Choose three statements – one from each speech – and discuss how each of your statements can be applied to our world and the political or social situations today." No one familiar with the history of this country can deny that congressional committees are useful. It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly. His primary achievement has been in confusing the public mind, as between the internal and the external threats of Communism. We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine; and remember that we are not descended from fearful men. Not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular. This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent, or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation we have come into our full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn't create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it — and rather successfully. Cassius was right. 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.' Good night, and good luck."
– See it Now broadcast, March 9 1954
"If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox — if we deny the essence of racial equality then hundreds of millions in Asia and Africa who are shopping about for a new allegiance will conclude that we are concerned to defend a myth and our present privileged status. Every act that denies or limits t
he freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
he freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."– Ford Fiftieth Anniversary Show, CBS and NBC, June 1953
“We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent. We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late. Our history will be what we make it. And if there are any historians about fifty or a hundred years from now, and there should be preserved the kinescopes for one week of all three networks, they will there find recorded in black and white, or color, evidence of decadence, escapism and insulation from the realities of the world in which we live. I invite your attention to the television schedules of all networks between the hours of 8 and 11 p.m., Eastern Time. Here you will find only fleeting and spasmodic reference to the fact that this nation is in mortal danger. There are, it is true, occasional informative programs presented in that intellectual ghetto on Sunday afternoons. But during the daily peak viewing periods, television in the main insulates us from the realities of the world in which we live. If this state of affairs continues, we may alter an advertising slogan to read: LOOK NOW, PAY LATER. For surely we shall pay for using this most powerful instrument of communication to insulate the citizenry from the hard and demanding realities which must be faced if we are to survive. I mean the word survive literally. If there were to be a competition in indifference, or perhaps in insulation from reality, then Nero and his fiddle, Chamberlain and his umbrella, could not find a place on an early afternoon sustaining show. If Hollywood were to run out of Indians, the program schedules would be mangled beyond all recognition. Then some courageous soul with a small budget might be able to do a documentary telling what, in fact, we have done--and are still doing--to the Indians in this country. But that would be unpleasant. And we must at all costs shield the sensitive citizens from anything that is unpleasant. I am entirely persuaded that the American public is more reasonable, restrained and more mature than most of our industry's program planners believe. Their fear of controversy is not warranted by the evidence. I have reason to know, as do many of you, that when the evidence on a controversial subject is fairly and calmly presented, the public recognizes it for what it is--an effort to illuminate rather than to agitate. I do not advocate that we turn television into a 27-inch wailing wall, where longhairs constantly moan about the state of our culture and our defense. But I would just like to see it reflect occasionally the hard, unyielding realities of the world in which we live. I would like to see it done inside the existing framework, and I would like to see the doing of it redound to the credit of those who finance and program it. Measure the results by Nielsen, Trendex or Silex-it doesn't matter. The main thing is to try. The responsibility can be easily placed, in spite of all the mouthings about giving the public what it wants. It rests on big business, and on big television, and it rests at the top. Responsibility is not something that can be assigned or delegated. And it promises its own reward: good business and good television. To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost.This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box. There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful."
Speech at Radio-Television News Directors Association, Chicago, October 15, 1958.
Minimum of 250 words - Due Monday 3/26
44 comments:
The first statement that applies is: "We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law."
This applies to today's world especially since Bush is making accusations instead of proof to justify his actions against suspected Al-Qaeda, when in fact, he has no proof whatsoever.
The second statement that applies is: "...We deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox..."
This quote plays a big role in today's world. A few months ago, a cartoonist was prosecuted and punished for mocking the muslim religion. This quote encourages individualism, freedom of belief, speech and press. If we only accept our differences, then the contravercy will no longer exist.
The third statement that applies is: "There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference."
This quote rings true today. Television has a habit of dulling the truth to make the contravercy slightly unimportant.
~Chelsea Rabano
5th hour
1. “It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly.”
This statement is important because people need to politly investigate something unjunst before persecuting them fully. McCarthy was the one who went beyond investigating and when ito innterrigations and accusations and ending at persecuitng people sometimes without evidence. If everyone can follow this guidleine, we would be living in a much more peaceful world. This applies to a political situation because our government needs to grasp this knowledge firmly before they go after someone, who has a chance of being innocent.
2. “Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
This statement is important because we must always be kind toe veryone, which includes not being prejudice against them. If we show that type of behavior, people who are coming into this country to find this freedom we preech about will be dissapointed, their confidence in America will be lost. They would most likely continue our bad behavior, and continue the cycle of racism. Also, our ancestors did fight hard for our freedom; for us to be living this way. We shouldn’t be misusing it. This applies to our social situations a lot because people would generally be a lot more happier, and everyone would be getting along for the most part. Racism just needs to end.
3. “We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent.”
Since we are the m ost comfortable country of them all, we need to look at other countries and help improve them, to make our world a better place. This applies to our political sitiuations because our government should get off their high end and take a look at the people; not spend money on nonessential things for themeslves when people around the world are starving. An example of this is during world war II, government officials weregiving the “X card”for gasoline. That basically means that they can get gas whenever. They don’t need this, its only a selfish perk for themselves. America needs to share the wealth, and the world would be a much happier place.
LEAH JACKSONNNNNNNN
1)"We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another".
This in a way, still happens today. Some people are accused of beingg terrorists because of what they look like and where they are from. Innocent people are put on trial because of stupid and false stereotypes caused by fear. There are still some people who think that just because you wear a turban, you're a terrorist. It's wrong and must be stopped. Fear isn't the only thing that causes these accusations. Prejudice also plays a big part too.
2)"Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
The prejudice continues as people are told that they're bad people because they think and feel differently. They're viewed even worse and are looked upon as a threat when they start standing up for what they believe in. As these people are taken down by the government or whoever else, the other people lose their confidence and are now afraid to say anything. Then it all comes down to lying about who you are or even changing who you are to avoid the risks of conflict and being prosecuted.
3)"But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late."
Every country's government hides the truth from its people. They'll create lies and things the people want to hear so the citizens won't worry. If the people knew the truth about what is going on, the government would be in trouble because it's people would start to be afraid. The government wants to feel and be in control, and if the citizens are happy and think that the government is in control then all the better.
Elise Lieberman
3/22/07
5th Hour
First Statement: "We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law."
This statement from the 1st speech is similar to political and social situations today. Other than news stations there are tabloids and other magaizines that hold false information accusing and convicting people of false things. Besides tabloids, in everyday life rumors about people are spread and believed even though there is sometimes no evidence. I think this statement from the speech is almost like a rule or life lesson. The statement teaches that you should not always believe what you hear. No one is guilty until proven guilty.
Second statement: "Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . ."
I think this statement is important and also is applied to our world today. I think this statment means that for every action there is a reaction, which is very much like todays world. The statement is almost saying don't do something that is wrong and not expect to get in trouble for it. In todays world an example of this is the "War on Terror". The war began because of 9/11 and the things that happened to our country, for their action we had a reaction (even though war is not always the answer).
Third statement:"Our history will be what we make it."
This statement from the third speech not only applies to todays world, but anything that happens in the future. The statment explains that a decision you make today could affect the rest of your life. This statment also applies to the war becasue something our country does today could affect us in the long run.
I think all the speeches from "Good Night and Good Luck" sent across a great message and taught life lessons.
Shayna S.
My first quote is “We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another.” This quote relates to today because after 911 people did not look at Arabs the same. People were prejudice towards them because they believed that since Arabs participated in the terrorist attack that all were terrorists, when they had no evidence at all. This relates to McCarthyism because people were accused of being communist when they really were not.
My second quote is “Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought." This quote relates to the patriot act because after 911, the government started tapping phone lines. This makes people lose confidence in each other and the government similar to the McCarthy time period.
My 3rd quote is “We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent. We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late.” Television shows now does not depict life the way it really is. Many reality shows are not real reality and are not like real life. It is our way now of hiding how real life really is. Eventually however, we do see life the way it really is.
Allison LaSota
5th
1)We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
This quote I think is very important because it is a question that is always debated all over and usually in my own household. At this time, it was talking about all the foreign aid the U.S. was currently involved in, but the fight against communism was going out of control inside the U.S. Now, there are so many problems going on in the U.S. that a lot of people can't help but think that more of our money should be spent helping our own U.S. citizens. The poor, sick, and the suffering need the help of the government but they are looked over. I think that the U.S is hypocritical for saying that we are "defending freedom" overseas when we can't even defend the freedom of it's own citizens.I think that the government should fight for the wellness of it's own country before trying to improve the wellness of other countries.
2)If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox — if we deny the essence of racial equality then hundreds of millions in Asia and Africa who are shopping about for a new allegiance will conclude that we are concerned to defend a myth and our present privileged status.
This quote is important because it is important that the governemt doesn't take away the rights of its citizens. Just because people have difernet opinions or views, we can't ostracize them. So many people had to fight against adversity to be heard, but without them there wouldn't have been so many discoveries made. Like when the earth was found to be round not flat, he was persecuted but he ended up being right in the end. We can't shrug off peoples opinions because they are different or a little controversial. And we can't cause injustices to others because of race or religion, because then we would be going against the whole american way in saying that "all men are created equal." In that way, the U.S. is again hypocritical in that way because we say that, but they are so many injustices due to race that is displayed everywhere.
3)Our history will be what we make it.
Although this is a very simple and short statement, I think that it isn't one to be overlooked. I think that is is such an important message and is something you should always be thinking about. the future will be what we make it. What we do today in this world will reflect on what the next generation does. How I act will be how I teach my children to act. So most importantly, the way the government is running the country now will be the world our children live in. I don't want them to live in a world with war and fear and destruction. What we do now can drastically change the world. The government needs to do something today so that we can have a better tomorrow.
colleen m
"We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine; and remember that we are not descended from fearful men."
unfortunately fear seems to be the most common political weapon in our days. we already found out during our propaganda campaign that fear is a good method to control the people. the only problem is that this fear turns into hate if you're not careful enough. a good example for how fear influences American politics is, that in nearly every single presidential election that was held during a war the incumbent was reelected. of course i wouldn't say that presidents started a war just to stay in the white house but it seems a bit conspicuous that george walker started the iraq war at the time before elections. This mood of fear can be found in so many places that is alarming. if you just look around you can find so much propaganda; even if it's not obvious in the beginning. as an example just watch one of the major news channels and you will find the terror alert level. i mean does this information help you to manage your daily life? do you stay at home and don't go to work? no it just creates this mood of fear that makes you support government's plans without questioning why they do this. "it's for the national security." and that is what politicians want you to believe.
"Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
America was found as a free country which stood for hope and the freedom of all people. this freedom was based on equal opportunity and therefore also on the right of every person to believe in whatever they thought was right. many immigrants came to the U.S. because of religious persecution. it should not be prohibited to stand up for something you believe in; if it is religion or politics. Limiting these freedoms doesn't mean in every case persecution by the government. Limiting these freedoms could already be seen as giving religious minorities not the possibilities to exercise their services, or trying to stop demonstrations of communists.
"We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this."
One of the main issues about American politics i recognized pretty early was that it is nearly impossible to find an objective view about what is going on in the world and especially in the U.S. depending on the source you use you get either a really conservative or a hard-core liberal opinion and i think it is hard for people like me who don't know much about American politics to make up your own mind. my host family for example is ultra-conservative and therefore every evening during dinner we watch fox news one of the most conservative networks. i suppose that i'm already hardly influenced by these ideas without knowing the counter pole on the liberal site. this kind of manipulation is something the mass media was used for in the 1950/60's and it still is today. it is a great source of entertainment and education but you can't forget about that any information you are given on TV are made by people; and of course these people tend to tell you just one side of the story.
-Martin S.
See it Now broadcast, March 9 1954
“We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result”.
These day’s people are constantly changing themselves just to fit in, or be accepted. Some people go as far as to calling people out of their names. For instance after the September 11 occurrence, people who looked like they were of middle-eastern decent were discriminated against. Yes, what the terrorist did was very wrong, however innocent man, women, and children, didn’t have any control over their actions.
Ford Fiftieth Anniversary Show, CBS and NBC, June 1953
"If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox, we are concerned to defend a myth and our present privileged status”
If your thinking too much about pleasing people, and what people think of you, than your probably not going to amount to all you could be. In school, and everywhere we go, people try and be a zebra (blend in with the crowd), Fearing that if they don’t go along with things than they be an outsider. In some way’s I believe Hitler did the same thing. I believe he wanted to fit in, so he would be accepted, and become more powerful.
Speech at Radio-Television News Directors Association, Chicago, October 15, 1958.
“But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late.”
A lot of people seem to be window shoppers. They’ll buy something if the right important person say’s it expresses it in any way. You could tell them 50 million times about getting off their butts to go out and do something about the different things that happen in the world daily. People seem to take advantage of watching TV, and going window shopping. They wait, wait, and wait to get up, and sometimes get out and make a difference in the world.
Imani Roberson
# 5 hr.
1) “We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result.”
I think this quote means that we can deny what we are and where we came from but we can’t getaway from the consequences of our past. We can not escape the responsibilities of our ancestor’s actions no matter how hard we try. We will always have our history and we have to learn to live with it and own up to the responsibility that comes with it.
2) Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
I think this quote means that each time we deny someone their freedom or limit their actions in anyway we are losing the trust of the people in our country. We talk all the time about how America is the land of the free but when we don’t let certain people have that freedom we are basically lying to every one. Our ancestors fought in the Revolutionary War to be free from Britian, and then the Civil War so that eventually blacks could be free. Then when we turn around and say, no that person can’t do that because of their race or culture or belifs then we are forgetting our history.
3) We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent. We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late.
I think this quote means that right now we are happy, and worry free and that we can’t deal with bad information. It’s like as soon as we hear something bad we immediately freak out and over react. The media knows this and uses it to their advantage. Until we realize this televison and everyone else who works in the media will keep using us. Unfortunatly we may relaize it too late to do anything about it.
Claire M.
5th hour
We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
I personally feel like this applies to us today---we joined a war without invitation in order to “protect our country” and help restore our feeling of national security after 9/11, amongst other reasons, and yet it has been four years and I don’t feel any safer. We have found no WMDs and we are only upsetting the Iraqi people now that Saddam Hussein is gone. The lives of 3,000 American citizens and at least $200 billion, if not more, are now gone and we will never be able to get them back. We could have put that money into something here in our country where it would eventually benefit each citizen all the while helping protect ourselves. But what will we get from spending it on an overseas war? Nothing.
“Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
This is a very strong statement that I think our leaders ought to strive more to live by and keep in mind when they vote on things that affect the people of the US. Our country is nothing like what it was when it was founded and the Declaration of Independence signed in many ways, but to me many of the freedoms and rights that we based our country upon no longer exist. And the point this quote makes about people losing confidence when those freedoms or rights are lost is completely factual, and I firsthand can say I know how that feels. Why did we put so much effort, why did we fight for our fair and just government if we weren’t going to stick to it? If we don’t stay close to the principles our country was based on we are bound to end up divided again.
“This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends.”
The relation of this quote to today’s society is humorous because we as Americans live our lives around TV. Sadly, this quote was referring to the news aspect of TV, and not the grey’s-lost-desperate housewives-american idol side of it. Today we rely on sitcoms to entertain us but I don’t know many people my age who sit down and watch the news for two minutes, let alone an hour. This quote applies here in a different way than it would have during the time period of Good Night and Good Luck but it still applies—my generation has no motivation to take advantage of learning through watching the news or programs that question our government. The last time I watched anything on a news channel was the gubernatorial debates, and before that, who knows. This quote makes a lot of sense-we can only be inspired and learn when we use our resources to do so.
“We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.”
The local news with its sensational reporting and flimsy factual basis for its news stories often contributes to erroneous conclusions by the viewing public. It is critical that all of the facts of a situation be looked at carefully before drawing conclusions. Our constitution guarantees every citizen due process of law. Every person has the right to defend him or her self before an unbiased jury of their peers against accusations. Despite the fact that the whole world knew and had read about the atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein, he was still given the opportunity to defend himself in a court of law, before being convicted.
Our legal system should continuously be refined so as to guarantee that innocent people are not wrongfully judged.
“Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
The U.S. constitution grants many rights to the people of America that many other countries in the world don’t even dream of having. Many Americans take these rights for granted because they have never experienced life without them. The U.S. would not be the world power it is today if not for the rights of the American people. For instance, some people in other countries are killed for voicing their opinion.
Our freedoms are to be cherished and not taken for granted and we must constantly remind ourselves of the sacrifices that our society and people have endured over the years to allow us to enjoy what every human being on the planet Earth should have. Freedom.
“We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent.”
Most people do not realize what kinds of mayhem are occurring in the world today. People take the status of the U.S. for granted. People in the U.S. complain when they have a bad day, whereas people in other countries have never had a good day in their lives.
Andrew Wehbe 6th
1- "We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law."
This statement is important because it is the basis of our legal system today. Now you cannot accuse someone of doing something and think your right unless you have evidence to proove it. Innocent people cannot be thrown into jail because someone acused them of doing something. That individual needs evidence to proove that he did something wrong and needs to be thrown into jail.
2- "Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
I believe that this statement is important because it applies to our freedom as a U.S. citizen. Right now George Bush is invading our privacy and our freedom. He is tapping our cell phone/house phone calls and reading our emails. I believe this is a big invasion of one personal privacy because he thinks that by tapping our calls he will be able to find terrist acts. This could work and help the united states out to avoid another terrorist attack, but also it could accuse innocent people with terrorist links.
3. "We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent"
Everything said in this statement applies to the United States today. Currently we are the fattest nation in the worl, and that is not something to be proud of. We do have a number of weathly people in the united states but also a number of people who can barely afford to live with all the bills they have to pay now adays.
1) "We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law."
This statement can be applied to our world and the social situation today. This is because one of the very most important rights that every person in this country has is the right to a fair trial. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. People have to keep in mind at all times that blaming is not fact because not everyone is always truthful about these things. Guilt relies on proof since it isn't fair to just assume people are guilty when there is no hard evidence.
2) "Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
This statement can also be applied to our world and the social situation. This is because the most basic concept of this country is freedom. Freedom is what people think of when they think of America. Therefore, by denying people that freedom we would be letting them down and ruining everyone's confidence in this country. The whole reason the United States was even created was that so people would have the freedom to do what they wanted without being punished unfairly.
3) "We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information."
Lastly, this statement can be applied to our world, too. This is because many people are oblivious to what is going on around them. They take all the comforts that they have for granted and don't even think about the people who have so much less. For example, many in third-world countries are starving to death in the streets and rich people here aren't doing anything about it. This doesn't apply to everyone, but a shocking amount of people just don't even realize how well off they are.
Kaitlyn M.
Well I didn't have enough words in my last comment, so I'll just add to it.
The "accusation is not proof" statement rings true to this day. There was a similar situation in one of my academic classes. Money had been stolen, and the situation became a witch hunt. The school's "authorities" were dragging students in to interogate them. They treated everyone like a suspect, and when it came to my turn, I was completely blown away. I had never been treated this way, like I had already committed the crime. I was their supposed "prime suspect" based on he-said-she-said proof. This not only hurt me, but this scarred my reputation. My dignity and honor was at stake because of accusation. I lost respect for those who interrogated me, and although I did not commit the crime, I felt like I had. I was ashamed.
So to link this to the Red Scare, I can't imagine how ashamed and humiliated these victims must have felt. They must have felt betrayed by the government, by their own country. I can't imagine the amount of shame and pain they faced from friends and family. Our country has committed many crimes, but this ranks high. We cannot erase history, but we can learn from it. Right now, Bush is listening in on phone calls and emails "accusing" others of unproven crimes. How fair and decent is that?
We need to prevent what may escalate into another Red Scare.
~Chelsea R.
5th Hour
“It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one” This quote from See it Now broadcast is an example that we should follow today in our world. Our legislatures often go too far and end up hurting people in the process. What they really need to do is slow down so they can properly acess the situation before doing any major damage with persecution. “Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us.” Our government is taking away many of our rights in order to become safer and have the citzens of the United States of America feel more safe. How far are we willing to go? The government will start taking away our rights as citizens just for our safety. Soon we will have no rights left as citizens and our safety, might not have changed at all. Our ancestors fought for those rights and we are throwing them away back to the government for safety. It is up to us, to change how the government is acting upon our society today. “Responsibility is not something that can be assigned or delegated.” Although many people do not believe what they hear or see on the televison is not true, it may be to some extent. Many television stations broadcast news that can be controversal to today’s society. This means that the contreversy will give their station more publicity when really, people just want to hear whats going on. The television will never stop making an impact on the people in our society. The television conforms many people to not only believing things but changing things about themselves to better fit their own society.
-Evie C. 6th Hour
1)"It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one and the junior senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly."
I believe this statement does apply to the world today because if someone in congress is constently allowed to make accusations about other people and get away with it, then they will do it repeatedly. I think all accusations should be investigated fully and given solid proof and persecution shouldn't be allowed for any reason. Constant persecutions can cause huge problems in society and cause fear in everyone's lives.
2)"Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in the country costs us the..... confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought"
I believe this statement means that if America denies freedom or limits the life of someone because of where they came from, their gender, race, abilities, etc. they are going against what people before us fought so hard to get. They give false advertisments about how much freedom you can have in America but there is still problems today that limits ones freedom. This statement still applies today and should be considered in the lives of each American citizen.
3)"There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerence, and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful."
I think that this applies to society today because T.V. can be used to show the realness of life as we live and also be used to show a fluffier life of what we want life to be like. T.V. can make people believe all kinds of things and can change emotions of people in a heart beat. T.V. is the most dominant weapon because of its ability to show and play so much to touch the lives of millions.
Adriel O.
5th hr.
1st Statement: “We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result.”
This statement is saying that we can tell everyone something else but the real truth is that we can’t weasel our way out of what really happened. We can tell lies saying that we had nothing to do with anything but might have happened and they could believe us. However when the real results come up we might be the only that could have done something so they would find out about us not being truthful.
2nd Statement: "Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
This statement is important because if we pass laws and acts that will keep the American people from certain rights then people might get upset and question the freedom of everyone. However some things that people say are not appropriate and should not be tolerated. Our ancestors fought for freedom and inviduality and if we deny people that then we are forgetting what America was based upon.
3rd Statement: “We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent.”
This statement is saying that America is the wealthiest, most easy living country in the world. We eat too much because we like to eat. We are comfortable because that’s what feels good. We complain because were greedy, and we are wealthy because we work hard. America is so many different things and so many different aspects are put into perspective.
Jeff Kohl
#1 “We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine; and remember that we are not descended from fearful men.”
I think that the statement is false when it say’s that “We will not be driven by fear…” I belive that many people are driven by fear today. Many teens today live in fear. Many people fear in school that if they don’t do well in their class they won’t get into the collage they want and then their parents will be unhappy. Or many teens fear that if they don’t don’t wear certain clothes and act a certain why then they might be reject by their peers. Another type of fear today could be fear of government. For example people might fear that their telephone lines and e-mails are being read by the government to find clues of people who could be terrorists.
#2 “Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
When the first colonists came to America they came for the main purpose of have freedom and independence from the British government. Many immigrants come for that same purpose today. But went the government starts taking things away such as privacy they are denying a individual’s freedom which our ancestors fought for.
#3 “This weapon of television could be useful."
If you told a person that the television was a source of propaganada problely half of the people would agree with you the other have would not. That half that don’t agree with are the type of people that the broadcasters want. These are the people that will believe everything they see on the T.V and will be easily persuaded.
Emily B.
1) "We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result."
This statement applies a lot to today's society and the situations we are going through today. It's saying that we can hide who we really are, but the actions and reactions we've been through will still be there on the inside. All of us make mistakes and there are sometimes consequences for those mistakes. We can deny that the mistakes never happened. But, the consequence that was given will still be lingering in the deep shadows. An example would be of 9/11. The Arabs can try to deny that it was their nation who bombed the world trade centers, but they can't erase the fact that most Americans think it was them. Now they get discriminated against.
2)"...we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox..."
This statement is also important in today's society. It's important in the way that we still feel this way in today's society. We don't like it when people are different and have different views and beliefs. We don't want anybody to be wrong or disagree. It's like we aren't even following our own amendments, like freedom of speech and religion. I don't think it's fair to America at all because if we don't want others to voice their opinions, then how can we learn anything new. We need to learn how to open up and accept new ideas.
3)"Responsibility is not something that can be assigned or delegated."
In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, responsible means liable to be called upon to give satisfaction. This is saying that responsibility is earned and not given to you just because. You have to earn one's responsibility. We have to show random acts that can tell if we are responsible or not. Responsibility is not like a homework assignment that you turn in the the next day. It's something that you keep forever, but you have to learn hoe to use it the right way.
Eboni Bell
5th Hour
1. We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine; and remember that we are not descended from fearful men. Not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular.
I think that statement is referring to many inaccurate judgments that are placed on different people or groups of people and most of the time these judgments are false and irrational. I have experienced many situations similar to the one Mr. Murrows was describing. In my daily life I notice that so many of my peers are extremely quick to judge others that they might not know. People are very quick to assume things that don’t matter or things that are untrue accusations. The second part of the statement refers to the fact that if we let other people think that the accusations are true then we are just as guilty as the accuser.
2.If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox — if we deny the essence of racial equality then hundreds of millions in Asia and Africa who are shopping about for a new allegiance will conclude that we are concerned to defend a myth and our present privileged status.
This statement is similar to the first by that of saying that untrue accusations, assumptions, or judgments are horrible but this statement explains that the consequence is ours in the fact that we deny the individual to be seen as they want to be seen and as they are for who they are. This has to do with today’s world because with the 9/11 so many people have stereotyped that all people from the Middle East are terrorists, which is totally untrue, and because we feel safe in America we make accusations because we don’t recognize that others don’t have the same privileges as we do.
3.I have reason to know, as do many of you, that when the evidence on a controversial subject is fairly and calmly presented, the public recognizes it for what it is--an effort to illuminate rather than to agitate.
The statement is very true. It is saying that if the information is presented in a way that is very fair then the public will take it for what it is. If there is a lot of hype on a specific topic than the public is unsure how to take it and makes their judgments on it. So many people do that. For example, if a person has been committing horrible crimes such as Martha Stewart with her insider trading people would not be influenced if she weren’t a public figure but because she is and people already didn’t think of her as a role model they gave her more grief than she deserved in some aspects.
-Mariah V.
5th Hour
# 1: achievement has been in confusing the public mind, as between the internal and the external threats of Communism.
This statement is important to today's world because, there is so much corruption in the goverments of the US. They try not to use the term lie but they od twist the polices that they are tying to promote in order to win the hearts if the voters. Today, the big scandal is with terrosim and Bush. He has lead us to create a powerful hate against a country, but now they sre discovering that it may not have been true.
#2 We deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox
This statement applies to today's life because it describes the people. Although the Constitution promotes many freedoms thereby promting individualism, in the eye of the public these people are said to be unrest or trouble makers. Why would you allow free speech in a country, but then arrest protestors. Why would you give a promise to privacy, but then go and install tapping devices into a citizens home. Why would you make a promise that could not be kept.
#3We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent
This statement is to relivent becasue it describes American life today almost perfectly. We, as a country, have become so rich and spoiled that we have grown bored. And in our boredom we decieded that' hey we should go pick on some smaller poorer countries. What's Iraq up to?'. Just as a bully would do in elementary school.
A.Lewis
US History 6
“We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result.” When I read this quote there is only one thing that came to mind, Iraq and September 11. We were attacked in 2001 on our own soil by people that hate Americans. They would do anything to bring us down. Although it has been almost 6 years since this happened, we cannot or will not forget. We have constant reminders of what happened on that day because of the Iraq war that is still going on. After 9/11, we did not “escape”. We fought back for the ones that lost their lives and families. We seek revenge. So as a result we are in Iraq until we fix our problems and get revenge.
“Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought." This quote is directed at slavery and where we are right now with stereotypes. Men and especially woman deal everyday with stereotypes. Being looked at like they are not good enough or that type of person is better than you is a stereotype many people deal with. Three of the stereotypes that are most hurtful to people are boys are better than girls, blondes are stupid and lastly black vs. white in society. Our country has come along way from blacks vs. white. When whites controlled blacks it was called slavery. It took years to end slavery and some people still have not gotten over that. When one person does something wrong and they get in trouble for It people lose the confidence to speak because they don’t want to ruin what generations of people suffered for us to be like this today.
“We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent.” There is a good chunk of people that resemble these four things. There also might be a good chunk of people that are maybe a couple of these things. If these select people would get out in the world to see how people live check by check, or working 2 or 3 jobs. Only of handful of people will do something about it. Some people are like this and that is why our economy may be bad or how the schools are struggling to buy things for our future leaders. People need to get out there and see what really matters.
Megan T-6th hour
1.)"As a nation we have come into our full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home." I think that this quote means, as a nation we become more intelligent over time. We proclaim ourselfs, as what we are that we defend freedom,anywhere it needs to be protected in the world. But we can not leave our country deserted from freedom to fight for some other country to have it. I think that it relates to our world today because since we are over in Iraq we are kind of losing some freedoms of people here in our country. Men are coming back half destroyed because of the fighting over seas. WE have been there for 4 years now and yes we have created some freedoms for their people, but there is stil alot to be done and we are not sure how much longer it will take and how many men will die in the process.
2.) "If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox.." I think that this quote means that if we are disloyal and if we deny the right any person to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthdox. WE go against what our country is about. Our country is based on freedom, and freedom consists of freedom of speech. And if we take the right away from people to be unpopular, and basically be their own person you are taking away that freedom.
3.)We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent. We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information." I think that this quote means, that America is one of the most "comfortable" countries. America is the strongest country and it is our job to help others to become as strong or even stronger. But before we handel other countries issues we still need to solve are own. Our country I think, does not give enough effort to our homeless and to other nessary things that we should handle in our country, to make our country even more "comfortable" with itself. If we are more comfortable within our country then we will be more comfortable to help other countries with their promblems, and be able to give our all to them. AND be able to help them more successfully then we do now.
ALexandra Stender
5th hr
1. "No one familiar with the history of this country can deny that congressional committees are useful."
2. "if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine; and remember that we are not descended from fearful men."
3. "Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
The first statement I choose is certainly a statement that applies to today, and how we discuss the issues that occur in the lives of Americans everyday. Congressional commities are key to getting imput from the average American, then making a choice on the issue. These commities evaluate information and give possible solutions like a "mini legislature."
Secondly, I think this statement is very true, but I question the fear of our government today. Back then, people like Jefferson and Franklin were innovators and weren't afraid to get away from a traditional standard, just look at our constitution. It is one of a kind, and was made in a time where people were killed for thought like that. Another example would be our American Literature history which is certainly not decended from fearful men. Writers like Edgar Allen Poe and Ralph Waldo Emerson were brave enough in a time where men were also killed if they spoke out against the government. They also brought new structure, or lack-there-of, and new ideas to American Literature.
I think that today, Bush is scared. If I was Bush today, I certainly would be too. You should be scared if the majority of the world doesn't like you or support you, and over 1/3 would like to see you dead. I think the U.S. is fearful about many other things today as well. Heck, we are afraid to speak our minds at times just because it might affend a certain community or group.
Lastly I think that the last quote also applies today. It applies because if people are denied freedom, they are going to lack confidence. For example, Gay and Lesbian marrige. That community lacks confidence in their minds because the government won't grant them certain right. So what do the Gay people do? - They question it, protest it, and then say to themselves im never going to have that right.
Jordan N.
5th hour.
1) "We will not walk in fear, one of another."
Personally in a world today this is impossible. We are in a unsafe world where its hard to be able to walk the streets and think your okay. I believe that there are more criminals out of jail than in jail. You can't just send your 3 year old down the street to play on the playground without something happening. This isn't only for little kids either, adults aren't safer than kids are. I think we need to start helping each other than killing each other.
2)"Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
To me this basically means that America is known as a free country. I agree with a couple people that talk about people coming to America just to look for freedom and once they get here not have it. Why don't we be what we say we are. Why would we want to ruin something that our ancestors struggled for? Something they dreamed of all their lives and some weren't able to see.Instead of destroying it, we want to continue being the best that we can be and encourageing people to want to come to a free country.
3)“We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent." "But unless we get up off our fat surpluses"
Americans need to realize that we are more wealthier than other countries and its about that time to stop thinkin about oursleves and start helping other countries. Then the word "fat" in my understanding is coming from the obesity of the world. We ARE becoming fat and comfortable and i think we need to get up off our butts and do something. Make a change for once. Start eating more healthier.
Ciara Embry-Brown
6th hour
1. " We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law"
I think this statement is very important because people are not always guilty until proven. This is very important peoiple are sometimes accused of things but never did anything. The process of law makes sure you are given a fair trial. I feel this is very good because without a fair trial and the process of law people can get cheated in the world. World powers like Bush also make acusations about things in iraq that arent true and it shows that the process law can sometimes may not be used.
2. “Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the confidence of men and women"
When people are constatly denied there normal freedoms it drops people's hopes of this country. The confidence in America is very high right now but when we hit a bad spot peoples confidence drop. In 9/11 people didnt have confidence in the country and people lost hope in the country. The freedom we have now is good but it can turn at anytime and we can lose are confidence in the goverment.
3. "We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent."
This is true we are a country that has most things dont have. We are ahead in time then most of the other countries around us. We are comfortable right now but anything can happend in the future. So we need to be on the lookout for anything. We are one of the fattest countires in the world so we need to cut down on food. The fatness in the world in just gonna increase and is one of the leading causes of deaths in the world. We need to look at that and do something about this obesity. We are to comforatbale counrty and need to change some things so we can stay calm and complausive.
Aston Williams ~
6th Hour
"the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one"
This quote is talking about all the false accusations that have been made by ploitical leaders throughtout history. Like when bush invaded our privacy by tapping into our phone lines because he was checking for terrorists. He was accusing us without proving anything.
"Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
This quote means every person we deny because of their race, religion,or political view will cost us something of great importance. It will ruin and dishonor all that our ancestors fought for. We fight for freedom of who we are and if we judge one another then what we fight for everyday wont mean anything.
"We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent"
I think this quote shows how our economy changes so fast. You should never get comfortable of how you are doing in the world. There is someone who is always suffering in our economy and we should take notice and help. Just becuase we are doing well does not mean we relax or ignore everything that we think is not important. Take everything in and use it to better yourself.
Hannah Burch
Hour:5th
"the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one"
This quote is talking about all the false accusations that have been made by ploitical leaders throughtout history. Like when bush invaded our privacy by tapping into our phone lines because he was checking for terrorists. He was accusing us without proving anything.
"Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
This quote means every person we deny because of their race, religion,or political view will cost us something of great importance. It will ruin and dishonor all that our ancestors fought for. We fight for freedom of who we are and if we judge one another then what we fight for everyday wont mean anything.
"We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent"
I think this quote shows how our economy changes so fast. You should never get comfortable of how you are doing in the world. There is someone who is always suffering in our economy and we should take notice and help. Just becuase we are doing well does not mean we relax or ignore everything that we think is not important. Take everything in and use it to better yourself.
Hannah Burch
Hour:5th
"We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason"
This quote means that Humans should not be fearful of making statements, for these statements might be useful in defending or representing the ideas that are important. Fear can deter us from speaking up, but it shouldn't, in the case we are right.
If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox — if we deny the essence of racial equality then hundreds of millions in Asia and Africa who are shopping about for a new allegiance will conclude that we are concerned to defend a myth and our present privileged status"
This quote means that other countries who look up to us will be detered from making friends with us because they will see that we are living in a state of fear and chaos. If we cannot be wrong, no one will say anything at all.
We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information.
This Quote means that our nation is so wealthy and stuck up, that any disturbing truth can upset us. We need to realize the truth, and accept it for what it is.
Andy Rovinski
6th Hour
This is from the broadcast See it Now “It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one”.This is an example and i think we still follow this. Our legislature is sorry. They try to do too much and often mess it all up. They need to just calm down and think stuff through and ask the people before they do stuff. “Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us.” Our goverment makes policies to make this goverment safer but in the mean time the policies take some of our rights away. How far is the government going take this? I think all these policies are going to take us to no rights at all because everything they make takes atlest 1 right away from pretty much. We fought for those rights with fresh and bllod and we just going to give them up just because the goverment says that they for safety. The goverment has to revolve around us not them. “Responsibility is not something that can be assigned or delegated.” The stuff we watch on t.v we all know that they mostly be lying but we usually dont do anything bout it. If the Television will tell the their wont be so much contreversy over nothing because the people will know wahats up. All the contreversy just gives tv more publicity. The television will never stop making an impact on the people in our society so why not tell the truth.
Gil Clark
6th Hour
1'We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty.'
The point of this is to tell people that just because someone believes in communism, does not mean that they will be unloyal to the U.S. Murrow's speech is meant to tell people that although a person may have had something to do with communism in the past or present, they shouldn't lose everything because America's afraid of them telling secrets.
2'Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the...confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought.'
This statement in the speech is very important and pretty much sums up its purpose. If we make laws or look down on people for their individualism, people will be uncomfortable. Individualism is what really sets our country apart. We have people from all over and they have just the same rights as people who were born here. If we made laws that made people uncomfortable to be individuals, we wouldn't have half of the things we do today. There are many minorities who have invented usful things, and if they were uncomfortable they wouldn't have stepped up and talked about their ideas.
3'We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information...But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television and those who finance it, those who look at it and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late.'
Out of all of the quotes this one applies to our country the most. We really do have a built-in allergy to things we find disturbing, especially on television. If we are watching something that bothers us, all we have to do is change the channel. This is the way most people handle things that they find disturbing in our world, but its very wrong. If one sees something on t.v., like the hurricaine disasters, and just say 'oh, that's too bad' and change the channel, its never going to get better. People need to help change what they find disturbing instead of just a quick fix for themselves.
Lauren Lounsbery
Choose three statements – one from each speech – and discuss how each of your statements can be applied to our world and the political or social situations today
"We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another".
I think that this quote is directed at todays world. President Bush is making accusitions instead of proof to justify his accusitions.There are still some people who think that just because you wear a turban, you're a terrorist. It's wrong and must be stopped. Fear isn't the only thing that causes these accusations. Prejudice also plays a big part too.
“We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent.”
This applies to our political sitiuations because our government should get off their high end and take a look at the people; not spend money on nonessential things for themeslves when people around the world are starving. An example of this is during world war II, government officials weregiving the “X card”for gasoline. That basically means that they can get gas whenever. They don’t need this, its only a selfish perk for themselves. America needs to share the wealth, and the world would be a much happier place.
“It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly.”
If everyone can follow this guidleine, we would be living in a much more peaceful world. This applies to a political situation because our government needs to grasp this knowledge firmly before they go after someone, who has a chance of being innocent.
KING CARR, 6th hour
1) “We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result.” To me this means that we can always forget our heritage and how America became what it is today, but in the long run you can’t. Cause if you do so then you will be living a lie to your friend, your family, and to the whole community.
2) “Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individuals in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought." Overall I think this means that every time we mess up together, we are forcing ourselves to be weaker than before. Also by messing up we are destroying what our ancestors created for us.
3) “Our history will be what we make it.” I think this mean that if we want to make a good name for ourselves then we have to try and think before we act.
-Kellie H.
1.“We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law”
Now that september 11th has happened people are always very conserned with flying and people are always judging people on there aperience. People now adays look at people and lets say they are arib, people judge them constantly. That’s not fair to those people but that’s just how it is even if it is wrong. In this quote it is saying that people make accusations that’s may not be write. People have no proof that say these people could of done something wrong but sence they fit the discription on what the people looked like on september 11th they feel they are alowed to make these acuzations. This statement is also sayign you must have proof to say that sumone is guilty. This means that people that see people at air ports, see people that look different can just say they have done something wrong because of the way they look, they need to have proof.
2. “Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
When people do stupid things or things that could indanger other, or go against the laws, that limits everybody else from doing thinsg that we used to do. This quote is telling us that people of other peoples actions, we suffer. A great example of this is september 11th because sence thos people did suck a stupid thing we now have to wait for hours to get onto are planes. We also can not bring a lot of things that we used to be able to bring on plane, on to the planes any more. We don’t have the same provlages that we used to because of other peoples actions.
3. “Our history will be what we make it”
this qote is telling us that’s its are disition now that will make what happens. I think an example of this is the u.s. going in to iraq, and we decide what we want to do over there so we are deciding a whole lot of peoples history. I was confuesed with the whole television part but I think its also saying like, what people put on Tv is what we will have to remember our history and they are deciding that for us.
Erin D
1.We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result.
This quote is true. If we continue to deny things it doesn’t do any good in the end we still have to follow our responsibilities for the results of our actions. This applies to today also, we are dealing with consequences.
2. Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought.
This quote is true to today. We shouldn’t deny or limit anyones freedom. It does cost us in the long run because we need the brains and determination of all citizens to keep this country self sufficient.
3. There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference.
This quote to me is the most important out of them all. I think this is why America has a lot of problems in it’s society. Many people are ignorant and extremely intolerant to anyone or anything different to their beliefs.
~Brandi B.
5th Hour
1."We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another".
Americans are STILL struggling with this. Tabloids and newspapers are constantly making insinuations about people. If not that, we ourselves are suspicous of others. People are constantly sterotyped and accused of being terrorists or murderorsor drug dealers based on non-substantial information. In some ways it's understandable, becuase after 9/11 especially, people were scared!! We were so scared that it could be anyone, our own neighbors or friends. But fear is no excuse for ignorance.
2. “Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
This reminds me of the patriot act. After 9/11 the goverment took it upon themselves to have the ability to tap phones and other types of things. Everybody started being suspicious of the government. People didn't feel as comfortable, they werent as loose with what they said because they dont know who all is listrening, and what they might be accused of as a result of that.
3. "Our history is waht we make it"
Although this quote is simple, i think it's powerful and meaningful as well. The future will be-whatever we choose it to be. If we want our children to be reading about death and destruction, than that is what we will make it-and vice versa. The way that we act now is going to influence the world for the rest of time. The goverment officials that we choose, adn the way that our goverment is run is going to affect the future of america, the america that our children and grandchidlren are going to live in. It's hard to think about the future in such a far away tense-but it's crucial to the success of America.
crystal Schein
6th hour
1)"It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly."
This applies to now because you still need to investigate before coming to conclusions. Without investigating you really have no proof of what you are saying, which would make a trial basically worthless.
2) "If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox”
This applies to today, but that is not why I choose it. The reason I picked this quote is because this is a very valid statement, and can be often forgotten. If you confuse dissent with disloyalty people could be improperly charged with a lot of things. The confusion could be the difference between guilty and non-guilty.
3) “We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent. We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information”
This is maybe one of the best analogies I have heard about Americans. This is a very true thing. Americans have become so lazy that we are the fattest nation on earth. I think its amazing what people look like, its unfortunate how unhealthy people have gotten from working all nighters and whatnot. People that work 24/7 are forced to eat fast food and become obese. I think that it is ridiculous for that reason. A good job can mean you get fatter, that is absurd.
1)"It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly."
This applies to now because you still need to investigate before coming to conclusions. Without investigating you really have no proof of what you are saying, which would make a trial basically worthless.
2) "If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox”
This applies to today, but that is not why I choose it. The reason I picked this quote is because this is a very valid statement, and can be often forgotten. If you confuse dissent with disloyalty people could be improperly charged with a lot of things. The confusion could be the difference between guilty and non-guilty.
3) “We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent. We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information”
This is maybe one of the best analogies I have heard about Americans. This is a very true thing. Americans have become so lazy that we are the fattest nation on earth. I think its amazing what people look like, its unfortunate how unhealthy people have gotten from working all nighters and whatnot. People that work 24/7 are forced to eat fast food and become obese. I think that it is ridiculous for that reason. A good job can mean you get fatter, that is absurd.
Ryan D - 6th
I chose the third speech. This speech holds true today as it did during the time of Good Night and Good Luck. Ed Murrow brought the brutal truth to the American people, the fact that we are all sheilded from everything that could plague our pure American minds. I say let us be plagued with uncomfortable information, we need to hear things that make us uncomfortable.
Thomas Hess
5th Hr.
1. "We can deny our heritage and our history, but we annot escape responsibility for the result".
Edward R. Murrow is saying that just because were denying and false claiming our heritage doesn’t mean that we can escape it. For instincts if you were an African-American and you continuously say that you weren’t you’re an American it would matter because people would still consider you a relative off Africans that descended over to America in the late 1600’s. Just because you don’t want/like your backgrounds doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take pride in knowing about it and defending it.
2."Our history will be what we make it".
The statement itself is self-explanatory and yes I totally agree with this statement. Our history will be what we make out of it. If our leaders and teachers of society teach our youth that our history is bad, then our youth will grow up thinking that America was once a horrible place. They will also proceed in telling there youths what they learned will in school. The statement is short and powerful at the same time. If our teachers make it that way that’s what were going to believe because we don’t have anyone present that went through what America already went through. Basically we don’t have anyone to prove anything we just have old documents and diaries and were going off what they said and saw at the time.
K.Reed
6th Hr.
"We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine; and remember that we are not descended from fearful men"
This statement shows that our country is fearful of one other; we don’t want to stand up for ourselves. Most Americans are scared to stick up for what they believe in because they might be judged or reticule if they do so. We are run but fear and that’s what drives this nation, the government makes us fearful of what might happen, so we have a in ticked of reaction.
"Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
This statement applies hugely today. We deny people their freedom when we are suppose to be a "free country", people from all different countries come here to make a better life for themselves and there families but yet we deny them their rights. It also says our ancestors fought for our freedom and independence, why are we denying more people to have the same American dream as us.
“We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent. We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information."
This statement has a lot to say, its short sweet and right to the point. In a way it is funny because its says” currently" people have this mind set that we will be and always will be the most powerful country, but this might change. It is also saying we are comfortable in our ways and we will not change them. We give out disturbing information that may or may not have a good reaction with people.
Ashley Bones
the first quote out of the first speech i chose was "we proclaim ourselves as in deed we are the defenders of freedom, wherever it contunues to exist in the world but we cant defend freedom aboard by deserting it at home". this defenatley has to do with the political issue of the war in iraq. we are the country who is all about freedom. we are always defending it to. and people are mad how wer have people overseas fighting for it. but just like the quote said " we cant defend freedom aboard by decerting it at home". we needed to take our stand and no just destert our problems even though war was not the best answer.
in the ford fifteenth anniversary show on cbs and nbc in june 1953 theres a party where its talking about how other countries and the poeople in them will think that were not letting people be how they are and they wont want to come to our country this is an example of our present polictical sataus with immigrints. not all of them are treated the same and were somewhat denying many of ther right to be individuals. in the last speech the whole quote about how the media effects us all and is what really shapes the us now is how it is. you cant even turn on the tv without being influanced. and the majority of it all is bad things on life. for example the war you cant watch tv without hearing how many people died and the downsides of the whole war. its getting to be to much.
Jessica Pawluszka 6th
The first quote that I noticed could be applied to our world today was, “We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result.” When I first saw this quote, I immediately thought of the war that we’re currently in in Iraq. The “history” of this war started when we went in there to help them become a democracy. But now, a lot of damage has been caused to the nation. Now, not all of it came from us, but nevertheless, there still is a mess to clean up there. The “responsibility” of this is that now we have to stay there until there’s peace in the nation. Plus, we also need to at least help to repair the damage that has been caused to the country. There was a relationship between this and what Edward R. Murrow was talking about at the time because no matter what the situation or time or era, we still must be held accountable for our actions.
The next quote that caught my eye was, “Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought.” Upon reading this speech, I realized that what he was saying was that people cannot do something like say that everyone must be equal, and then not treat everyone equally. One thing that this reminded me of was how Bush has tapped into the phones for reasons of “homeland security”, but the real truth was that he was not treating everyone equally by tapping into certain peoples’ lines because they resembled a race similar to that of the terrorists of 9/11. If everyone was truly treated equally and we stood up to our word on our country’s foundation, then he would’ve tapped into anyone’s phones.
Finally, the last quote is, “This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box.” Needless to say, the television hasn’t gone since then, and now it has gotten worse. Now more than ever has the television become so common; it can be found in practically any household. And now, more than ever can it influence us. Since the times of Murrow writing this speech, there haven’t been any major changes as far as what many people use it for. Sure, it’s a means of entertainment, and sure one could come home after school to watch a program to “escape”, but until we as humans can learn to use it for things like inspiration of for informative programs, or even for things educational, then the television is only what we interpret it as, no matter in what sense.
Will D.
5th hour
"We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result."
This statement sticked out to me because to me it saying that if we are such a great nation, then we should learn to respect these other nations becuase some are older then us and even the ones that are not. We shouldnt force our laws on others becuase if we keep be ignorant and disrespectful to other nation then we as a nation will not succeed. Will not succeed to have change and be flexible to with other nations, we will not bend to the true view of life. I think we try to have westernization across the world but dont let other cultures express their different views and aspects on this world. An example that I have, is that when people who come into this country and try to bring their culture and live their life this government tries to bring them down. Which by doing this it makes it hard for them to trach their culture to the next generation they have. This "land of the free" that we say isnt really like this becuase we subilminally lore them here and tell them they can do anything they want, but then turn around and give them stipulations. It is like we try to run away from the cosquence of it all but at the same time ut will come back on us 10 times greater than we would ever except.
"Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought."
This statement is saying to me that
are ancestors have fought for are rights and have built this country for us and it suppose to be freedom and liberoty to speak for what we think it is right. We as people begin to see this nation chsange to the rules and srandards to what they have set for us. They dont abid by there own rules and they except us to. To this so called freedom that we suppose to have it seems as thou they try to detain us and not let us be the individual that we want to be. When we want to speak on how we feel and what may be right then thew government wants to make it look like something else or they block what me have to say out even thou it could make a difference. At the same time we as people still come to america or live here and we still deal with racial issues which shouldnt really exist but people make it exist.
"Our history will be what we make it"
I think this statement means that what we do now and in the future can have a good outcome or bad outcome in are lives, how we live are lives can affect us, and how we look at political and economic views becuae when we look at socity we have to see that we as a nation has a different stand point and out look on life. We might have differnet stand points do to how we live and learn in are everyday life. Another reason for this quote is the path we chose, becuase every path we may take might not be a good one and that that can put anyone in a bad stituation, so the only thing you can say about that, is it can only be determined by us and if we are willing to change it for the better or for the worse. Bit also are we willing to take up for are mistakes and try to change them.
Brittany Forbes
Post a Comment