MLK Reading

Read the essay from TIME 100 - Martin Luther King. As you do, respond to the following questions in a blog entry ...
Why does the author feel that whites owe King the greatest debt?
He feels that whites owe the greatest debts for lifing America from the Hypocricies that they had been facing in past years. They were now looked at with a good view.
Was King "the right man at the right time"?King was not the right man at the right time but on the other hand he was just the right man as he stood up in incredibly tough times and should not be looked as the right man at the right time.

Would King be upset with the current use of his most often quoted line? Why or why not? I don't think that king would be upset over people using his most used line because he wanted to make an impact and he certainly did that.

Memorial Day Blogs

Born on the Fourth of July by Ron Kovic

5 pages - complete on Monday May 28

Stop the Sun by Gary Paulsen

7 pages - complete on Monday May 28

To Heal a Nation by Joel L. Swerdlow

12 pages - complete on Monday May 28

For your final readings of Times of Change, I would like you to set aside some time on Monday (Memorial Day) to read the choices above. Once you are done, I would like for you to post in your blog a note to the men and women on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. After what you have learned over the past few days, and what you saw when we went to D.C., what would you want to say to them?

Dear Men of Vietnam

What you have been through while fighting in Vietnam is incredible.You have fought through very tough conditions and climates. Many of your fighting mates have contracted diseases and many have also died. I also understand how frightning it must be to know you could die at any moment and that one shot could kill you.The conditions must also be tough as you fight through rain and snow. It takes a lot of courage to put your life on the line for your country and we have a lot of respect for you. I am sure it must be tough seeing some of your lifetime friends that you have made lying beside you dying right before your very eyes.I also feel so sorry for those men who have to have a leg amputated or an arm amputated can't be easy.

Times of Change Final 2 Readings

Jack Smith by Ron Steinman
9 pages - complete by Wednesday May 23

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

• We found booby traps and pigs.


• More goof-offs as privates.


• Soldiers had pretty much been living and breathing in dirt. He described it as you couldn't even tell if these men were wearing any clothing what so ever.
• Stacks of dead bodies and wounded bodies
• there were no guards accompanying them when they went through the woods.
• It was dirty and there were diseases.
  
  
  How does Smith’s attitude toward war change? He now hates life. He hates mankind and he has a lot of anger boiled up inside of him.
  
  
  
  I Feel Like I’m Fixing To Die Rag by Joe McDonald
  2 pages - complete by Wednesday May 23
  
  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”?He is asking them to fight in the war in Vietnam.
  
  … the “generals” to do?He wants the generals to lead them to victory.
  
  … “Wall Street” to do?He wants wall street to get money to supply the war.
  
  … “mothers” to do?He wants mothers and fathers to send there kids off to Vietnam to help out.
  
  Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.
• Whoopee!We're all going to die
• Viet Cong
• We're gonna have a whole lot of fun
• Open up the Pearly gates
  

Times of Change first 3 readings

A Dubious Crusade by James A. Warren
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22

Look up both words in the title of the short essay. What do they mean?
Dubious- means doubtful or hesitant that something will turn out okay.
Crusade- A military expedition.Defense of an idea.
Ths means that they are going on a military expedition of a defense of an idea but you are doubtful things will turn out okay.


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 military mission is a gamble that the American soldiers are not sure will turn out so well. This might relate to some of the other military decisions made by the commanders.



History by Thuong Vuong-Riddick
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22

What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem? He is saying that there wasn't much to the war of vietname.The overall theme is that there was a lot of deaths and kills in the war. But also that the war was pointless.



The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution … by Goldberg
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22
What is the main thesis of the essay? That there is huge controversy in how the U.S got in the war and that the vietnam war was brutal.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?This was basically what sent the U.S into 10 years of vicous fighting.

What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?55,000 Americans lost there lives.

How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”? That this was going to be a brutal war that the U.S did not have a positive outlook on the war in vietnam.

MLK Dream has been realized?

Income for African Americans has improved greatly. Blacks now get an equal shot at jobs and they are paid just the same. There is also no idea of last hired first fired. That is completely not the case anymore. Blacks get a fair shot at any job and that is a great improvement from past times.

A negative that i find with income is although they are getting a significantly bigger income they are still at the bottom in terms of income. They are also not even close to catching whites who are at 45,000 to there 29,000.This is a weakness that i think is a shame and needs to be fixed.


My suggestions that i have for fixing this problem is don't be afraid to make a difference and be the man that gives an African American a bigger paycheck than other bosses. The reason i say that is people will start to see that other bosses are making a move at this and they hopefully would follow along in the same way.

Would you have been able to use civil disobedience and nonviolence

I would use civil disobedience because i cannot stand there and be disrespected like some people were. I would make some sort of a mark that that would get my voice across. I would also not be able to sit there and not have all the freedoms that i feel i deserve.

Unit 8 Preview

I am most looking forward today how the march on Washington had such an impact and how Martin Luther king felt and what was his childhood like.