Dear friends,
Perhaps many of you have already heard that Daniel “Boone” Schirmer, 91,
died peacefully in the presence of his family last April 21. A memorial is
tentatively planned for Saturday, June 17 in Boston.
Boone, as he was known to his friends, was a towering figure in the struggle
against U.S. military and political support for the Marcos dictatorship. To
say that Boone was a scholar, historian, and author barely scratches the
surface. He devoted so many years of his life in Philippine solidarity work,
and for that we are grateful. Boone was a fearless voice when many were
intimidated by the brutality of martial law. He was a voice of hope when
many were demoralized. He was a mentor and inspiration to many young
activists who have since carried on his work for social justice and against
U.S. imperialism and war.
Many will remember him for his books (Republic or Empire, The Philippines
Reader), his scholarship, his writings, his cogent analyses of U.S.
policies. Others will remember him as a impassioned speaker who could move
an audience to action. Many who marched with him will remember his
indefatigable spirit. But some of us will remember him as a gentle soul, a
loving husband to Peggy, a generous and caring human being. We cannot help
but mourn his passing. But in today’s world of U.S. wars, corporate greed,
environmental destruction, and injustice, we also know what Boone would say:
Don’t mourn, organize!
I plan to attend the memorial and I hope many others can join me in Boston
to honor this great man.
Jorge Emmanuel
Dear All,
The passing of Boone Schirmer feels like the end of an era. Boone was there with us through thick and thin in the struggle against Marcos and the US. The source of his remarkable determination was his belief that the US could never be a truly democratic country if it remained an empire. The title of his classic book REPUBLIC OR EMPIRE said it all.
It was a privilege to be able to work with him and be touched by that anger against empire as well as his many other great qualities, like generosity and a great sense of humor that went along with his fierce hatred of US intervention.
The post-Marcos era did not turn out as Boone would have wanted. The old corrupt elites are back in the saddle. The military kills with impunity. And the US practically calls the shots in Mindanao and Sulu. But if he were still active and alive, we know what Boone would have done. He would have told us to go back to the drawing board and get to work and get rid of the rascals.
Walden Bello