Death Of A Rebel With Many Causes

The New York Times has an obituary today of Rev. William O'Donnell the veteran political activist who was arrested 250 times in 30 years protesting against injustice and promoting progressive causes. O'Donnel made the conversion from young conservative to radical activist after becoming involved in the labor movement with Cesar Chavez.

A burly man with a don't-mess-with-me strut, Father Bill, as he was always called, was a familiar sight at demonstrations, wearing his trademark black leather jacket — protection, he said, against aggressive policemen — over his clerical collar.

He joined peace advocates in marching from Jerusalem to Amman, Jordan, and marched from San Francisco to Modesto, Calif., with migrant workers. He demonstrated in Alabama and in South Korea, and in San Salvador confronted soldiers about to conduct a middle-of-the-night interrogation of a labor organizer. Locally, he developed programs for the homeless, and he challenged the Daughters of Charity order of nuns, who he contended were thwarting hospital workers' efforts to organize.

Rob is the founder of the progressive news site robwire.com