Woody Guthrie -- Two Good Men

Throughout his career, Woody Guthrie experimented with various lyrical and musical styles. However, his best work invariably came from writing and singing about the causes and the people that he felt closest to: the workers, the unions, the poor dust bowl farmers, the downtrodden, and the oppressed. The album, Hard Travelin' includes this song, "Two Good Men" --about Sacco and Vanzetti, two immigrants executed for murder after an indictment and a trial that was inspired by politics and greed. The story of Sacco and Vanzetti still carries an ominous message. For those Americans concerned about the erosion of workers rights, the suspension of Habeas Corpus, the abandonment of the Geneva Conventions, unwarranted surveillance, and the imprisonment of alleged criminals without the right to a fair and speedy trial, the story of Sacco and Vanzetti should remain an ever-present reminder of our perilous times. -- Spadecaller

Category:

Education

Tags:

• folk
• Woody
• Guthrie
• Sacco
• Vanzetti
• Two
• Good
• Men
• Workers
• Rights
• Spadecaller

[Thespadecaller]

Historians have not reached a consensus regarding their guilt or innocence , but most historians acknowledge that the trial was so politicized that justice was not executed appropriately.

[acdcfantic]

i disagree. i dont think he changed to get rich, i think dylan changed after he got tired of everyone calling him "the spokesman of the generation." he never wanted that.

[saltig71]

does anybody have Vanzetti's Letter by woody guthrie? i can find it anywhere. post it please dont be greedy.

[zrayburton]

@LaDricka1 ... dislike ignorance.

[zrayburton]

@Thespadecaller, Legally/Politically they have been acquitted by Gov. Dukakis in MA and I believe that most, if not all historians/lawyers/judges do agree that justice wasn't executed. The late Howard Zinn was a huge advocate for them... not many more legitimate historical resources than he was. Important evidence proving their innocence was thrown out during the trial because of their cultural/political beliefs... and because it was in Italian.

[HeadHunteR1988]

I love Woody Guthrie. Sacco and Vanzetti were comrades. Rest In Peace. From a proud anarchist from Greece.

[byng785]

Great sympathy for Sacco & Vanzetti.and understand the message. But why did the poster use a celtic cross in the photo?.

[BigErik1984]

To be honest, I've resaerched the trial.

It was an unfair trail and should have been thrown out due to lack of evidence and unreliability of witnesses as well as falsification of evidence and the courts refusal to accept testimonies from witnesses who spoke Italian.

Though historians might not agree on the guilt or innocence of the two men, we can all agree they were not given a fair trial by any means.

[agnosticnixie]

@Spikedkitten Well at least the lone dislike makes themselves known

[Spikedkitten]

@LaDricka1 So I take it you hit the dislike?

[grassic]

@Thespadecaller The witnesses couldn't put them at the crime scene. Many were defence witnesses who were thought untrustworthy and the court gave more weight to prosecution witnesses who were discredited. Modern ballistics would show that the bullets retrieved at the scene did not mach Sacco's gun and the police most likely planted evidence. S and V knew and helped people who probably did do violent crime but they were highly likely to be innocent of the crime for which they were executed

[Supermarioshead]

regrdless of their innocence or guilt, capital punishment is no form of justice!!

[LaDricka1]

Two good murderers long time gone.