Another soldier in the fight for Justice, down at far too early an
age. While our American Mass Media sung the praises of the rich and
famous, Michael Ratner was passed over. Funny how the real Americans
pass through this world mostly unnoticed. Unnoticed themselves, but
leaving behind a legacy that puts to shame that of those spotlighted
by the Empire's Media.
Thank you, Michael Ratner, for having walked among us.
Preacher Carl
On 5/11/16, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
_____
From: Vince Warren, CCR [mailto:development@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 7:08 PM
To: Ms. Miriam Vieni
Subject: CCR Mourns The Loss of a Hero - Michael Ratner
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Keeping the Light Lit
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Dear CCR Community,
It is with a very heavy heart that we write to tell you of a great loss to
our family. Today, we lost one of the great social justice warriors of our
time, Michael Ratner. In July 2015, Michael fell ill. But he fought his
illness in the same manner as he did all of the injustices he encountered
for the last half century; with clarity, tenacity, good cheer, the support
of his loving family and friends, and hope for the best possible outcome
against the odds. Sadly, this was one fight that he wasn’t able to win. We
send our deepest condolences to his family and to all of those who knew and
loved him.
Family members say Michael was born with the “empathy gene,” which made him
a wonderful and loyal friend. While a law student at Columbia University in
1968 this empathy and compassion helped him find his political focus during
student protests against the Vietnam War. While participating in a building
occupation on campus Michael was pushed to the ground and beaten by the
police. Seeing his bloodied classmates who were, like him, standing up for
what’s right, he decided he would always stand on the side of the oppressed
and against the oppressor. A law student was pushed down; a radical rose
up.
In his words, “[E]vents like this created the activists of the generation
and I never looked back; I declared that I was going to spend my life on
the
side of justice and non-violence.” And this is exactly what Michael did
until his last breath.
After law school Michael was drawn to the Center for Constitutional Rights;
it would be his political home for over 40 years. He started as a staff
attorney on the same day as another lost CCR hero, Rhonda Copelon, who
along
with other CCR colleagues, built gender work into the Center’s portfolio in
the early 1970s. Through the years, Michael came to embrace international
law as a key tool for the Center through the counsel of Rhonda and former
CCR Vice President, Peter Weiss. This work, along with Michael’s tenacity
and spirit remain the defining features of CCR 50 years after it was
founded.
Michael was the organizational bridge between the work of CCR’s founders,
from whom he learned how to litigate boldly and work with social movements,
and our current generation of lawyers and advocates. He was a mentor and
inspiration to generations of law students and lawyers who have come
through
CCR. Twenty-four years ago, the Center’s current Executive Director, Vince
Warren, was one of these students. He shared his thoughts upon first
meeting
Michael as a CCR Ella Baker Intern:
“He lived the vision for how a radical people’s lawyer could almost
literally shift the world for the most precarious in our society, by
shifting the ground under the most powerful. But what really shifted, was
me. Hearing his stories of representing clients and political movements
from
every corner of the globe, I came to see how I could use my law degree for
something extraordinary and eternal. It was my honor to have later served
with him on CCR’s Board and to work in partnership as the Executive
Director
of the organization we both cherished.”
In accepting the Center’s Relentless Radical Award in 2012, Michael
explained why he chose to spend his career in partnership with CCR: “I
believed then and I still believe today, that it is the place that will
change the world. I am as excited to walk into the Center today as I was
that first day. And I still believe it is the place that will change the
world.”
Jules Lobel, CCR’s Board President and frequent CCR co-counsel with
Michael,
shared “Michael was the moral and political compass for me and CCR. He was
the spirit of the Center: his approach to litigation and working with
communities, his fortitude in waging long running campaigns, and the values
he held dear. These will outlive him and continue to impact CCR’s work for
generations.”
Michael had the vision to see things on the horizon—things that others
barely glimpsed, often dismissed, or were convinced simply didn’t exist.
From his work at CCR challenging US imperialism and oppression through
policies of brutal militarism from Central America, Iraq and at home,
Michael stood for peaceful conflict resolution and accountability for the
inevitable abuse that accompanies the use of force. He never shied away
from
a fight, no matter the odds; indeed, it is likely he specifically selected
the cases with the longest odds. After all, those involved in these cases
were most in need of solidarity, support and a legal ally. This was obvious
in the years he spent dedicated to exposing conditions facing Palestinians
in Gaza and the West Bank and advocating for adherence to international law
and recognition of their human rights.
Katherine Franke, CCR’s Board Chair, reflects on the legacy that Michael
has
left us with:
“He was among the most visionary lawyers of our generation, holding the
U.S.
government accountable when it went to war illegally, tortured its
citizens,
withheld state secrets, limited the rights of a free press, persecuted
political dissidents and in countless other contexts. There has hardly been
a progressive social movement in the last 45 years that Michael hasn’t been
part of, contributing his phenomenally creative and cutting edge legal
mind.
All of us who treasure freedom and oppose oppressive state violence owe a
debt of gratitude to Michael Ratner.”
Michael’s special gift was his ability to turn an urgent problem into a
meaningful, hard-hitting lawsuit. He sometimes won in court, but he always
won in the court of public opinion; even if it took the rest of the world a
decade to get there. Among his many iconic wins was gaining freedom for
HIV+
Haitians held at Guantánamo Bay in 1993. This experience prepared him to
recognize what was at stake when the first men were transferred to
Guantánamo in 2001—he knew that this was an attempt to place them beyond
the
reach of the law, the courts, reporters or lawyers. Within months of the
9/11 attacks Michael had made a compelling case for why CCR, alone among
U.S. organizations, and at the great risk of losing support, should take up
the challenge to these detentions.
No target was too daunting; Michael went after dictators, torturers,
corporations, and the military, and he challenged the impunity of
government
officials everywhere. Famously antiwar, he represented members of Congress
three times over two decades in challenges to executive war making, and he
represented solidarity activists who fought for peace. He fought in
domestic
and international legal forums for the victims of U.S. oppression in
Central
America, to end the illegal U.S. blockade of Cuba, and for independence for
Puerto Rico. Most recently, he represented journalist Julian Assange and
WikiLeaks in support of whistleblowers who expose abuses and provide access
to information; two things a democracy needs to be both morally accountable
and functional.
Michael dedicated his life to the most important justice causes of the last
half century. He was the second wave of people’s lawyers at CCR, its first
Legal Director, and longtime Board Member and Board President; and as such
helped shape the course of the work for four decades. He is survived by the
legacy he created at CCR. We were undeservedly fortunate to have had so
much
of Michael’s vision, time and leadership over these many years. We send his
wife Karen Ranucci, and children Jake and Ana, and the rest of his
close-knit family a heartfelt embrace from the entire CCR family.
We close with Michael’s words: “There is not the same sense of strength in
struggle that you can change things, not as there was in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
You get to the point where you have a very conservative government and you
feel like you are only a flickering light. But we have to keep the light
lit.”
We will keep the light lit for you Michael.
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