Journal #2 - Great Depression - What do we have to fear?

FDR's famous quote in his inaugural address "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" says a lot about this time period of doubt and economic turmoil. People were afraid for their jobs, afraid that they might be thrown out on the streets, afraid that their savings might disappear if their bank failed. All of the stuff that they had believed in about the American Dream - work hard, save money, follow the rules and you'll be rewarded - was crumbling before their eyes.

During Herbert Hoover's administration, however, President Hoover tried to reassure the nation that the economy was basically sound and that Americans needed to follow the example set by many of rugged individualism. This concept was widely accepted before the turn of the 20th century when Hoover grew up - the idea that life is a race; "[Americans] give [everyone] an equal start; we provide in the government the umpire of fairness in the race. The winner is he who shows the most conscientious training, the greatest ability, and the greatest chracter" (Hofstadter 387). Hoover followed this creed as did thousands others who became rich in the time before the Depression. The problem was, millions became poor and showed that the race was far from equal or fair. Those with the greatest ability or character did not always win.

Before you answer the question below, click on the link for Journal #2 and read the article about rich and poor in today's society. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070122/lf_afp/useconomysocialwealth

My questions for you are this:
1. Is life like a race and those who are the strongest, smartest, etc. win the race? If so, explain. If not, explain your alternative.
2. Do you think life in America is fair? Why or why not?

Please don't forget to leave your name on your comment. Thanks.

Journal #1 - James Baldwin quote

Great American writer James Baldwin wrote this about American history:

"American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it."

Question: What do you think he means by this quote (besides restating the obvious -"American history is longer, more beautiful...etc. ")? Use an example from first semester American history (or one that you're familiar with) that best captures this quote and explain why your incident/person/event applies to the quote. (minimum 200 words)

Things to think about when writing your response: try to go in depth by thinking about what has been taught or hasn't been taught about American minorities in the past. Consider how future Americans (your children and grandchildren) will look at today's history. What have you studied in the past that has really struck a nerve? Why?

Citation: James Baldwin (1924–1987), U.S. author. “A Talk To Teachers,” October 16, 1963, published in The Price of the Ticket (1985).

Groves U.S. History Blog: Journal #9 - The Scopes Trial - One of the Trials of the Century

Groves U.S. History Blog: Journal #9 - The Scopes Trial - One of the Trials of the Century
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/evolut.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/monkeytrial/
http://www.scopestrial.org/
http://www.scopestrial.org/inhisimage.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/08/2/l_082_01.html

Journal #9 - The Scopes Trial - One of the Trials of the Century

The Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee was labeled the "Trial of the Century" when it occurred in July 1925. Editors across the country called it thus b/c the case represented so much of what was going on in the 1920s:
1. Old vs. New
2. Rural vs. Urban
3. God vs. Science
4. Faith vs. Reason
5. Traditional values vs. city morals

Celebrity lawyers Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan battled for eleven days with very different intentions: Darrow wanted to put the Butler Act (Tennessee's state law banning the teaching of evolution) on trial while Bryan sought to rid the world of Darwinian thought seeing World War 1 and Social Darwinism as its end result). Scopes was eventually found guilty, fined $100 (which both the ACLU and Bryan offered to pay for him). Unfortunately, five days after the trial, Bryan died in Dayton.


In 1926, Mississippi becomes the 2nd state to outlaw the teaching of evolution. The next year, the Tennessee state Supreme Court affirms the Butler Act but overturns Scopes conviction on a technicality. 1928, Arkansas becomes the 3rd state to ban evolution.

Eventually, Tennessee would repeal the Butler Act in 1967 but pass a law in 1973 that requires science teachers to give equal time to creation as a competing theory to the origin of man. In 1968, 1982, and 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court declares these laws banning evolution (or requiring creation to be taught) as unconstitutional. It seemed that by 1987, the debate was over.

But, it's not. According to the article I handed out, "Monkey See, Monkey Do", Intelligent Design (ID) has taken the place of creation in classrooms and school board meetings around the country. There is even a think tank university dedicated to promoting ID teaching in public schools. President Bush thinks ID should be presented as a competing theory. The only problem with ID is that there is no scientific basis for it.

A school district in Dover, Penn. was recently prohibited by a judge from teaching ID in its biology classes, and the three school board members who pushed for its inclusion in the high school curriculum were recently ousted from the board after national embarassment. See the CNN link for this case: http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/20/intelligent.design/index.html

So my question is two fold:
1. Does the teaching of creation / Intelligent Design in public schools cross the line when it comes to separation of church and state (where the government should not endorse or favor one religion -in this case the Judeo-Christian religion - over another) as specified in the 1st Amendment? Why or why not?
2. Should creation / ID be presented as a competing theory for the origin of man along with evolution in public schools? And why in the world hasn't this controversy gone away even 81 years after the Scopes Trial?

Great timeline on the Scopes Trial and Creation / Evolution controversy: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4723956