High School Speech by Peace Prof Raises Ire Published on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 in the Boston Herald

High School Speech by Peace Prof Raises Ire

by Ed Hayward



School officials are being asked to justify a recent speech given by peace activist Howard Zinn at Newton North High School in which he equated the U.S. military strikes in Afghanistan with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The controversial historian and former Boston University professor stressed that the U.S. bombing raids aimed at toppling the Taliban and hunting down fugitive terror boss Osama bin Laden were killing children and innocent civilians.

``The terrorists of Sept. 11 did a horrible thing to us, so we do terrible things to the people of Afghanistan. That is immoral and puts us on the same level as a terrorist,'' Zinn was quoted as saying in a report in the school newspaper.

Parents questioned exposing young teens to Zinn's opinions.