It seems after the fact to read John Gregory Dunne's memoir, Delano: the Story of the California Grape Strike. Be that as it may, I learned a lot about Saul Alinsky, author of Rules for Radicals and his methods of organizing communities. I learned that it is better to organize than just have a 'movement' and why. I also found out that Cesar Chavez was a student of Alinsky's. Of course Chavez got tired of Alinksky, threw off his yoke and started (from ground up) the National Organization of Farm Workers in California. I went on to understand why Chavez was both adored and hated: for much the same reasons Americans adore or hate anyone. I discovered that there are only two 'poles' of power: the wealthy and those poor folks who know how to get the populous behind them. If I had not read Delano, I would not have learned why there was all this hubbub over our current President's involvement with Alinsky's methods and Acorn. Most of all Delano provides objective first-hand accounts from diverse sources about 'la helago' or the strike.
While times may have changed since the 60's, the conflict between the rich and the poor continue in the 21st Century. Delano is a chilling reminder of George Santayana's "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
