Vietnam Veterans Memorial

To the men and women on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial I would like to say thank you. Thank you for your courage to go off and protect this country. Thank you for showing the world that the U.S. is strong. And finally thank you for never giving up.

Farmer Nguyen by W.D. Ehrhart
1 page - complete by Wednesday May 26
Massacre at My Lai by Hugh Thompson
2 pages - complete by Wednesday May 26
A Nun at Ninh Hoa by Jan Barry
1 page - complete by Wednesday May 26

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?
It says that civilans were of no importance and that no one would waste their time to take care of them. And i think that more and more will be killed and that will leave a very big impact in the everyday life of a Vietnamese person.

Times of Change

Times of Change – Vietnam and the 60s

As we discuss the Vietnam War in Asia and at home, you will be using this “Literature and Thought” anthology from Perfection Learning. Like your reader for the Civil War, I chose this collection for a few reasons. First, I feel that it offers an incredible and varied collection of readings that tell much more than what happened during the Vietnam Era. In addition, I like the focus questions for each of the four “clusters” in the book. Finally, I wanted to use this time to end the year with exciting literature while continuing to develop different reading strategies and sharing some ideas on the characteristics of a good reader. I know we can all read. I also know that we can all improve our reading.
For each of the assigned readings in “Times of Change”, read the brief intro in this guide AND in the actual reader, check out the questions or exercise for the reading, and then commence with the fun part – reading. When you have finished, respond to the exercises as blog postings.
In addition, take a look at the list of characteristics of a good reader that I have provided online, and try to incorporate some of these ideas and strategies into your own reading. They should look familiar, since they were on your guide for the Civil War text. I promise – they will make you a better reader!

Your responses will be evaluated for accuracy (when appropriate), effort, and timeliness.


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 a feeling of doubt. And Crusade means any of the military expeditions undertaken by the Christians of Europe in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries for the recovery of the Holy Land from the Muslims.
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? In the reading he explained how for a while many nations considered the U.S. to be the top dogs and the invincible ones. But then the millitary was beginning to be doubted then the American people were doubing the government thus the title.




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

What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?
The overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem was how many lives were taken and how many allies were created and destroyed.



The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution … by Goldberg
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22
What is the main thesis of the essay?
The controversy of the Vietnam War.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
It was a resolution created by president Johnson to be given congressional approval to defend the United States interests in the area.
What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?
The U.S. Navy destroyer, The Maddox.
How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?

Korea- The Forgtton War

• When the war began the United States appealed to the United Nations to stop communist growth into South Korea.
• Most of the soilders, and those who did most of the fighting were Americans soilders.
• Commander of all the UN forces was Douglas MacArthur.
• Northern Korea moved the southern koreans back almost to the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, Pusan.
• MacArthur had a plan and it was to land troops in Inchon, a port city behind the North Korean Lines.
• When China realized how close the UN was coming to them, they thought this threated their security and since they didn't pay attention when asked to keep away, China entered this war.
• Because of the Chinese attack in the Yalu River the UN was dirven back to South Korea.
• MacArthur wanted to blockade china, but truman said no because he thought by doing so the Soviet Union would get involved.
• Macarthur began to criticise the military in public by writing to newspapers and such. Because of these actions Truman fired him
• When the next president election in 1952 started, the republican canidate was Dwight D. Eisenhower, and his feelings about the war were very open, he didn't like it and if he won he would go striaght to Korea and end the conflict as soon as possable.

MLK's Speech Been Realized?

Between the years of 1980 and 2004, different minority groups have increased with the number of labor workers. In 1980 the total number of African American workers in the labor force was 61 percent. By 2004 it reached 63.8 percent. Also in 2004 the female african american labor force employment raised from 53 percent to 64 percent. In general the labor force employee number as risen, but even if it fell it was only by .5 percent
To help with this problem i think that Labor Forces should let go of the past their ancestors left behind and move on. Also according to MLK's speech he wanted everyone to be equal, and recent statistics show that the number of unemployed african americans in 1980 was 1,553 and by 2004 it rose to 1,729. Unemployed hispanics in 1980 was 620 and that rose as well to 1,342.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Jack E. White believes that whites owe King the greatest debt for freeing them from America's old two faced notions. Also if it wasn't for Dr. King we wouldn't be able to call the U.S. the "free world" without getting mad fun of. I don't believe that King was simply just the right man at the right time because there were many preachers at the time and others who felt the same way he did and they didn't do anything about it, but Dr. King did. I don't believe that King would be happy with the use of his most common line today, because people today who use it are either making fun of it or taking his point to the way extreme.

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

While the Civil Rights movement was going on I think I would have been able to use Civil Disobedience and suffer the consequences, because I'm doing what I believe in and I shouldn't be told what I think is or isn't right.