Times of Change: Born on the Fourth of July, Stop the Sun, and To Heal a Nation

To the Dear Men and Women on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial:

Thank you. Thank you for all you did for our nation. You fought during tough times, you fought when many opposed the war, opposed you. And yet you still found a way to fight. You had to, and you did.
Thank you. Thank you for taking the blows. You had to be the brave ones, many of you were forced into it withouht a choice. And yet you still found a way to be brave. You had to, and you did.
Thank you. Thank you for going through all you did. You had to experience so many difficult things, which we will never understand, will never be able to repay you for. And yet you still found a way to survive.You had to, and you did.
Thank you. Thank you for being the heroes. You had the unsung victories and the
unacknowledged defeats. And yet you still found a way to be our heroes. You didn't have to, but you did.
Thank you.

With Love,
Your Country

Times of Change: Farmer Nguyen, Massacre at My Lai, A Nun at Ninh Hoa

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?

The war completely separated the Vietnamese. They also became more compassionate towards civilians, and began to strongly dislike the Americans they were fighting against. The native Vietnamese most likely will hold a grudge against Americans because of all they encountered during the war.

Times of Change: I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag

What is the song asking the “big strong men to do”?
The song is asking "big strong men" to fight in the Vietnam War.

… the “generals” to do?

The song is asking the "generals" to destroy the communists.

… “Wall Street” to do?

The song is asking "Wall Street" to increase the money supply so money could go towards the war.

… “mothers” to do?

The song is asking "mothers" to send their husbands and sons off to Vietnam.

Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.

1. "Whoopee! we're all gonna die."

2. "We're gonna have a whole lotta fun."

3. "Be the first one on your block/To have your boy come home in a box."

4. "What are we fighting for?/Don't ask me, I don't give a damn"

Times of Change: Jack Smith

What challenges does Jack Smith face as a soldier in Vietnam? (a bulleted list is fine)

-thought it was just a way to get away from normal life

-didn't really expect having to fight

-war was actually declared, and he would have to fight

-shock of what war really was

-saw the body bags being brought for them

-walked for 2 months, looking for VC who weren't even there

-not prepared for combat

-saw stacks of dead bodies and wounded soldiers

-walked through a forest into other troops

-shot and killed a soldier

-covered with blood, had to play dead

-got a vein severed in his right leg

-napalm dropped right next to him, and explosions right around him

-friends died

How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?

At first, he thought of fighing as just a way to escape real life. He wasn't exactly in support of the war, just in support of an adventure. He was not expecting to have to fight, and he didn't think it would be all that bad. After the war, he is upset with anyone who was involved in the battle or in killing people in any way. He became very "cynical" and was annoyed at anything war-related. He hated people in general. He then realized that life is ok, and that he shouldn't hold grudges. He thought, at the same time, however, "What in God's name was the point?"

Times of Change: The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

What is the main thesis of the essay?

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which may only have been passed because of too much pressure, was the closest the U.S. ever came to actually declaring war on Vietnam.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

It was an approval by the House and the Senate to defend the United States interests after the U.S. Maddox was attacked without reason by the patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin.

What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?

The author says that Congress may have been "steamrolled into supporting the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution," which then lead to the Vietnam "War." The author also says that "Only Congress can declare war, and in the case of Vietnam, Congress never did."

How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?

The war in general was dubious. It was uncertain weather we would come back into power and win. It was also unclear that it was an actual "war."

Times of Change: History

What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?
Many deaths and battles took place, and from all of this, all that came was that people left the places they had been fighting so hard for.

Times of Change: A Dubious Crusade

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

Dubious means doubtful or of uncertain outcome. A crusade is an aggressive movement to defend or advance any idea, cause, or thought.

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 people in America thought they were a world power and couldn't be challenged. However, in Vietnam, they became unsure of this. We no longer knew where we were headed, or if we were completely in charge after we gave in to some communists. We tried to fight for what we wanted, but we did not necessarily accomplish it right away. We did not have the complete power we were used to, which will continue throughout our time in Vietnam.

10 Things You Should Know About the Korean War

1. On was side of the war was South Korea, below the 38th parallel, which was supported by the U.S. and was fighting for democracy.
2. On the other side of the war was North Korea, above the 38th parallel, which was supported by the USSR and was fighting for communism.
3. At the end, when both North and South Korea agreed to a truce, fighting did not end for two years.
4. In June of 1950, North Koreans crossed ove the 38th parallel into South Korea, startign the Korean War.
5. While sixteeen nations provided soldiers to the United Nations force, the U.S. did most of the work and made up most of the force.
6. The commander of all United Nations forces was General Douglas MacArthur, who had served in the Pacific during World War II and was well known and a war hero.
7. When the UN forces moved into North Korea, communist China got angry. They said that if the UN went any further, China would enter the war. And that is just what they did on November 25, 1950.
8. President Truman ended up firing MacArthur because MacArthur had publicly criticized the president's views and opinions.
9. Republican senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin claimed that 205 State Department officials were a part of the Communist Party. This was never proven correct. McCarthy then disappeared from the public eye.
10. Dwight D. Eisenhower became the next president, and had to build up the US nuclear arms. A space race also becane between the Soviet Union and the US, while the whole time, Eisenhower wanted to ease the tensions.

MLK Income Stats

Since Dr. King's speech, African Americans haven't come far by way of income. They still, on average, earn much less than whites. For instance, in an average white household, they earned $39,506 in 1980. They now earn $45,631. On the other hand, African Americans earned $22,760 in 1980, and now earn $29,645. Whites have come a much longer way, and genearally earn more. Also, 13.9% of whites are in poverty, while 33.6% of African Americans are.

Many people today are still racists, especially in the workplace. We could possibly establish a law that requires businesses to have certain amounts of people from different races. This would encourage businesses to hire more people of other races, hopefully for higher paying jobs. We could also make sure that different races earn certain amounts of money and have the government donate some to make sure they are not in poverty.

MLK Questions

Why does the author feel that whites owe King the greatest debt?
King stopped many barriers between the races and made it easier for whites to view the races as equals.
Was King "the right man at the right time"?
King was "the right man at the right time" without a doubt. He was a great leader, and without him, the nation, let alone the world, wouldn't be what it is today. He took the responsibility of the nation on his shoulders and knew how to help everyone out. He knew how to really connect with all kinds of people. He also had enough courage to go against so many obstacles and barriers, and he never gave up.
Would King be upset with the current use of his most often quoted line? Why or why not?
I believe that King would not be upset by the current use of his often quoted line. As he believed in freedom of all kinds, I think he would be glad that people are carrying on his legacy and using his words. There may be some people who don't use his words wisely, but I think overall, he would be happy that his efforts are remembered.

Would you have been able to use civil disobedience and non-violence?

I think this is a great way to protest. Not using violence, but using civil disobedience, is a good way to show others that you feel life is unfair without hurting anyone. However, I don't think I would have been able to participate. I would be too scared. When people, even young people, practiced civil disobedience, there was bloodshed. People got hurt, killed, and arrested. I don't think I would have been able to face that. So much violence came out of what started as non-violent. On the march from Selma to Montgomery, even though it was meant to be peaceful, people who opposed segregation tried to injure, kill, and arrest those who were involved. I would not have been able to handle this - I don't have that kind of amazing courage.

Over the last few weeks of school, I'm really looking forward to learning about the Civil Rights Movement. My NHD project centered around civil rights, so I'm excited to learn more. Using the computers will also be a great new way to do my assignments, and I'm glad we're getting a chance to use all of this new technology.