Monday May 28

Dear Vietnam Soldiers,

I have read a lot about you and studied about you. The thing that I am most ashamed about from our nation, is that our people on the home front criticized you for standing up for our nation. If those people wanted something changed or didn't like something, they should have brought it up with the government, not he people protecting them. I am deeply sorry to hear that anybody could do such a shameful thing. I am honored to know that you are one of my brothers in my home, and that you had such bravery to go and fight in such a horrendous war.

Sincerely,

Kim Z.

Wednesday May 26

These two poems and artical say that the U.S. basically have no mercy on the the Vietnamese, even if they are on our side. They excpeceally dont have any patience if they are helping the other side either win the war or just giving them some food. It shows that the U.S. is a monster, and will destroy anything in its path.

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007

Jack Smith
What challenges does Jack Smith face as a soldier in Vietnam? (a bulleted list is fine)
Death
Fear
Anger
Combat
Wildlife
His enemy
How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?
At first he thought that it would be fun to go for an adventure, to be able to go to war for two years before settling down, and plus he would probaly be drafted anyway so he might as well sign up first. Then after going on the walk, he thought that his commanding officers were crazy for leading them on this hike. Then they had war, and he hated it and wanted to go home.

I Feel Like I’m Fixing To Die Rag
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”?
to go in the war and fight
… the “generals” to do?
lead the marches
… “Wall Street” to do?
to make money
… “mothers” to do?
to send their boys to vietnam
Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.

Monday, May 21st, 2007

Times of Change

A Dubious Crusade

Look up both words in the title of the short essay. What do they mean?

Dubious: doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt

Crusade: any vigorous, aggressive movement for the defense or advancement of an idea, cause
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?

Warren is saying that he thinks that we are trying to defend the democrocy in Korea, yet Communism has just taken it over, yet we are going to be doubtful because nobody knows what is going to happen between the USSR and the US.

History

What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?

Death - The Chinese and USSR were on one side, the US, French and British were on the other side and it was a war.

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

What is the main thesis of the essay?
That the president had lied and said provoked the action of fighting, but had never gone into war.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
It was the incident that had marked the beginning of America's intensive inolvement in the Vietnam War, the sinking of the Maddox.
What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?
It was just an act to magnify the congressional support for his plan to send U.S. troops to fight the Viet Cong.
How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?

That the U.S. does has doubts about fighting this war, but is fighting for something that they beleive in.

Wednesday May 16, 2007

KOREA - The Forgotten War

1. In June 1950, North Korean forces pushed their forces across the 38th parallel(the separating line between North and South Korea). First, the UN was being pushed back, but then General Douglas MacArthur pushed them back up into North Korea.
2. On November 25th, 100's of 1,000's Communist Chinese joined the war. They pushed UN troops back to the 38th parallel. General MacArthur requested permission to blockade China's coastline and bomb China. Truman said no in fear that it might start a 3rd World War.
3. MacArthur was mad and wrote to magazines and newspapers saying what President Truman was doing. Truman was outraged and fired MacArthur and still didn't set up a blockade.
4. In July of 1951, Truman decided not to run again. Democrats elected Adli Stevenson and Republicans choose General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower won by a landslide.
5. Eisenhower talked with the North Koreans and the Chinese and agreed to compromise to end the war. He also warned them that he was ready to use nuclear weapons and carry the war into China.
6. President Truman was afraid that the USSR's plan to take over all of Korea was just the beginning of World Domination.
7. The United Nations was called for and emergency session, fortunately the USSR didn't show up so it was easier for the U.S.A., Great Britain and France to pass a resolution urging members of the United Nation to help South Korea against attack.
8. When the Chinese attacked, the United State's winning streak had suddenly been loosed. China had struck the U.S. hard and ruthlessly.
9. When China had joined in, it had come to be winter, and the U.S. was being pushed back to the 38th parallel. The fighting of the war had ended where it had started.
10. North and South Korea agreed to a cease fire on June 27th, 1953, but two years passed until all fighting ended in Korea.

Monday, May 14th, 2007

Has MLK's "dream" been realized? - Education

Yes, it has been realized, all ethnic groups have raised their education level and how many children or adults to school. Although Blacks have the lowest education rate and whites have the highest, Hispanics have made the great leap from 4,263,000 in 1980 to 11,679,000 in 2003. The enrollment rate for African Americans though has gone up incredibly fast, passing the enrollment rate for Whites.

But in order to achieve Martin Luther King's dream we have to keep the students in school in order to graduate. For all races, in 1960, the graduate rate has gone up from 39.5% to now, 84.8% for males; for females it has gone up from 42.5% to 85.4% in high schools. For African Americans it has gone up from 18.2% to 80.4% for males and 21.8% to 80.6% for females. Asian and Pacific Islanders has always been extremely high always being in the high 70th percentile to the low 90th percentile since the 1990's.

Even though these are all good things, women and African Americans and Hispanics are still deprived from a full salary even though they would have the same education a white man. The average American Caucasian man could be making $46,114 while a Caucasian female would be making $28, 591. An African American male would be making $32,545 and female would be making $25,735. A Hispanic male would be making $28,806 while a female would be making $21,391.

So overall, King's dreams have been realized in some ways and not in other ways. The ways that they have been realized is that many more people, of all races, go to school today. The ways that they haven't been realized is that different races or sexes make a different amount of money for doing the same job with the same education. This isn't just a small difference, it is huge. So while only half of King's dream is being realized, the people of America are doing a great job putting together his dream.

Sunday, May 13th, 2007

Why does the author feel that whites owe King the greatest debt?

Because he changed the way that whites think about other races. He said that all people are equal, and whites before never believed that, they always thought that they were the supreme ones.

Was King "the right man at the right time"?

Yes, he was, because without King, then this movement wouldn't have gotten that far. If he had come along before this movement, he would of gotten lynched. After this movement, It could of still of working out, but with everything else going on right now, it would have been harder for him to get support and there wouldn't of been as much to fight for.

Would King be upset with the current use of his most often quoted line? Why or why not?

Yes, because his line is dreaming of something that will better America. Well his dream happened. Now children are busy with talking to friends on their cellphones, or are on the computer playing games. But never would you see a teenager playing a game with his or her family because now that's "uncool". Today, people don't understand how much freedom is until they have lost it, and that's why King would be upset with how people use his most famous 4 words.