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Monday, June 08, 2009
William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe
I first heard of William Kunstler in a scene from The Big Lebowski, a cult movie classic. The movie's main character, Jeffrey Lebowski, or The Dude as he's called, while under interrogation by the Chief of Police of Malibu, a real reactionary, slurred the name of one of America’s most infamous defence attorneys.
The scene goes like this:
CHIEF'S OFFICE
The Dude is hurled against the chief's desk, which he bounces off of, to come to rest more or less seated in a facing chair.
His wallet is tossed onto the desk.
The chief leans forward, takes the wallet and sorts through it with disgusted incredulity.
CHIEF
“This is your only I.D.?”
He is looking at the Ralph's Shopper's Club card.
DUDE
“I know my rights.”
CHIEF
“You don't know shit, Lebowski.”
DUDE
“I want a fucking lawyer, man. I want Bill Kunstler.”
Tonight at the Epcor Centre in Calgary, I learned a whole lot more about the man the New York Times wrote was “The most hated and loved lawyer in America.” In the Canadian premiere of William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, filmmakers Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler document their father’s life and career.
It’s a fascinating film. The story of Kunstler’s career as a civil rights lawyer began with his work for the ACLU in defence of the Freedom Riders, 1960s civil rights activists who challenged Southern segregation laws in the US. He went on to work with the anti-war movement, native activists including libertarian Russell Means during the Wounded Knee incident, and prisoners advocating, and sometimes rioting, for better incarceration conditions.
The Kunstler story is the story of the sixties civil rights and anti-war movements, including the good, the bad and the just plain weird.
Posted by Matthew Johnston
Posted by westernstandard on June 8, 2009 | Permalink
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