Monday, May 28, 2007

Letter to Vietnam Soldiers

Dear Men and Women,
Many people were first hesitant about making a memorial for your very selves. Maybe because they thought the war was bad or wrongfully fought. But what they forget is that you fought for our country. No matter what people said you believed in protecting the interests and beliefs of the United States of America. You, men and women of vietnam, did something that the average person would never do, and that is fight for a war that no one believed in. So, the one thing I want to say to you is thank you. Thank You for doing what you believed was right.

Sincerly,

Jack Minahan

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Times of Change

What challenges does Jack Smith face as a soldier in Vietnam? (a bulleted list is fine)
- very young
- No news coverage on the war
- there hadnt been a war since korea
- only some of his sergents had combat experience

How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?
- At the begining he treated it as a joke, like goofing off as privates and other things. But he came to his senses and relized he could be killed.

This song by Country Joe and the Fish became one of the first protest songs of the Vietnam Era. Read the lyrics to the song, and then respond to the following:

What is the song asking the “big strong men to do”?
They are the soldiers and there asking them to fight for the U.S. because were in a jamm

… the “generals” to do?
To end communism
… “Wall Street” to do?
To bring in more money
… “mothers” to do?
Send there boys to vietnam
Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.
Anti - War -
1. To have your come home in a box
2. Whoopee were all gonna die
Sarcasm -
3. Were gonna have a whole lot of fun
4. By supplying the army with tools of trade

What do these two poems and the article say about the impact of the war on the native Vietnamese? Can you think of any other ways in which the war will impact the native Vietnamese?

They were hurt by the Vietcong and were wrongfully killed by american troops. This war will destroy there native homeland.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Times of Change

Look up both words in the title of the short essay. What do they mean?
Dubious - Fraught with uncertainty or doubt
crusade - Any holy war undertaken with papal sanction
Relate the title to the reading. What is Warren saying? How do you think this will relate to the rest of our study if Vietnam?
He is saying that this crusade is being done for uncertain reasons. This might bring up the point that, did this war really need to happen?
What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?
The vietnamese always fighting for there freedom
What is the main thesis of the essay?
Doubt
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
The Gulf of Tonkin Resoulution was the United States idea to protect there interests in that area
What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?
Lyndon Johnson was questioning the maddox
How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?

A Dubious Crusade was the author saying this war was being done for uncertain reasons and this theme is doubt

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

10 things to know about korea

1. Korea had been under the control of japan for centuries until japan surrendered to the allies at the end of WWII
2. In June of 1950 North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel in South Korea which was the start of the korean war
3. President Truman viewed this as a test for his containment policy
4. In the early fighting of the war the north koreans had pused them all the way to the southern tip of south korea
5. Squeezed in by general MacArthur, the north koreans soon retreated
6. The UN and president truman both agreed to pursue the enemys back to there homeland
7. Eisenhower wanted to use nuclear weapons to end the war
8. The Chinese saw the UN's movement as a threat to there security, so they warned then of any further advance would send them into the war
9. Near the end Eisenhower suggested truse talks to end the war
10. At the end the koreas went there ways and communism didnt spread

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Has MLK's dream been realized?

My topic was labor, and yes I beilieve MLK's dream has been realized. The amount of African Americans in the labor force since 1980 has increased concistently over the last 20 years. Also, from 1980 to 2004 the participation rate has gone up 2 percent, i doesnt seem like a big change but it is. Actually, the white communityonly had a 2 percent increase also. However from the same time period unemployment rates have increased.

Monday, May 14, 2007

MLK article questions

Why does the author feel that whites owe King the greatest debt?
because of MLK we relized the hypocrisy towards are own people saying all men are created equal

Was King "the right man at the right time"?
it definetly seemed like it because he was a leader that both whites and blacks could respect

Would King be upset with the current use of his most often quoted line? Why or why not?
No, because a person today, California's Ward Connerly, uses this line as a opponent of affirmitive action

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Civil Disobedience

Without a doubt. As Dr. King said this segregation was "judging people by the color of there skin and not by the content of the charcter." I would of done this because people cant tell me to go to the back of the bus or not to socialize wit white people. Althought it would not be peaceful. Tear gas and hoses would be things I would not want to be attacked with. But I would do it for what is right.