government witnesses. Now a terrorist Klan was running amok with the active encouragement of Southern state governments and law officials.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“The locals’ attitude was halfway civil because the news people were everywhere, and Rita had a lawyer.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“After all of that brutal history and accompanying worldwide news coverage, we still had to pressure the government to do something to protect the people in their right to vote—the simplest and most basic right of a democracy.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“true forgiveness could only come after genuine contrition and a clear understanding of one’s wrongdoing, followed by a detailed confession and the sincere asking for forgiveness.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“The kids took the lead in going to jail; now the adults were stirring. When children get involved, many parents tend to follow. I ended”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“Joan Browning, one of our white volunteers;”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“When it seemed there was a chance I’d survive I’d become frantic and nervous with an overpowering sense of dread. When it looked certain that I would die I would become calm.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“At that point, they could easily have arrested me, but the police obviously didn’t want to arrest me, nor did they want to stop the mob from beating me. I”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“that point, they could easily have arrested me, but the police obviously didn’t want to arrest me, nor did they want to stop the mob from beating me. I”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“learned later that this was the SNCC way. Nobody ever suggested that such and such a person be part of any particular direct action. Each person made up his mind each time. There were no orders.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“More violence than usual,” I thought to myself. “How much violence is ‘usual’ in these cases?”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“I never ever had any illusions about the FBI or the federal government from that point. That taught me more about politics in this country and about the Feds than anything I ever learned after that.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“How can one human do this to another human being—especially with everyone watching?”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“came to my aid I experienced a wild moment of exhilarating insanity. “We can,” I thought, “whip all these lowlifes.” Then, with some disappointment, I remembered we were supposed to be nonviolent.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“None of us have ever forgotten those songs, and in the shock-troop days, in dangerous situations, the music gave the people strength and courage—soul force.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“If you are being shot at together, you tend to become brothers and sisters quickly.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“the Freedom Riders were the most courageous people on earth”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“He asked how we felt about living in a part of the country which was trying to secede from the union a second time.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“The area looked like it had been hit by a sudden and unexpected Category 5 storm.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“I thought each of us should act as individuals since we would probably not all agree on a collective course of action.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“we are beginning to be out of control. We’ve been under control much too long now, certainly as far as this subject of race is concerned.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

“you haven’t yet broken the law; that’s vertical integration . . . as long as you are standing up, it’s okay. You can stand up and talk to a colored person all day and not break the law. It’s when you sit down that you get into trouble.”
― Bob Zellner, Wrong Side of Murder Creek, The: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement