As you know, we've begun our study of the Vietnam War. I mentioned in class that it has been the most controversial event in American history, and the controversy lives on. As I researched this assignment, my original plans had to change. Here's why: as opposed to the Civil War and the World Wars, there are very few notable web sites devoted to Vietnam. I had hoped to give you some exposure to the "reaction at home" but the websites that covered the anger and bitterness all contained objectionable material. It occurs to me that most of you have seen Vietnam portrayed or at least referenced in books, movies, and TV shows. Because it is still fresh in our nation's mind, the war is still a source of emotional debate. So, rather than sending you to do research, this week I'd like to ask a series of questions:
1. Was Vietnam worth it? The years, the tens of thousands of lives, the fortune that was spent?
2. Did the US lose the War in Vietnam? Our enemies didn't defeat us in the field of battle, yet we left and our allies were destroyed. What does this question mean for Americans today?
3. Could another "Vietnam" occur again? Would Americans be willing to sacrifice as much, regardless of the cause? (For perspective, remember that by the late 1960s about 500 American soldiers were dying every week in Vietnam).
4. How did this happen? Should the US policy (Truman Doctrine) have been different?
I look forward to your answers. Please remember that the requirements for this assignment are a minimum of 200 words, and at least two responses to the posts of others (responses must total 150 words minimum). Thanks and God bless!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Homework 8, Due February 26,2010
Presidential elections are always important and are usually exciting events that draw the energy and passion of the American people into public service and discussion. The right to vote in free and fair elections is one of the greatest privileges of citizenship, and the need to vote responsibly, which means based on the issues and the character of the candidates, is our greatest civic duty. While many people love politics, for some who have grown cynical, the word itself is negative. Unfortunately the political process has weaknesses; for instance, it takes so much money to run for office today that many qualified citizens never run because they don’t have access to the necessary finances. There is a great debate today about how to fix that problem, because it seems that there is no easy solution.
Perhaps the most hotly contested election and certainly the closest was the election of 1960. The Democrats had no established candidate, and it was obvious that Senator Adlai Stevenson wouldn’t be nominated a third time in a row. The Democrats were the dominate party but had not been in the White House during the previous eight years – instead, a very non-political moderate Republican, Dwight D. Eisenhower, had served. Now that the elderly President Eisenhower was leaving office and it was likely that the Republicans would nominate his young vice-president Richard Nixon to be their candidate, even though there were rumors that he had “bent the rules” in previous elections. Nixon went on national television to deny the allegations and explained that the only bribe he’d ever taken was a puppy named “Checkers” and that he intended to keep the dog.
The Democratic nominee who would emerge is an iconic figure in American history – John F. Kennedy, a young senator from Massachusetts who had served in the Navy in World War II. The Kennedys were a unique family. John Kennedy’s dad was ambassador to Great Britain during FDR’s presidency, and John’s older brother Joe had died during the war. John’s maternal grandfather had been a famous Irish-American mayor of Boston, and both sides of the family were very wealthy. All of the Kennedys attended Harvard and went on to law school. The three young Kennedy men (John and his younger brothers Robert and Edward) all held press credentials, and John’s wife Jacqueline was a reporter who spoke three languages (she would later make speeches in Spanish and French during the Kennedys’ trips to other countries).
The election changed America in several ways. One important development was that for the first time the candidates debated on live television, which played up to Kennedy’s stylish appearance and smooth public speaking abilities. Nixon, on the other hand, was uncomfortable in front of the cameras and came across poorly. To make matters worse he had suffered a serious knee injury and was unable to get the infection properly cared for; the result was that he was in tremendous pain, looked very pale (and refused to allow stage makeup to be applied) and wiped sweat from his face throughout the entire debate. Still, when the votes were counted Kennedy won by a smaller margin than the number of people who usually attend a UK football game – a tiny fraction of one percent of the voting population! Kennedy became the youngest president ever elected (Teddy Roosevelt was younger when he became president, but he took office by accession, not election).
What were the issues that voters were concerned about in that election? I’d like you to take some time and research one of the following elections: 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972. Briefly introduce the two nominees but focus on the issues that were most important to voters during that time period. Some places to start your research might be
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/elections.php
or
http://www.historycentral.com/elections/
Good luck and God bless!
Perhaps the most hotly contested election and certainly the closest was the election of 1960. The Democrats had no established candidate, and it was obvious that Senator Adlai Stevenson wouldn’t be nominated a third time in a row. The Democrats were the dominate party but had not been in the White House during the previous eight years – instead, a very non-political moderate Republican, Dwight D. Eisenhower, had served. Now that the elderly President Eisenhower was leaving office and it was likely that the Republicans would nominate his young vice-president Richard Nixon to be their candidate, even though there were rumors that he had “bent the rules” in previous elections. Nixon went on national television to deny the allegations and explained that the only bribe he’d ever taken was a puppy named “Checkers” and that he intended to keep the dog.
The Democratic nominee who would emerge is an iconic figure in American history – John F. Kennedy, a young senator from Massachusetts who had served in the Navy in World War II. The Kennedys were a unique family. John Kennedy’s dad was ambassador to Great Britain during FDR’s presidency, and John’s older brother Joe had died during the war. John’s maternal grandfather had been a famous Irish-American mayor of Boston, and both sides of the family were very wealthy. All of the Kennedys attended Harvard and went on to law school. The three young Kennedy men (John and his younger brothers Robert and Edward) all held press credentials, and John’s wife Jacqueline was a reporter who spoke three languages (she would later make speeches in Spanish and French during the Kennedys’ trips to other countries).
The election changed America in several ways. One important development was that for the first time the candidates debated on live television, which played up to Kennedy’s stylish appearance and smooth public speaking abilities. Nixon, on the other hand, was uncomfortable in front of the cameras and came across poorly. To make matters worse he had suffered a serious knee injury and was unable to get the infection properly cared for; the result was that he was in tremendous pain, looked very pale (and refused to allow stage makeup to be applied) and wiped sweat from his face throughout the entire debate. Still, when the votes were counted Kennedy won by a smaller margin than the number of people who usually attend a UK football game – a tiny fraction of one percent of the voting population! Kennedy became the youngest president ever elected (Teddy Roosevelt was younger when he became president, but he took office by accession, not election).
What were the issues that voters were concerned about in that election? I’d like you to take some time and research one of the following elections: 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972. Briefly introduce the two nominees but focus on the issues that were most important to voters during that time period. Some places to start your research might be
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/elections.php
or
http://www.historycentral.com/elections/
Good luck and God bless!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Homework 7, Due February 19, 2010
As World War II ended and Americans readjusted to peace, the five years following the war (1945-1950) were among the most formative in our nation's history. Consider the following facts by carefully reading the paragraphs below. When you have carefully read the information provided choose two of the questions to respond to in your homework essay. (It's amazing to consider that all these things were happening in one five year span!).
The GI bill sent former soldiers to college, and for the first time in history higher education and the better jobs that it leads to was open middle class and poor Americans (white, for the most part, but this would soon change). Can you pause for a moment and consider how important this has been in making the US the country it is today?
The Nuremburg and Japan trials were conducted and for the first time in world history nations united together to demand justice. Former Nazi and Japanese officials were given legitimate, fair trials and either acquitted or sentenced based on the evidence. The accused criminals had lawyers and access to evidence. The trials were public and the newspapers of the world reported the daily proceedings. Why was it important that these trials (and the executions that followed) were done in such a manner?
The US instituted the Marshall Plan. It might sound normal by today's standards, but at the time it was an extreme departure from anything we'd ever done: US taxpayer dollars were used to help rebuild Europe! Not just charity projects like food and clothing, but we actually paid for the rebuilding of infrastructure so the European economies would survive and get back on track. Considering the fact that the US has spent $10 billion a month in Iraq for the last seven years, that idea might not surprise you, but you can imagine that it was a novel idea back then, especially considering how strictly tax dollars were spent in the early days of our country. At the same time the US was completely redesigning the Japanese economy, education system, and military. Is there a justifiable reason to spend your money for the benefit of other countries? Does the US eventually get enough benefit from the investment to justify the cost?
After almost 2,000 years, the nation of Israel was reborn. Jews who had lost everything in Europe were unlikely to return to their home countries, and the Zionist movement was born. Hundreds of thousands of American Jews emigrated to Palestine, and in 1948 Israeli independence was declared. Of all the nations on earth, the US has had no closer relations than our relationship with Israel over the last 60 years. Today the nation of Israel, which is surrounded by enemies and has a large Muslim minority, continues to struggle against regular attacks but still has a vibrant economy and fully functioning society. Do you think the US should continue to be so involved in Israel, and do you think that it is possible to see a peaceful solution to the conflict?
The Iron Curtain descended over eastern Europe and the Cold War began. After the Soviets pushed the Nazi army back into Germany, the Communists never relinquished control over eastern Europe, including East Germany. Freedom and democracy were replaced with harsh dictatorships that lasted for decades - most until the end of the 1980s. For years more than a million American and Soviet troops stared at each other from just a few yards apart across the East/West border of Germany: an extremely explosive situation that could have erupted into war at any time. (I was a high school student when the Berlin Wall came down and the eastern European countries overthrew the communist dictator governments - what an exciting time to be watching the world events!). How do you think America has changed since the end of the Cold War?
The United Nations was created and a new era of cooperation began. Along with the UN, new organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank emerged so that large nations such as the US could assist poor countries in developing their economies and improve the lives of their citizens (through immunization efforts, for example). Today there is much controversy as to the efficacy of such programs. Is this unhappiness the result of the fact that the problems of the world are just too large and complex to solve, or do you think that these programs are probably effective but our access to news and information just highlights the continued suffering of those in other countries?
The requirements for this assignment are exactly as all those that preceded it. God bless!
The GI bill sent former soldiers to college, and for the first time in history higher education and the better jobs that it leads to was open middle class and poor Americans (white, for the most part, but this would soon change). Can you pause for a moment and consider how important this has been in making the US the country it is today?
The Nuremburg and Japan trials were conducted and for the first time in world history nations united together to demand justice. Former Nazi and Japanese officials were given legitimate, fair trials and either acquitted or sentenced based on the evidence. The accused criminals had lawyers and access to evidence. The trials were public and the newspapers of the world reported the daily proceedings. Why was it important that these trials (and the executions that followed) were done in such a manner?
The US instituted the Marshall Plan. It might sound normal by today's standards, but at the time it was an extreme departure from anything we'd ever done: US taxpayer dollars were used to help rebuild Europe! Not just charity projects like food and clothing, but we actually paid for the rebuilding of infrastructure so the European economies would survive and get back on track. Considering the fact that the US has spent $10 billion a month in Iraq for the last seven years, that idea might not surprise you, but you can imagine that it was a novel idea back then, especially considering how strictly tax dollars were spent in the early days of our country. At the same time the US was completely redesigning the Japanese economy, education system, and military. Is there a justifiable reason to spend your money for the benefit of other countries? Does the US eventually get enough benefit from the investment to justify the cost?
After almost 2,000 years, the nation of Israel was reborn. Jews who had lost everything in Europe were unlikely to return to their home countries, and the Zionist movement was born. Hundreds of thousands of American Jews emigrated to Palestine, and in 1948 Israeli independence was declared. Of all the nations on earth, the US has had no closer relations than our relationship with Israel over the last 60 years. Today the nation of Israel, which is surrounded by enemies and has a large Muslim minority, continues to struggle against regular attacks but still has a vibrant economy and fully functioning society. Do you think the US should continue to be so involved in Israel, and do you think that it is possible to see a peaceful solution to the conflict?
The Iron Curtain descended over eastern Europe and the Cold War began. After the Soviets pushed the Nazi army back into Germany, the Communists never relinquished control over eastern Europe, including East Germany. Freedom and democracy were replaced with harsh dictatorships that lasted for decades - most until the end of the 1980s. For years more than a million American and Soviet troops stared at each other from just a few yards apart across the East/West border of Germany: an extremely explosive situation that could have erupted into war at any time. (I was a high school student when the Berlin Wall came down and the eastern European countries overthrew the communist dictator governments - what an exciting time to be watching the world events!). How do you think America has changed since the end of the Cold War?
The United Nations was created and a new era of cooperation began. Along with the UN, new organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank emerged so that large nations such as the US could assist poor countries in developing their economies and improve the lives of their citizens (through immunization efforts, for example). Today there is much controversy as to the efficacy of such programs. Is this unhappiness the result of the fact that the problems of the world are just too large and complex to solve, or do you think that these programs are probably effective but our access to news and information just highlights the continued suffering of those in other countries?
The requirements for this assignment are exactly as all those that preceded it. God bless!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Homework 6, Due February 12, 2010
In our continued study of the Second World War, we will turn our attention to the atrocities of the German regime known as the Holocaust. While many people now know of the horrible slaughter of millions of Jews and other groups, the story has not always been widely understood, and even now, in Europe and the Middle East, some groups are claiming that it never happened.
In class we briefly discussed antisemitism (the hatred of Jews) and its origins. It's rather difficult to imagine that Americans were once generally antisemitic, holding all Jews accountable for the crucifiction of Jesus and continuing the European tradition of blaming Jews for all wide-spread financial woes. The Ku Klux Klan, in addition to the mistreatment of African-Americans, also targeted Jews and Catholics in their abuses. It was only after the revelation of the evils of the Holocaust that most Americans adopted a sympathetic view of the Jewish people.
Jews have lived in America almost since the very first settlers arrived. Because most of the colonies were founded by determined Protestant groups, however, Jews weren't welcomed many places. It was Maryland, with its guaranteed religious freedome for all, and New Amsterdam (New York), with its secular society, where most of the Jewish settlers made their homes. Following World War II hundreds of thousands of American Jews, called Zionists, would emigrate to the new country of Israel, recreating a nation that had been non-existent for almost 2,000 years. They even revived the ancient Hebrew language in order to assimilate all the Jews that would arrive from countries like the US and the Soviet Union and many others. Israel was even governed by a Jewish-American - Golda Meir.
Today millions of Americans claim Jewish heritage. Although there has never been a Jewish-American president or vice-president, Jews have served in every other capacity in government. Because American Jews aren't always possible to identify strictly my physical appearance, many Americans are unaware of this minority group (thank goodness for Adam Sandler's Hanukah song, right?). Still concentrated in New York, some pockets of Jewish Americans cling to the traditions that set them apart in the earlier days of our nation's history. They even speak a language called Yiddish - unique in that it never belonged to a country, and was entirely made up of slang and bits of other languages. (Some of the words have become common in English, such as schmooz and klutz). So even if you think this assignment is megilla, be a mensch - not a nudnik or a neddish - and get it done, mach shnel. Fershtay?
Please go to the National Holocaust Museum education web site - http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/ - and report on one of the articles you find there. Also, if you have visited the holocaust museum or been to a European museum of similar focus, share your experience. The requirements for this assignment are exactly like those of all previous assignments. Good luck and God bless!
In class we briefly discussed antisemitism (the hatred of Jews) and its origins. It's rather difficult to imagine that Americans were once generally antisemitic, holding all Jews accountable for the crucifiction of Jesus and continuing the European tradition of blaming Jews for all wide-spread financial woes. The Ku Klux Klan, in addition to the mistreatment of African-Americans, also targeted Jews and Catholics in their abuses. It was only after the revelation of the evils of the Holocaust that most Americans adopted a sympathetic view of the Jewish people.
Jews have lived in America almost since the very first settlers arrived. Because most of the colonies were founded by determined Protestant groups, however, Jews weren't welcomed many places. It was Maryland, with its guaranteed religious freedome for all, and New Amsterdam (New York), with its secular society, where most of the Jewish settlers made their homes. Following World War II hundreds of thousands of American Jews, called Zionists, would emigrate to the new country of Israel, recreating a nation that had been non-existent for almost 2,000 years. They even revived the ancient Hebrew language in order to assimilate all the Jews that would arrive from countries like the US and the Soviet Union and many others. Israel was even governed by a Jewish-American - Golda Meir.
Today millions of Americans claim Jewish heritage. Although there has never been a Jewish-American president or vice-president, Jews have served in every other capacity in government. Because American Jews aren't always possible to identify strictly my physical appearance, many Americans are unaware of this minority group (thank goodness for Adam Sandler's Hanukah song, right?). Still concentrated in New York, some pockets of Jewish Americans cling to the traditions that set them apart in the earlier days of our nation's history. They even speak a language called Yiddish - unique in that it never belonged to a country, and was entirely made up of slang and bits of other languages. (Some of the words have become common in English, such as schmooz and klutz). So even if you think this assignment is megilla, be a mensch - not a nudnik or a neddish - and get it done, mach shnel. Fershtay?
Please go to the National Holocaust Museum education web site - http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/ - and report on one of the articles you find there. Also, if you have visited the holocaust museum or been to a European museum of similar focus, share your experience. The requirements for this assignment are exactly like those of all previous assignments. Good luck and God bless!
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