To the Editor:

Frank Palmeri wrote about three books that changed his life [“Three books that changed my life and have relevance today warn us not to be apathetic,” The Altamont Enterprise, April 24, 2025]. There are bits of insight in many books I read that impact my life.

I recently read the biography, “Clarence Darrow for the Defense,” by Irving Stone. Darrow was a lawyer who spent his whole life defending the poor, the oppressed, the downtrodden.

Against great odds and to the detriment of his health, he fought against big business running the country. In his day, it was the railroads, the mining companies, and other manufacturers. The owners were paying the workers less than living wages while they got rich. They were taking over the government and trying to force their beliefs on others.

Sound familiar?

Darrow was a constant and wide-ranging reader of cultures and the human condition He lectured and debated on many subjects. His defense speeches in court were long, eloquent, and ever a plea for tolerance and understanding.

After a lifetime of experiences and diligent study, Darrow reached a conclusion that had an impact on me. He said that Americans tend to forget that, as long as mankind inhabits the Earth, there will always be people with an agenda who use means “no matter how cruel, stupid, viscous, or destructive” to get their way, their power.

History repeats.

I always hope mankind will improve, is improving. But still it seems that “constant vigilance” is needed as Professor Moody tells his students in his Defence Against the Dark Arts class in the book “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” by J.K. Rowling.

Lila Hollister Smith

Westerlo