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MARIO SAVIO

by Mary Moore

"When we get to the other side
 We're going to leave this world behind
 We're going to put on our wings and fly
 Join our voices across the sky"
   Cherokee, by Rita Cooledge


	On November 6, the family of Mario Savio had to make the agonizing decisionto end life support for him.
He was stricken with a massive heart attack on Nov 2 while moving furniture. For almost 40 minutes there
was very little oxygen to his brain and he never regained consciousness. His death came one day after his
fellow Californians passed Prop. 209, an initiative that he strongly spoke out against just as he had spoken
out in 1994 against 187.
	Because he is so identified with the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley in 1964, allot of people don't
realize that his main passion was for the basic justice issues of eliminating racism, sexism and classism. He
was a Freedom Rider in the South long before 1964 and the reason that the Free Speech movement
began was because the students were attempting to pass out flyers about the civil rights movement. If the
administration (classic liberal, Clark Kerr) and the Board of Regents had any sense, they would have let
them do that. By trying to stop the students they created their own P.R. monster which took on a life of its
own. Mario was swept up in the Free Speech movement and became a movement icon because of that but
his motivation was the basic justice issues.
	He moved to Sonoma county about three years ago and at first tried to stay in the background. Finally he
could stand the foolishness no longer. He once told me that it was his young son that helped him make the
decision to do his duty and go public again this time against Prop 187. He began organizing again at S.S.U.
where he taught. It was a reluctant participation.
Mario, you are missed. By nature you were a shy person, so it wasn't easy being an icon of the 60's and you
never tried to push it. In fact, you shied away from the spotlight because you knew that the media would
focus on you and not on the issue. You did what you had to do because it was the right thing to do. You will
not be forgotten.
	Donations may be sent in Mario's name to: Savio Family Fund, c/o ILE, Sonoma State University, Rohnert
Park, Ca. 94928

A SPECIAL MEMORIAL TO MARIO WAS HELD AT S.S.U. ON DECEMBER 5 AT 2:30. 

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