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Qin Gao · Jia Zhou (Eds.)
Human Aspects of IT
for the Aged Population
LNCS 12207
Technologies, Design
and User Experience
6th International Conference, ITAP 2020
Held as Part of the 22nd HCI International Conference, HCII 2020
Copenhagen, Denmark, July 19–24, 2020, Proceedings, Part I
Lecture Notes in Computer Science 12207
Founding Editors
Gerhard Goos
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
Juris Hartmanis
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
Human Aspects of IT
for the Aged Population
Technologies, Design
and User Experience
6th International Conference, ITAP 2020
Held as Part of the 22nd HCI International Conference, HCII 2020
Copenhagen, Denmark, July 19–24, 2020
Proceedings, Part I
123
Editors
Qin Gao Jia Zhou
Tsinghua University Chongqing University
Beijing, China Chongqing, China
This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Foreword
Thematic areas:
• HCI 2020: Human-Computer Interaction
• HIMI 2020: Human Interface and the Management of Information
Affiliated conferences:
• EPCE: 17th International Conference on Engineering Psychology and Cognitive
Ergonomics
• UAHCI: 14th International Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer
Interaction
• VAMR: 12th International Conference on Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality
• CCD: 12th International Conference on Cross-Cultural Design
• SCSM: 12th International Conference on Social Computing and Social Media
• AC: 14th International Conference on Augmented Cognition
• DHM: 11th International Conference on Digital Human Modeling and Applications
in Health, Safety, Ergonomics and Risk Management
• DUXU: 9th International Conference on Design, User Experience and Usability
• DAPI: 8th International Conference on Distributed, Ambient and Pervasive
Interactions
• HCIBGO: 7th International Conference on HCI in Business, Government and
Organizations
• LCT: 7th International Conference on Learning and Collaboration Technologies
• ITAP: 6th International Conference on Human Aspects of IT for the Aged
Population
• HCI-CPT: Second International Conference on HCI for Cybersecurity, Privacy and
Trust
• HCI-Games: Second International Conference on HCI in Games
• MobiTAS: Second International Conference on HCI in Mobility, Transport and
Automotive Systems
• AIS: Second International Conference on Adaptive Instructional Systems
• C&C: 8th International Conference on Culture and Computing
• MOBILE: First International Conference on Design, Operation and Evaluation of
Mobile Communications
• AI-HCI: First International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in HCI
Conference Proceedings Volumes Full List
1. LNCS 12181, Human-Computer Interaction: Design and User Experience (Part I),
edited by Masaaki Kurosu
2. LNCS 12182, Human-Computer Interaction: Multimodal and Natural Interaction
(Part II), edited by Masaaki Kurosu
3. LNCS 12183, Human-Computer Interaction: Human Values and Quality of Life
(Part III), edited by Masaaki Kurosu
4. LNCS 12184, Human Interface and the Management of Information: Designing
Information (Part I), edited by Sakae Yamamoto and Hirohiko Mori
5. LNCS 12185, Human Interface and the Management of Information: Interacting
with Information (Part II), edited by Sakae Yamamoto and Hirohiko Mori
6. LNAI 12186, Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics: Mental
Workload, Human Physiology, and Human Energy (Part I), edited by Don Harris
and Wen-Chin Li
7. LNAI 12187, Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics: Cognition and
Design (Part II), edited by Don Harris and Wen-Chin Li
8. LNCS 12188, Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: Design
Approaches and Supporting Technologies (Part I), edited by Margherita Antona
and Constantine Stephanidis
9. LNCS 12189, Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: Applications and
Practice (Part II), edited by Margherita Antona and Constantine Stephanidis
10. LNCS 12190, Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality: Design and Interaction
(Part I), edited by Jessie Y. C. Chen and Gino Fragomeni
11. LNCS 12191, Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality: Industrial and Everyday
Life Applications (Part II), edited by Jessie Y. C. Chen and Gino Fragomeni
12. LNCS 12192, Cross-Cultural Design: User Experience of Products, Services, and
Intelligent Environments (Part I), edited by P. L. Patrick Rau
13. LNCS 12193, Cross-Cultural Design: Applications in Health, Learning,
Communication, and Creativity (Part II), edited by P. L. Patrick Rau
14. LNCS 12194, Social Computing and Social Media: Design, Ethics, User Behavior,
and Social Network Analysis (Part I), edited by Gabriele Meiselwitz
15. LNCS 12195, Social Computing and Social Media: Participation, User Experience,
Consumer Experience, and Applications of Social Computing (Part II), edited by
Gabriele Meiselwitz
16. LNAI 12196, Augmented Cognition: Theoretical and Technological Approaches
(Part I), edited by Dylan D. Schmorrow and Cali M. Fidopiastis
17. LNAI 12197, Augmented Cognition: Human Cognition and Behaviour (Part II),
edited by Dylan D. Schmorrow and Cali M. Fidopiastis
x Conference Proceedings Volumes Full List
18. LNCS 12198, Digital Human Modeling and Applications in Health, Safety,
Ergonomics and Risk Management: Posture, Motion and Health (Part I), edited
by Vincent G. Duffy
19. LNCS 12199, Digital Human Modeling and Applications in Health, Safety,
Ergonomics and Risk Management: Human Communication, Organization and
Work (Part II), edited by Vincent G. Duffy
20. LNCS 12200, Design, User Experience, and Usability: Interaction Design (Part I),
edited by Aaron Marcus and Elizabeth Rosenzweig
21. LNCS 12201, Design, User Experience, and Usability: Design for Contemporary
Interactive Environments (Part II), edited by Aaron Marcus and Elizabeth
Rosenzweig
22. LNCS 12202, Design, User Experience, and Usability: Case Studies in Public and
Personal Interactive Systems (Part III), edited by Aaron Marcus and Elizabeth
Rosenzweig
23. LNCS 12203, Distributed, Ambient and Pervasive Interactions, edited by Norbert
Streitz and Shin’ichi Konomi
24. LNCS 12204, HCI in Business, Government and Organizations, edited by Fiona
Fui-Hoon Nah and Keng Siau
25. LNCS 12205, Learning and Collaboration Technologies: Designing, Developing
and Deploying Learning Experiences (Part I), edited by Panayiotis Zaphiris and
Andri Ioannou
26. LNCS 12206, Learning and Collaboration Technologies: Human and Technology
Ecosystems (Part II), edited by Panayiotis Zaphiris and Andri Ioannou
27. LNCS 12207, Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population: Technologies,
Design and User Experience (Part I), edited by Qin Gao and Jia Zhou
28. LNCS 12208, Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population: Healthy and Active
Aging (Part II), edited by Qin Gao and Jia Zhou
29. LNCS 12209, Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population: Technology and
Society (Part III), edited by Qin Gao and Jia Zhou
30. LNCS 12210, HCI for Cybersecurity, Privacy and Trust, edited by Abbas Moallem
31. LNCS 12211, HCI in Games, edited by Xiaowen Fang
32. LNCS 12212, HCI in Mobility, Transport and Automotive Systems: Automated
Driving and In-Vehicle Experience Design (Part I), edited by Heidi Krömker
33. LNCS 12213, HCI in Mobility, Transport and Automotive Systems: Driving
Behavior, Urban and Smart Mobility (Part II), edited by Heidi Krömker
34. LNCS 12214, Adaptive Instructional Systems, edited by Robert A. Sottilare and
Jessica Schwarz
35. LNCS 12215, Culture and Computing, edited by Matthias Rauterberg
36. LNCS 12216, Design, Operation and Evaluation of Mobile Communications,
edited by Gavriel Salvendy and June Wei
37. LNCS 12217, Artificial Intelligence in HCI, edited by Helmut Degen and Lauren
Reinerman-Jones
Conference Proceedings Volumes Full List xi
38. CCIS 1224, HCI International 2020 Posters - Part I, edited by Constantine
Stephanidis and Margherita Antona
39. CCIS 1225, HCI International 2020 Posters - Part II, edited by Constantine
Stephanidis and Margherita Antona
40. CCIS 1226, HCI International 2020 Posters - Part III, edited by Constantine
Stephanidis and Margherita Antona
http://2020.hci.international/proceedings
6th International Conference on Human Aspects
of IT for the Aged Population (ITAP 2020)
The full list with the Program Board Chairs and the members of the Program Boards of
all thematic areas and affiliated conferences is available online at:
http://www.hci.international/board-members-2020.php
HCI International 2021
The 23rd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCI International
2021 (HCII 2021), will be held jointly with the affiliated conferences in
Washington DC, USA, at the Washington Hilton Hotel, July 24–29, 2021. It will
cover a broad spectrum of themes related to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI),
including theoretical issues, methods, tools, processes, and case studies in HCI design,
as well as novel interaction techniques, interfaces, and applications. The proceedings
will be published by Springer. More information will be available on the conference
website: http://2021.hci.international/.
General Chair
Prof. Constantine Stephanidis
University of Crete and ICS-FORTH
Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Email: general_chair@hcii2021.org
http://2021.hci.international/
Contents – Part I
Assessing Alternative Text Presentation and Tablet Device Usage for Low
Vision Leisure Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Erin Gannon, Laura Walker, Alex Chaparro, and Barbara S. Chaparro
Contents – Part I xix
Smartwatch Use Among Older Adults: Findings from Two Large Surveys . . . 372
Alexander Seifert
Aging in Place
Internet Use and Loneliness Among Older Adults: The Moderating Role
of Self-perceptions of Ageing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Wenqian Xu and Hanna Köttl
Abstract. The literature is consensual when it tells us that the choice of the inter-
generational approach brings significant advantages, both for the youngest, the
oldest and even for the technological products under development. Given this
reality, this article describes some of the intergenerational workshops developed
within the ViseuInterAgeStories Project (VIAS), although with a special focus on
the participation of the elderly. VIAS promotes collaboration between children
and the elderly in the creation of georeferenced stories in a mobile application
while touring places of culture, heritage and a natural interest in the city of Viseu.
To do so, they can publish local images, texts or audios or access stories already
shared by other users, creating a city identity network. The project followed a
Participatory Design approach, involving children and older adults during inter-
generational dynamics and practices and to co-design the app. The results reveal
the appreciation of the city’s history by the seniors and the importance of thematic
categorization in the organization of the mobile application. Thus the App inte-
grates georeferenced historical information. Even assuming difficulties in using
the technology, participants built meaningful ideas of what they wanted and could
get from it. Intergenerational experience and the co-design process have revealed
positive implications for self-esteem and satisfaction among older people.
1 Introduction
The known contribution of the economic, social and health evolution, as well as the
marked tendencies of the aging population [1, 2], contextualize the challenges that
increased longevity entails and justify the emergence of programs and studies aimed
at the promotion of active aging.
Focused on individual development, the concept of active aging was adopted by
the World Health Organization in the late 1990s and privileges the continued social,
economic, cultural, spiritual and civic participation of older adults within the community,
as opposed to the mere ability to be physically active or to participate vigorously in the
labor market [3].
In this sense, active aging appears not only as a challenge, but as an opportunity for
society as a whole. It demands accountability and the participation of all, fighting against
exclusion and discrimination and, according to Carrilho and Craveiro [4], in promoting
solidarity between generations. Society has a responsibility to design different, safe
and accessible social spaces, as well as to ensure and promote civic participation of
the elderly. This promotion of social solidarity, voluntary life, and civic action is the
collective’s responsibility as well as the individual’s duty and right. In turn, social support
networks and the existence of meaningful relationships involve affective and solidary
investment and come as decisive capital throughout life and aging [5].
The increase in life expectancy will lead to greater opportunities for social interac-
tion between generations. This opens the way for the innovative creation of services and
products that respond to the new needs, by integrating the elderly population within soci-
ety and valuing their life experiences. Intergenerational practices emerge as beneficial
experiences, not only for the elderly, but also for children and young people, manifested
in the transmission of knowledge and greater social cohesion [6].
ViseuInterAgeStories (VIAS) Project, presented in this paper, is an example of an
initiative whose goal is to promote intergenerational practices, in order “to develop a
greater sense of belonging to a certain community and to support healthier and more
inclusive lifestyles” [7: 2]. Although we have used intergenerational workshops, this
paper focuses, specifically, on the results of older adults’ participation.
With this context in mind, increasing relevance is being given to intergenerational pro-
grams mediated by technology, as demographic trends go hand in hand with the rapid
introduction of technologies in the most diverse sectors of our society.
One example of practices, involving older and younger participants, is the “Engaging
Generations Program” [8], developed at a New England public university and inspired by
the documentary “Cyber-Seniors”. This documentary highlighted a program developed
in Canada, where high school students taught seniors how to use technology, and used
a number of interesting moments, such as seniors chatting via video calls or making
new friends online. Younger participants underlined how the program helped break
stereotypes, not only about older people, but also about their ability to learn to use
technology.
In the “Engaging Generations Program”, students worked closely with the elderly
in order to teach them how to use technology. In return, students got to acquire some
teaching skills. The analysis of the program showed that, in fact, there was an improve-
ment in the attitude of students towards aging and an increasing interest by the elderly on
technology. Results showed that the most effective intergenerational practices included
“multiple meetings with the same pair as means to deepen friendships, in-person train-
ing for student leaders, student responsibility for scheduling, tailoring sessions for each
participant, student documentation of meetings, and active involvement by community
partners” [8: 1].
“Nobits - Nostalgia Bits” is a particularly interesting initiative as it bears conceptual
similarities with the VIAS project. Nobits has developed and evaluated an online mem-
ory platform, by establishing a meeting place for different generations where users of
different ages share and (re)create personal narratives and memories [9]. Given all the
Older Adults’ Participation in VIAS’ Mobile App Design 5
characteristics and peculiarities of the different audiences, the usability of the portal has
been a major concern since the beginning of its conceptualization.
The portal’s assessment was divided into two phases and involved 220 participants:
44 older adults and 176 children. In the first phase, the usability of the site was evaluated
in a sample of older adults’ participants. In the second phase, the effectiveness of online
reminiscence was tested against a control condition in which the elderly shared their
memories with children without the support of technology. The main dependent measures
included self-esteem, loneliness and pleasure/involvement with activities (flow).
During the phases in which reminiscence and usability effectiveness were evaluated,
usability showed positive results. However, the use of the platform did not significantly
improve the effects of intergenerational reminiscence.
Another example is the “Grandparents and Grandchildren Keep in Touch”
(GRANKIT), a European project co-funded by the EU Lifelong Learning Program under
Grundtvig Multilateral initiatives, which seeks to bridge the gap between older people
and the use of technology, by using intergenerational practices [10]. GRANKIT’s main
goal is to promote active citizenship, regardless of age, and to explore the relationship
of first and third generation reuniting seniors (grandparents) with their grandchildren
through basic Information and Communication Technologies’ (ICT) education courses.
This project involved participants from four countries: Cyprus, Germany, Greece and
Romania.
As a result, older participants acquired basic ICT skills - accessing the electronic
world for information, communication and lifelong learning opportunities - and found
more opportunities to spend time profitably with their children and grandchildren. In
turn, younger participants the opportunity to take on the teacher’s role and transfer their
ICT knowledge to their grandparents while simultaneously getting to know them better.
Mix@Age [11] is a European Project conducted in Austria, Belgium, Germany,
Scotland and Slovenia. The intergenerational workshops were developed in arts institu-
tions, museums and community settings and combined arts and new media such as iPod
movies, audio guides for a museum, art blogs, Tagtool performances, digital music and
photography. Regardless of educational background, the main goal was to explore the
potential of older people and to share their experiences and social skills, as well as to
recognize and learn about young people’s skills and perceptions.
Although these activities focused mainly on art and on the development and use
of creativity, participants have collaterally developed digital skills by using day-to-day
technology, such as mobile phones and tablets, as an artistic tool.
We can see some successful intergenerational programs using technology as process-
facilitating tools, but it is important to develop further studies that reflect on the roles of
technology in promoting daily intergenerational moments in older people’s lives.
Understanding users and user-centered designs has been the main goal since the
beginning of HCI. However, the panoply of interaction design approaches calls upon
different end-user roles, from simple testers or informants to full and engaged partners
in the process design [14–16]. Nowadays, the complex interaction design context clearly
calls for the active participation of end users throughout the design process. Contem-
porary HCI must acknowledge that technology is now embedded and used in our daily
lives, and, in this context, design activities in the laboratory and in controlled situations
are moving into the wild, valuing in-situ development and engagement in significant con-
texts with the end-users, seeking to understand new technology interventions in everyday
living [17].
Participatory Design approaches explicitly engage end-users in the design process,
and should be centered on mutual learning, fostering interaction practices for users and
developers to explore possible and useful technological solutions. Mutual learning is
supported by embedding the design process in participants’ practices, allowing them to
explore and experience how emerging designs can affect their lives, which gives them
the conditions to construct their own meanings about technology [18].
Participatory Designs value democratic practices as well as the idea of equal part-
nership between designers and users [19]. More recently, several authors have argued
about the need for rethinking how we conduct Participatory Design in order to fulfill
democratic issues. They advocate more attention to the values involved in Participa-
tory Design projects [20]. Focusing on participants’ values could be the key to support
them through the discovery of meaningful alternatives while they explicitly feel, their
influence over the design process, leading to products shaped to fulfill their visions and
values [8]. Several methods and techniques, such as workshops, design games, or paper
mockups, can help the participants see how emerging designs affect their lives, while
making the development of better digital products more noticeable.
When it comes to older adults there is a widespread tendency to underestimate their
abilities. This trend widens when dealing with technology. Undoubtedly older adults
experience more accessibility challenges in using technologies than younger people, in
consequence of their aging process, health constraints and digital exclusion [21]. It is
also true that technology is of great help to the elderly population with increasingly
sophisticated assistive, adaptive and rehabilitative devices.
However, the focus on health issues, whether physical or cognitive decline, leads to
an extremely reductive approach to technology and elderly relationships. Older adults are
a highly diverse demographic, and in HCI field one must consider not only their assistive
needs, but also the characteristics of their life stage, including the generational perspec-
tives about their social context and the experiences lived while facing technologies,
seizing what they can give back to society and their communities.
Societal challenges related to health, demographic change and wellbeing encourage
real Participatory Design approaches with older adults. For older adults to find value in
digital technologies they need to be designed in ways that support the full diversity of
their life experiences, bodies, and skill sets [22]. In this way, active participation and the
centrality of mutual learning are unavoidable ingredients for the design process.
Older Adults’ Participation in VIAS’ Mobile App Design 7
3 Aims
VIAS’ main goal is to develop a mobile application that allows both children and the
elderly to create stories about the city of Viseu while walking and interacting with
historical, cultural, and natural places. Through this process, we intend to add multimedia
layers of georeferenced stories developing a greater sense of belonging to a certain
community and supporting healthier and more inclusive lifestyles for children and older
adults.
In this paper, we present and discuss the importance of elderly participation in the
design process and their real contribution to the app development. We also present and
discuss the possible impacts that this participation may have on the elderly, namely in
the appropriation on the use of technologies and in the value and importance of their
role in the process, affecting their self-esteem and fulfillment.
4 Methodology
VIAS | ViseuInterAgeStories project follows a Participatory Design approach. For over
a year we have invited a group of children and older adults to participate in exploratory
workshops destined to develop and co-design a collaborative intergenerational app that
helps to create stories about significant locals of their city (Viseu). Through these activ-
ities, urban spaces become “places”, while participants’ reminiscences, meanings and
re (meanings) are deposited in multimedia formats across the urban space.
We ran a total of six intergenerational workshops, counting with the participation
of children, older adults, facilitators and designers. Elder participants were recruited in
the Senior University of Viseu, which means they are active older adults, and children
through professional connections, namely family of workers from the IPV and word-of-
mouth.
The workshops took place in a significant context, some of them touring around the
Viseu city and others within a specific area. We valued intragenerational dialogues, while
participants explored a set of technological devices, such as mobile phones and tablets,
combined with bags filled with a wide variety of art craft materials used to represent
their ideas.
In the workshops, we mobilized several methods to collect data: participant observa-
tion; a questionnaire about the use of digital devices in participants’ daily routines and
about their digital skills; an open-ended questionnaire about what participants learned
and taught to the other generation during the activity; focus-group.
87. Da quel giorno, sono passati tre secoli di dominio dell’Uomo, e oggi
calpestiamo le vie e abitiamo le città edificate dagli oligarchi. È vero che
abbiamo continuato a costruire, ma le città degli oligarchi sussistono; io
scrivo queste righe, in Ardis, una dalla più belle fra tutte.
89. Alberto Pocock, altro Farley, godeva, in quei lontani tempi, della stessa
notorietà; e fino alla morte riuscì a tenere soggetti tutti i minatori dal
Paese. Suo figlio, Levis Pocock, gli successe, e durante cinque
generazioni, il rinomato lignaggio del guardiaciurma ebbe la supremazia
sulle miniere di carbone. Pocock, il vecchio, conosciuto col nome di
Pocock Iº, è stato dipinto così: «Una testa lunga e sottile, mezzo
circondata da una frangia di capelli scuri e grigi, con zigomi salienti e un
grosso mento... Colorito pallido, occhi grigi senza splendore, voce
metallica, e un atteggiamento languido.» Era nato da genitori poveri e
aveva cominciato la sua carriera come garzone di bar. Divenne in
seguito poliziotto privato al servizio di una corporazione di tranvieri e al
trasformò a poco a poco in crumiro di professione.
Pocock Vº, l’ultimo della casata, morì in una camera, per lo scoppio di
una bomba durante una rivolta di minatori sul territorio indiano. Questo
avvenimento ebbe luogo nel 2073 dopo Gesù Cristo.
90. Quei gruppi di azione furono modellati in genere sul tipo delle
organizzazioni consimili della Rivoluzione Russa, e, nonostante gli sforzi
incessanti del Tallone di Ferro, durarono tre secoli, per tutto il periodo di
dominio del Tallone stesso. Composti di uomini e di donne ispirati da
propositi sublimi, e impavidi davanti alla morte, i Gruppi di
Combattimento esercitarono una prodigiosa influenza e moderarono la
brutalità dei governanti. La loro opera non si limitò a una guerra invisibile
contro gli agenti dell’oligarchìa. Gli oligarchi stessi e spesso, persino i
sottocapi degli oligarchi, ufficiali dell’esercito e capi delle caste operaie,
furono obbligati a prendere in considerazione i decreti dei Gruppi.
Le sentenze di questi rivendicatori organizzati erano conformi alla più
rigorosa giustizia; e soprattutto notevole era la loro procedura senza
passione e perfettamente giuridica. Non c’erano giudizi improvvisati.
Quando un uomo era preso, lo si giudicava lealmente e gli si lasciava la
possibilità di difendersi. Necessariamente, molti furono processati e
condannati per procura, come nel caso del generale Lampton, nel 2138
dopo G. C. Questi era forse il più sanguinario e il più crudele dei
mercenarii dell’oligarchia. Fu informato dai Gruppi di Combattimento che
era stato giudicato, riconosciuto colpevole e condannato a morte; e
questo avvertimento gli venne dato dopo di averlo tre volte esortato a
cessare dal trattare ferocemente il proletariato. Dopo questa condanna,
Lampton si circondò d’ogni mezzo di protezione, e, per anni ed anni i
Gruppi di Combattimento si sforzarono invano di eseguire la loro
sentenza. Molti compagni, uomini e donne, fallirono successivamente
nei loro tentativi e furono crudelmente condannati dall’oligarchia. Perciò
fu rimessa in vigore la crocifissione come mezzo di esecuzione legale.
Ma alla fine il condannato trovò il suo boia nella persona di una
giovinetta di diciassette anni, Maddalena Provence, che per ottenere il
suo scopo, serviva da due anni nel palazzo, come guardarobiera. Essa
morì dopo torture orribili e prolungate, in una cella. Ma oggi la sua statua
di bronzo sorge sul Pantheon della Fratellanza, nella meravigliosa Città
di Serles.
Noi che, per esperienza personale, non sappiamo che cosa sia un
omicidio, non dobbiamo giudicare troppo severamente gli eroi dei
Gruppi di Combattimento. Essi hanno dato la loro vita per l’umanità; per
la quale nessun sacrificio sembrava troppo grande. E, d’altra parte, una
necessità inesorabile li obbligava a dare al loro sentimento una forma
sanguinosa, in un’epoca sanguinaria. I Gruppi di Combattimento furono
l’unica freccia nel fianco che il Tallone di Ferro non potè mai estirparsi. A
Everhard spetta la paternità di questo strano esercito. I suoi successi e
la sua resistenza, durante trecento anni, mostrano la saggezza con la
quale egli organizzò, e la solidarietà della fondazione legata da lui ai
costruttori avvenire. Da certi punti di vista, questa organizzazione può
essere considerata come la sua opera principale, a parte il grande
valore dei suoi lavori economici e sociali e le sue gesta di capo supremo
della Rivoluzione.
91. Condizioni simili si osservano in India, nel secolo XIX, sotto il dominio
britannico. Gli indigeni morivano di fame a milioni, mentre i loro padroni
li privavano del frutto del lavoro e lo spendevano in cerimonie e cortei
feticisti. Non possiamo non vergognarci, in questo secolo di lumi, della
condotta dei nostri antenati, e dobbiamo limitarci a pensare
filosoficamente che nell’evoluzione sociale lo stadio capitalistico sia,
pressa poco, come l’età scimmiesca all’epoca dell’evoluzione animale.
L’Umanità doveva superare quei periodi per uscire dal fango degli
organismi inferiori; e le era naturalmente difficile liberarsi interamente di
quella viscida feccia.
93. Persuasa che le sue memorie sarebbero state lette, nel suo tempo, Avis
Everhard ha tralasciato il risultato del processo per alto tradimento. Ci
sono nel manoscritto molte altre lacune del genere. Cinquantadue
membri socialisti del Congresso, furono giudicati e ritenuti colpevoli.
Cosa strana, però: nessuno fu condannato a morte. Everhard e undici
altri, fra cui Teodoro Donnelson e Matthew Kent, furono condannati al
carcere a vita.
Gli altri quaranta furono condannati, chi a trenta, chi a quarantacinque
anni; e Arturo Simpton, che il manoscritto dice ammalato di tifoidea al
momento dell’esplosione, non ebbe che quindici anni di carcere.
Secondo la tradizione, fu lasciato morire di fame nella sua cella per
punirlo della sua intransigenza ostinata, e del suo odio ardente ed
assoluto contro tutti i servi del dispotismo. Morì a Cabanas, nell’Isola di
Cuba, dove tre altri de’ suoi compagni erano detenuti. I cinquantadue
socialisti del Congresso furono rinchiusi nelle fortezze militari sparse sul
territorio degli Stati Uniti: così, Dubois e Woods furono rinchiusi a Porto
Rico; Everhard e Merryweather nell’isola di Alcatraz, nella baia di San
Francisco, che da molto tempo serviva da prigione militare.
96. Pullman, si chiamavano così le vetture più lussuose dei treni di quel
tempo, dal nome del loro inventore.
102. Queste sparizioni erano uno degli orrori dell’epoca. Di esse si parla
continuamente, nelle canzoni e nelle storie. Erano un risultato inevitabile
della guerra insidiosa che infuriò durante quei tre secoli. La cosa era
però frequente anche presso gli oligarchi e le classi operaie. Senza
preavviso, senza chiasso, uomini, donne e bambini sparivano; non si
rivedevano più, e la loro fine rimaneva avvolta nel mistero.
105. Solo dopo la sconfitta della seconda rivolta, il gruppo dei Rossi di San
Francisco ricominciò a prosperare; e per due generazioni fu fiorente.
Allora un agente del Tallone di Ferro riuscì a farsi ammettere in esso e a
penetrarne tutti i segreti, conducendolo così alla fatale distruzione. Ciò
accadde nel 2002. I membri del Gruppo furono giustiziati, ad uno ad
uno, a tre settimane d’intervallo, e i loro cadaveri furono esposti nel
Ghetto del Lavoro di San Francisco.
106. Il rifugio di Benton Harbour era una catacomba la cui entrata era
abilmente dissimulata da un pozzo. È stata conservata in buono stato;
così che i visitatori possono attualmente percorrere il labirinto dei
corridoi fino alla sala delle riunioni, dove certamente avvenne la scena
descritta da Avis Everhard. Più oltre, sono le celle dove erano tenuti i
prigionieri, e la camera mortuaria dove avevano lungo le esecuzioni; più
lontano ancora, il cimitero: un insieme di lunghe e tortuose gallerie
scavate nella roccia, aventi, a ogni lato, nicchie dove riposano i
Rivoluzionari ivi deposti dai loro compagni, da tanti anni ormai.
117. Nome del treno reputato, a quell’epoca, il più rapido del mondo.
120. Molte case resistettero più di una settimana: una di esse resistette
undici giorni. Ogni casa fu presa d’assalto come un forte, e i Mercenarî
furono obbligati ad attaccare piano per piano. Fu una lotta micidiale.
Non si chiedeva nè si concedeva tregua. In quel genere di
combattimento, i rivoluzionarii avevano il vantaggio di essere in alto.
Furono alla fine distrutti, ma a prezzo di forti perdite. Il fiero proletariato
di Chicago si mostrò degno della sua antica reputazione. Tanti morti
ebbe, altrettanti nemici uccise.
121. Gli annali di questo intermezzo di sconforto furono scritti col sangue. La
vendetta era il motivo dominante; i membri delle organizzazioni terroriste
non si preoccupavano punto della loro vita e non sapevano nulla
dell’avvenire. I Danites, ch’ebbero nome dagli angeli vendicatori della
Mitologia dei Mormoni, e origini nelle montagne del Great West, si
sparsero lungo tutta la costa del Pacifico, dal Panama all’Alaska. Le
Valchirie erano una organizzazione di donne, e la più terribile di tutte.
Non era ammessa nell’organizzazione se non colei che avesse avuto
parenti prossimi assassinati dall’Oligarchia. Avevano la crudeltà di
torturare i loro prigionieri fino alla morte. Un’altra famosa organizzazione
femminile era quella delle Vedove di Guerra. I Berserkers (guerrieri
invulnerabili della mitologia scandinava) formavano un gruppo affine a
quello delle Valchirie, composto di uomini che non davano importanza
alla vita. Furono essi a distruggere completamente la città dei Mercenarî
chiamata Bellona, con una popolazione di più di centomila anime. I
Bedlamiti e i Helldamiti erano associazioni gemelle di schiavi. Una
nuova setta religiosa, che non prosperò a lungo, si chiamava «Lo
sdegno di Dio». Questi gruppi di gente terribilmente seria, avevano i
nomi più fantastici; fra gli altri: «I cuori sanguinanti»; «I figli dell’alba»;
«Le stelle mattutine»; «I fenicotteri»; «I tre triangoli»; «Le tre Barre»; «I
Rubonici»; «I Vendicatori»; «Gli Apaches» e gli «Erebusiti».
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