Friday, May 15, 2009

Blog #15 - Do It Yourself - Pick a question and answer it!

All right. I know that you've been dying to ask some blog questions all semester long, and here are some of your fellow classmates' best inquiries into our subject matter.

Pick one and do your best to answer one of these questions that is NOT a who, what, where, or when question. These questions are more of why, how, what if types of questions. Dig deep into the personalities we've studied, try to find the issues that have bothered you or that have been sticking in your head "like a splinter in your mind."

Pick one and answer it with a minimum of 200 words. Due Monday, May 18.

1. If you lived in the 1970's what would be your reaction to when Nixon says 'If the president does it, its not illegal."? (brandon k.)

2. If America chose not to get involved in world crisis', what do you think the world would look like and why? (brandon k.)

3. During Watergate, Nixon invoked his power of executive privilege regarding his secret tapes. To what extent should a president be allowed to maintain privacy in the Oval Office? Why do you think this? (melanie e.)

4. Has our government made the right decisions in supplying energy needs to the U.S. and is our current administration directions on the right path? Why or why not? (melanie e.)


5. Was Nixon’s presidency overall considered beneficial or was it not? (Keeping in mind the Watergate scandal, the pentagon papers, giving false information to the American people, the policy on Vietnam, invasion of Cambodia etc)can his personality be judged by these incidences or it was just the power that he had making him do this? (gauri)


6. Did the policemen act in the correct or proper manner outside the convention hall in Chicago and was it justified? Was it all right for the policemen to be that harsh to the protesters who were kids? The Americans said that the guards were partially correct in what they did. How would you have reacted to this incident? (gauri, china w., )

7. If you were president and your men had perpetrated the Watergate burglary, how would you have handled it? When the news about Watergate finally surfaced, how would you have dealt with that news? (allison w.)

8. How do you think we would have dealt with the Iraq War/Conflict after the 9/11/01 terror attacks if we would have killed Saddam during the 1st Gulf War in 1991? Do you think there would have even been a second war in 2003? Explain. (johanna)

9. Considering how far America has come in the pursuit of guaranteeing civil rights today, what else do we have to further the goals of Dr. King? (sydney h.)

10. Do you think the way America is portrayed as a "free country" is accurate to how it really is? (katie r.)

11. Why has the hippie subculture become so ridiculed in today's society? (jack d.)

12. Why do you think we can't find Osama Bin Laden? Have the U.S. soldiers been trying hard enough to find him? Or has the information they've been getting so poor or bad that they can't find him? (sam s., mary s.)

13.If Michigan experienced a catastrophic natural weather event on the scale like Hurricane Katrina, do you think you and your family would stay and rebuild your life here or would your family move to another state? (sam s.)


14. Where do you think the world would be if not for Dr. Martin Luther King, how would life be different today? (alana w.)

15. How the world be different if the 9/11/01 attacks hadn't happened? Would security at airports and sporting events be as strict as it is today? Would we have gone into Iraq and Afghanistan as well? (mike m.)

16. Should the U.S. not allow foreign car makers like Honda, Isuzu and Volkswagen to sell their cars here in America? Why or why not? (thurgood)

17. What did you get out of the Frost - Nixon interviews? What do you think of Richard Nixon as a person and a president? (tyler p.)

18. How will Americans look at the Middle East after the Iraq War is over? How will Middle Easterners see America after the war? (kevin l.)

19. Do you think the U.S. government was involved in the 9/11/01 attacks? If so why? (danielle m.)

20. Who do you think did a better job handling Iraq and Saddam Hussein: George H.W. Bush (41) or George W. Bush (43)? (allison s.)

21. A lot of people seem to be overreacting about the taped recordings Nixon had of White House conversations. Do you think people made too big of a deal out of them when they learned about them in 1973 and it should have been o.k. for the president to do what he liked with them? Or do you think it was a big deal that Nixon wanted to keep the tapes? (bobby h.)

22. If there is another terrorist attack, will America (and America's government) be ready this time? Why or why not? (jacob s.)

23. What will Americans do if President Obama isn't as good as he s believed to be? (jacob s.)

24. Was splitting Germany in 2 parts the right thing to do after WW2 considering all of the problems of the Cold War? (china w.)

25. Do you think the Supreme Court was right in overruling Nixon's executive privilege argument about the WH tapes? Why or why not? (andrew s.)

26. Do you think President Reagan came up with SDI for the protection of America or was there another reason? Why? (ryan s.)

27. In your opinion, should Nixon have ever been put in prison? Why or why not? Or was pardoning him the right thing to do? (tyler d.)

28. If you were president during the Vietnam War, what would you have done differently than presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon? (matt t.)

29. If you were in Rosa Parks' shoes, what would you have done? (evan f.)

30. Which has been more devastating for the United States: Vietnam or Iraq? Why? (kyle d.)

31. When do you think the war on terror will end? Why? (kyle d.)

32. Should President George H.W. Bush (41) gone into Baghdad when he had the chance back in 1991 and killed Hussein when he had the chance? Why or why not? Do you think that would have solved things that we're seeing in Iraq today or would we still be there? (tim t.)

33. In the movie, Frost/Nixon, why do you think Nixon seemed so unprepared or out of it in the final Watergate interview? (eric b.)

Due Monday, May 18.

47 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. I think that i would have been like why would he say something like that in the first place. Second i believe that the founding fathers wrote on the different branches so that the power is spread out. So that only one person is running the nation.
Devonny Bell

Allison Woodberg (5th hour) said...

Question 7



If I was the president and my men were the ones who had carried out the Watergate burglary handling it would be very difficult. As president I would not want to get a bad reputation so it all depends on whether or not I think I can get away with hiding it. I would like to say that I would have come clean right away, before any incriminating information surfaced, unlike Nixon, but realistically I probably would have started with a cover up just as Nixon did. Once the Watergate news finally surfaced to the public I would have probably just come clean right away, and not prolonged the cover up. Once there is any sort of leak to the media, or anyone outside your administration you know everything will blow up. So before the news got to far I would come clean so it looked like I was being honest with the public about what happened instead of lying. Nixon did not admit to the Watergate scandal until the public all already knew about it, if he had done it just a little bit sooner before the news went public he could have earned a little bit of respect amidst the shock and anger of the people.

Anonymous said...

If Michigan experienced a catastrophic natural weather event on the scale like Hurricane Katrina I would do a little bit of both. I would probably leave for a while with my family back to California and try to wait out the worst of the event. After the super weather I would go back to help rebuild all of the damage. I would move back in once I was able or once it is safe because I have a lot of friends and family in Michigan. If the opportunity arose I would probably stay and fight the super weather. I, like batman, would not let anything stop me from saving the ones that I care about. Batman has the Joker and I have super weather. The Joker is a psychopath who is intent on hurting a lot of people. My opponent has its differences but it has the same intent. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Ryan personifying an extreme climate change and comparing it to a DC comic book villain is out of context and wrong!” My comeback to your proposed statement would be, “It’s alright…Batman is in this blog too so obviously justice has to be served.” Now if in some parallel universe were me and Batman switched scenarios I am sure he would do everything in his power to try and save the people of Michigan and I would most positively get my butt handed to me by the Joker. The main point of this is that the Joker is like a man sized super storm and the super storm is a storm sized Joker.

Fin
Ryan St. John

sam s 5th hour said...

If the 9/11 attacks hadn’t happened I think the world would be very different. Airport security would be a lot more lenient. They would not be as strict on the products you take on an airplane. They would also not have to do random searches on people. I don’t think we would have gone to Iraq and Afghanistan as soon as we did. I think we would have waited till something happened where we needed to go there. We wouldn’t have a real reason concerning us to go there.

Johanna said...

Question 18
I think Americans will look back at the Iraq War and immediately think of 9/11 and the Bush administration. I guess that many Americans will think or already think that going into Iraq was a mistake. They will continue to wonder what would have happened if America had taken care of Saddam during the First Gulf War and helped rebuild Iraq. The tragic the war brought over many families will stay in American memories forever. Americans will remember the many dead soldiers returning in coffins and the bombs in Baghdad. I think many Americans are angry at ex President Bush for invading Iraq and telling the public about WMD, which were never found in Iraq. Questions will still be unanswered like” was it all about the oil”?
We don’t learn a lot about the Iraqi people in my opinion. I can only imagine what they think about the Americans through pictures I see on CNN or BBC. But what I see doesn’t look nice. I think they are mad. Mad at the U.S for destroying their home country. The promise to rebuild it was never kept. People suffer. They don’t have enough water or food and often they lost members of their families. Children can’t go to school. What kind of future does a country like this have? We all should wonder.

gauri gupta said...

17. What did you get out of the Frost - Nixon interviews? What do you think of Richard Nixon as a person and a president? (Tyler p.)

During the frost/Nixon interview, Nixon tried his best not to let the secrets come out. He in every way tried to portray himself innocent as far as Watergate was concerned (until the 4th session) and gain sympathy from others. He even succeeded in making people say that if he ran for presidency again they would vote for him now. As a president, Nixon did make wrong choices some unintentionally and some intentionally. He did it in the best interests of the people. At times he did go far in doing what he thought was right and not thinking whether Americans would approve of it or not therefore misusing his powers. His presidency was overall positive and negative both but maybe the balance between that did get disturbed at times. As a person Nixon thought he never got what he deserved. He was an introvert which became his biggest weakness. He wanted a lot of love and affection which he never got. All his good doings were overtaken by his wrong choices. I think he was not a bad person overall, it was just the he had powers and did not know how to make proper use of them that contributed to his downfall.

Lisa S fifth said...

Do you think President Reagan came up with SDI for the protection of America or was there another reason? Why? (ryan s.)

During the Cold War, The Soviet Union and The United States went head to head in everything trying to see who would come out on top. It was a race to beat their component so one was viewed as better than the other. When SDI was created, I think that Reagan’s main thought was the protection of the United States but at the same time, it was something the U.S had come up with that the U.S.S.R hadn’t. This ensured protection from the big threat of both of them, nuclear weapons, and took a lot away from the Soviets power. If SDI was created, nuclear weapons would be useless because the “lasers” would shoot them down therefore the U.S would of beaten them out. Gorbachev being worried, asked negotiated Reagan to only test it in a laboratory because he knew if SDI actually worked, then the U.S would ultimately win the cold war. So yes it was used for the protection and well being of American Citizens, but I think at the same time it was used as a bargaining chip between the U.S and the Soviet Union.

Anonymous said...

Melanie Eiten
3rd hour Question 17.
What I got out of the Frost-Nixon interviews was that president Nixon was a real person not just the President of the United States. I Believe David Frost got what he needed out of President Nixon, and it showed Nixon’s true colors and why he decided to hide the tapes from the government and people. The country did need to know why he did what he did with the tapes and Watergate and why he chose to do what he did. Nixon, as a person, I believe he was a good person and even good people make mistakes. Nixon should have thought about what would happen if he recorded his conversations about Watergate before he chose to go through with his plans to talk about the situation. As a president he worked had to try to make our country better for the American people but during the end of his presidency before he resigned he chose to go downhill with his recordings. Nixon should not have tried to hide information from the American people and government about Watergate because the country did need to know what was going on with the situation and it should not have been a secret. Nixon altogether was a good person and president and all presidents during their presidencies have made mistakes and I don’t think Nixon should be considered a bad person because of the mistakes he made.

Katie Robinson said...

21. I think that it was a big deal of President Nixon to keep the Watergate tapes. I think that if he was willing to deal with the tapes being made in the first place, and if he knew what he was doing with Watergate, that he should have realized that someday these two things would come into conflict with each other.
As a U.S. president, Nixon knew that every move of his was going to be scrutinized. (Obviously, he shouldn't have participated in Watergate in the first place,) But he also should have known that if he ever was caught doing something as illegal as what he did that the public would probably find out. Nixon should have realized that the President of the United States really was and is always under constant supervision and is always being watched, and analyzed.
Nixon also should have known that when the public found out, that they wouldn't be very happy. The President of the United States is supposed to represent everything that the United States is supposed to represent. President Nixon should have known that if the public thought that Nixon was out of control, and that he was giving the United States a bad name, or even that he wasn't correctly representing their country that they could impeach him. (Although he probably never thought that they would impeach him).

Ismail K said...

15. How the world be different if the 9/11/01 attacks hadn't happened? Would security at airports and sporting events be as strict as it is today? Would we have gone into Iraq and Afghanistan as well? (mike m.)

The world will be very different if the 9/11 attacks never happened. Before the attacks happened I remember being able to go into the cockpit of an airplane and talk to the pilot. Now after the attacks we can’t get near the cockpit. Also security at the airport was not this strict. Before we would only have to get a metal detector search and we would be able to bring liquids and small objects like a razor or nail cutters. Now you can only bring a small 3 oz container and u can’t bring a razor or nail cutters anymore. Same with sporting events now they are a lot stricter like the Superbowl. Which has very high security unlike before the attacks it was lower. So if the 9/11 attacks never happened security wouldn’t be as high at airports and sporting events. Also I don’t think we would have gone into Iraq or Afghanistan. We went into those countries because for Iraq we though Saddam had ties to Al Qaeda. For Afghanistan we knew Osama Bin Laden was staying there so we went there to catch him. We only did that because he was linked to the 9/11 attacks. So if the 9/11 attacks never happened then we would have to reason to enter either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Joe Wallace said...

15.) I think that the world would be a lot different if the 9/11 attacks never happened. I think that things would be the most different in the United States. I think that the American people would still know about terrorism, but they would never have experienced it first hand which means nobody would live their life paranoid about it like some people do now. This includes the airlines as well that would not be so paranoid which means that security wouldn’t be as tight. I think that security at sporting events would be much lighter too because people would still live with the mind set that a terrorist attack could never happen on the US. Although I do think that we would have ended up going in to Iraq at some point anyway. I do think that 9/11 was the final incident that caused the war, but I also think that eventually the war would have started anyway even without 9/11. Although the world would be a lot different for everybody if 9/11 had not occurred, there would still be some similarities. It would especially be very different for those people that lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.

Anonymous said...

Kyle Dewald

In my opionion "war on terror" is a war that will never end in my eyes. no matter how hard the U.S tries to stop the war it just can't happen. the war been going on since 02 and ever since we were in the middle east it just made it worst for us and other countries. people were starting to get hit harder and harder with terrorist attacks and innocient people are losing their lives in these attacks. The United states are trying to really "crack" down on the attacks in the U.S and sercue our borders with more border police. So far we did a pretty good job for 8 years. the last attack was 9/11 but our troops in iraq/afan get to deal with them every single day, unfortonaly.

Evan Fried said...

Question #11
In a nutshell Hippies are people that choose to be bums. The hippies of today don’t really do anything, but the hippies that today’s society has come to look down on and ridicule are those of the 60s and 70s. They didn’t work, they got high all day and protested everything. The generation before the baby boomers or hippies was all about working hard and the American dream. In today’s society if you have the ability to work and don’t work your in essence useless to society, unless you're a philanthropist. Imagine you work hard your whole life to get to where you are, give your children the best education and they pay you back by not working and smoking weed. This was like the apocalypse for many parents. In today’s society hippies are taken as a complete joke. Back then people would see the big fros and glasses and go “ooooooooo”. Now, it’s more like a laugh. I personally have nothing against hippies, but from a non-bias point of view they do nothing for society and represent a fake decay of civilization. In today’s society hippies aren’t really hippies but think they’re hippies and are merely nothing but a joke.

luke szczurek said...

question 11
I think that the hippies are looks down on is because when most people think of hippies they pretty much think of bum. When i say this i mean that they think of people that just sit around all day and that just do drugs. People dont really think about what a hippie stands for when they think on one. A hippie is someone who wants america to be like it was a long time ago. They dont believe in war or violence. They are just people with free spirits that just go along with the flow. People also look down at them cause they arnt really a big success in life therefore people look down at them.

Mike Mafrice said...

Question 13. If Michigan had experienced an event on the scale of Katrina I think my family and me would be smart enough to move out. There would be no reason not to evacuate as quickly as possible. However if there would be no way at all that I could evacuate I would help and fight the terrible weather. I would try and help in anyway possible. If I were fortunate enough to get out in time I would send money and try to raise money to help rebuild the damaged communities. I am fortunate to have a big family with plenty of relatives in many different states so I don't think they would care to take us in for a little while. After the storm had passed I would like to pay a visit back to my community to see the damage. If help were needed to rebuild I would step in and help. If the damage was too severe to move back, my family and I would look into other states to move to probably somewhere on the east coast closer to the rest of my family. I hope nothing as tragic as Katrina strikes Michigan anytime soon.

Anonymous said...

Tyler DeWald
Question 1:
My reaction to " If the president does it, it isn't illegal" would of been some what similar to everyone's reaction. At first, I didn't really think he or someone would actually think they are above the law, President or not. In the Constitution, it states that " No person is above the law". And presidents are suppose to be smart... Nixon resigned as president, the first President to do so, Nixon thought of himself as a powerful president. In some ways, he could be thought as a dictator, he didn't resign and tried to run the country he thought it should be. It unbelievable that Nixon thought he was above the law....

Jake Prosyniuk, 3rd Hour said...

14. I think the world would be similar to the way it was before him. If he did not peacefully protest the laws that held African Americans down, I believe eventually the tension would have increased and the battle for Civil rights would have become something comparable to a civil war. The African American side of the war would most likely turn to guerrilla tactics and acts of terrorism to create hell on Earth for the U.S. Outside of this we would not have all the black members of the community who have risen to heights unimaginable a mere 50-60 years ago, such as the President, Barack Obama. Also, the United States' pushes towards equality would have not inspired the rest of the world to become a more equal place, and countries, such as South Africa, would still have laws preventing blacks from rising up from being anything other than servants and lowly workers. Martin Luther King Jr. paved the way for equal rights activists from his time all the up to modern day, and proved that you can get what you need without violence or extremism. Without him, other activists, such as for gay rights and anti-war, may not protest as peacefully, and would have turned to more desperate measures.

Tim T. said...

Question 26

When president Regan had the idea for SDI, his main focus was to protect the America people. He might have had another idea in mind. The SDI was going to be the best missile defense between the Soviet Union. Reagan wanted to pull away from the Soviet Union and be the super power of the world. When SDI was built Gorbachev would have nothing to destroy it, but the weird thing about SDI is that you could not tell if it really worked. It was a bargaining chip for America to come to a peaceful agreement with the Soviet Union. The government could have put tracking cards in the missiles. That is what Reagan wanted to pull away from the cold war and end it. Another reason Reagan built SDI is to make feel safe and can trust their government. SDI was going to change the nuclear war and the cold war. America’s government always wanted to be the best in everything. So we had to build the missile defense. Reagan’s main goal for his presidency was to cut taxes, fix the economy and for the best defense in the world. Reagan did the best he could to win the cold war and he did what said he would do.

Tyler Porritt 5th said...

#17

The Frost-Nixon interviews were an important part of Nixon’s presidency. They revealed many things about him that most people did not know before. They prove that Nixon is not just the president of the United States, but also a person just like the rest of us. Nixon tried to show the country that he was innocent throughout the interviews. He believed that if he was elected president for a second term, it would be the best for the people of the United States. He decided to do whatever it took to give these people the best.
Nixon was an introvert. This meant that he was a quiet person. Being an introvert was Richard Nixon’s greatest downfall. It caused him to look nervous at times, whether it was in interviews or speeches. From the start, Nixon should not have hid what happened at the Watergate hotel. He should have told the American people what happened, and how he was involved in it. This was a large mistake on his part. He should not have denied what happened, he only made matters worse.

Brandon Kauth said...

10. Do you think the way America is portrayed as a "free country" is accurate to how it really is?


I really do think that America being portrayed as a free country is an accurate assumption. If America was not a free country then I don’t think we would be here, nor would I be freely writing this blog. America was founded on freedom, it’s what it’s built on. I believe that the right to freedom of speech, the right to vote, the right to an education etc, makes this country the best country on Earth. The fact that at any waking second I can have emergency paramedics at my door to save my life, is absolutely breath taking. (no pun) The fact that hundreds of thousands of men and women everyday are defending my freedom as a citizen in this country is outstanding. I do not have to worry about car bombs or IEDs on my way to school, I can drive whatever car I want, whenever I want as long as I follow basic limits. I can wear whatever I want, say whatever I want, eat, sleep etc. Its hard to find another country that has the same freedoms as us on a daily level.
I really think that this question instead of America, it should be the United States, because that’s what we are. We are a country united as one. I couldn’t really imagine living in a country with total chaos and no government control. I’m thankful that I was born in this country and currently living in it.

Sarra Serhane said...

America is portrayed as a “free country”. People who come from countries that are poor or less privileged look at America as a heaven and a place where they wish they could eventually live because of the amount of rights and freedom American citizens have. Currently, I personally do not believe that America is truly a “free country”. I do agree that there needs to be restrictions, rules, and laws to follow but I believe that the amount of restrictions, rules and laws have increased to the point where America is not really a “free country.” For example, recently I have been hearing that President Barack Obama wants to start taxing junk food, soda pop, and other foods that are not healthy for us. President Barack Obama believes that American citizens should not be eating or drinking these things because of how unhealthy they are. Just because President Barack Obama does not want to eat or drink these unhealthy snacks should not mean that the rest of America should be taxed to do so. This example shows how crazy restrictions, laws, and rules are becoming. If the amount of restrictions, rules and laws continue to increase over the years, America will start to look more and eventually become and more like a communist country.

Sarra Serhane
5th hr

Jack DiLaura said...

Question 7- If my men had followed through with the Watergate break-ins, I would have kept acting like normal. If the news did break that I had been involved, I think that I would admit to being a part soon after word got out. America doesn’t want a president who will lie to them, they want someone who can at least bee honest and acknowledge their mistakes. I think that had I been in Nixon’s position, admitting to this crime would help america forgive me more quickly than in Nixon’s case. The first thing that comes to our mind when someone says “Richard Nixon” is the watergate scandal. I think that if he had kept it secret until the news got out, he might be remembered for something besides the watergate scandal. I also probably would have released the tapes a lot sooner than Nixon did. I think that his holding back on releasing them only made people more curious and then they made a bigger deal out of them. I think if he had released them sooner americans might have been more forgiving to him. I think that the late releasing of the tapes allowed the press and people to hype them up a lot, and make a really big deal out of them, so releasing them sooner would cause them to be a smaller part of the scandal.

Allison Smart said...

23. What will Americans do if President Obama isn't as good as he s believed to be? (jacob s.)

President Obama was greatly loved during the 2008 Election but what will happen if he doesn’t live up to his promises and his “change” theory? Yes this country needs help and change but I don’t believe that one president will be able to make everything better in just one term in office. For real change and improvement in our countries system and government we need a lot of time and effort on everyone’s part. During Obama’s Election campaigned he promised a lot of things to the American people but since he’s been in office I think he realized that it going to take a lot to actually deliver them. I’m Not sure exactly how the American people will react if things don’t go the way Obama planed. I think they might feel betrayed and let down. We were hoping that by electing him that things would change soon so that everyone will get out of this economic struggle. Our economy needs a lot of help and if things don’t get better now they might just get worse and then America will be in real trouble. Im hoping that Obama can pull something off to help us out.
Allison Smart 5th hour

Anonymous said...

When it comes to Nixon and Watergate I have more than one view. On one hand I think he should have been prosecuted and gone to jail just because it was such a bad thing and he put through America through so much it doesn’t seem right for him not to be put in jail but then I think he has also done so much for America that it wouldn’t have been a good idea for him to be put in jail because I think the worst thing a president can do is resign the presidency and he was the first president to do that, and I think that was enough humiliation and to put him in jail would have been a little too much. I also think that he was pardoned a little early because it was one of the first things the president did when he came into office. So in views I feel that he should have been put on trial and convicted, but then on other hand I think everything that happened looking back was done correct and I don’t think he should have been put in jail. jacob silver

Alana Walker said...

13.If Michigan experienced a catastrophic natural weather event on the scale like Hurricane Katrina, do you think you and your family would stay and rebuild your life here or would your family move to another state?

If Michigan experienced a catastrophic natural weather event on the scale like Hurricane Katrina, I would at first leave Michigan for a safety during the storm, but after the storm has passed, I would go to back to my home and rebuild. I would not want to live in an F.E.M.A trailer, so I would probably stay somewhere else, while my home was being rebuilt. The main reason for why Hurricane Katrina was SO devastating in New Orleans is because it was a poorer city, and insurance companies could not help all of the people that had insurance, all at once. They could not afford to begin rebuilding their lives, while waiting for insurance to kick in. Since Birmingham is not as poor as New Orleans, it probably would not be AS devastating. I probably would not mind riding out the storm, but I know my mom, and dad would not want anyone to be hurt. I have a lot of family scattered across the country. If we had enough time to fly to Georgia, California, or Washington, then we could stay with family, but if we were given only enough time to drive somewhere, we could go to Ohio (I have A LOT) of family there, or New York.

Danielle Madgy said...

1. If you lived in the 1970's what would be your reaction to when Nixon says 'If the president does it, its not illedal."?

If I lived in the 1970's my reaction to Nixon saying," If the president does it, it’s not illegal" is a warning sign that something must be wrong. Just like everyday American citizens, the President still needs to follow the same laws. There could always be some lee-way when it comes to obeying the law, but a President can never break the law. The President does get some authority, he/she is the most powerful person in the United States, but that doesn’t mean they can intentionally break the law. A President has the right to veto a law/bill or create new laws. I think Nixon was out of his right to involved with something like the Watergate scandal. He shouldn’t have tried so hard to cover something like that up, when he knew police forces had enough information to convict him of a crime. I think the tapes from the white house were the most beneficial thing he could have done as proof of being guilty. So my reaction of this quote was that Nixon was out of line when he said that if the president does something, it’s no illegal.

Matt Trogu said...

Question 1
If I were a citizen when Nixon said “if the president does it, it’s not illegal” I would be in total disbelief. Even if the PRESIDENT does something illegal he should still take the consequences even if his reason for doing it is that it is in the better interest of the American People. When Nixon told the agents to break into Watergate it was not in the better interest of the American people, he organized the operation out of greed. For example if a president committed murder you’re not going to let him get away with it just because he is the president, he should go to court and have a trial. During the Interviews after he said this people were speechless because Nixon was saying that he had all the power in the world and nobody could touch him no matter what he did. Nixon was the only person that shared these views. If Nixon did not have these views then I think that he wouldn’t have broken into Watergate and he might have been re-elected as president. This is why I think that even though somebody is president they should accept their consequences even if it might cost them their presidency.

sydney hirsch said...

QUESTION 9!
Even twenty years ago, it was hard to imagine an African-American president of the United States. It’s amazing how far America has come in terms of Civil Rights since the 1800s, let alone the 1960s. Women and African Americans now have the right to vote, and segregation is outlawed. As a nation, we have grown much more accepting of other ethnicities and cultures, but there is still a lot left for the American people to do.
While much of America is tolerant and open-minded, there are still Klan groups in parts of the country – Michigan included. It’s crazy to think people and ideas like this still exist and are being expressed, you’d think with the country’s change, they would change too. However, that’s not the case.
Not only is this country’s unprejudiced society tainted by groups such as these, but in my personal opinion, I think it’s wrong that in many states, gay marriage is illegal. I understand that some people think that in a biblical sense, it is wrong. But I think it’s wrong that America’s citizens are denied basic rights because they are different. If someone doesn’t accept them, that’s a problem they’re going to have to face on their own. I don’t see the LGBT community causing problems when they get married, and if someone’s not happy with it they just have to ignore it. Not only that but typically, those not accepting of gay marriage have it applied to the bible, which would mean that church and state are not separated. Again, I respect everyone’s opinion, but I also respect everyone’s rights. It’s great to see states like Maine and Connecticut legalizing gay marriage, but this country has plenty of other states that need to do so.

eleina gardner said...

Question number 11-
The reason that the hippie subculture has become so ridiculed in today’s society is because we, as humans, are very judgmental. Society mocks people who are in any way different or try to act out of the conservative nature that we’ve reached over time. In some ways we have become what we say not to be like. Society says: don’t judge others and do not ridicule. However when it comes down to it they tell us to not allow what is not the regular thing or the thing that everyone else is doing/believes.
I believe that this is a wrong thing to do. We are supposed to be forgiving and accepting and yet we are judging and telling people that what they are doing is wrong. I think that we should tell those who judge that this is wrong. We are taught not to mock based on sexual orientation, race, religion, sex, etc. And yet we are saying that if you choose to live one way it’s wrong? This is unjust and completely ridiculous. When you choose to live a certain way you should not have to worry about society judging you and telling you that this is wrong and that this is not the way to live your life. This is the cause for so many cases of depression and it’s wrong and must be stopped.

Anonymous said...

Question#14:
I believe that the world would be in a worse state than it were before the efforts of martin luther king had took place. I believe thatthings would have gotten out of hand, causing a world wide epidemic that may not have been controlable. martin Luther king brought order and civilization to the world, and without him things would be terrible. I believe that many african americans would not have the rights that they do now, and things would be much worse than they are now. I also believe that as time went on, the situation would've became much more dangerous, along with intense. Especially with the advancements in technology who knows what would've happened.I believe if it weren't for Martin Luther King the world would be a terrible place to live in.
Allacia Gibson
3rd Hour

Geoff Wickersham said...

13. If Michigan experienced a catastrophic natural disaster, would you stay?

Well guys, I think we're experiencing a catastrophic disaster right now in Michigan but it's not a Category 5 hurricane like Katrina or the flooding of the Detroit River. It's an economic, man-made disaster of epic proportions that we haven't seen here in quite some times. Chrysler is going to be bought out by Fiat, an Italian auto maker, and lose 25% of its dealers. GM also faces bankruptcy and will also have to cut up to 1/3 of its dealers due to overcompetition. 1/2 million more jobs may be at stake, so this whirlwind of economic forces isn't going away any time soon. The state can't just depend upon tourism. It needs an influx of new ideas and concepts to jump start us.

The question for many is - will they stay and make a future? My last three student teachers have left Michigan for the east coast and have found jobs in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. Many Groves alum have found jobs elsewhere in Boston, Chicago, Ohio and across the world.

What could keep them here? What is there to draw new companies here? What does Michigan have to offer that other states don't have? I wish I had some of the answers.

bobby haag said...

BLOG. Bob. H.
Do you think the way America is portrayed as a "free country" is accurate to how it really is? (katie r.)

I think America is portrayed as a free country. We have many rights and are allowed to do a lot without force or control from some higher power. I still think some laws telling people how to live their life when it comes to just them and no one else should be gone, depending on what it may be. Overall, America is a good place to be and live. So I think it is pretty accurate as a free country. If you take the term ‘free’ literally then America might not seem so free. If you do not have money, you basically cannot live in society. So money is something you need to have in order to live ‘free’. Again it is still a “free country” to me.

Dallas Paritee said...

In the movie, Frost/Nixon, why do you think Nixon seemed so unprepared or out of it in the final Watergate interview? I think the main reason for Nixon being so unprepared was because a few nights before he called up Frost and he was drunk talking to him about how they were alike in many other ways. He said that they were always looked downed upon by other kids. He also stated that they would fight until one man was left standing. I think another reason for him being so unprepared because he probably didn’t expect him to get so personal about it. I think that he was also exhausted from being questioned his age was getting to him a little. He didn’t want to keep lying and told America what they wanted to hear.

Anonymous said...

14. Where do you think the world would be if not for Dr. Martin Luther King, how would life be different today?

If Martin Luther King would not went the have went the great lenghts that he do to try and make equal rights for Afican Americans and whites the world be very different from how it is today. Even thought there is still segrigation and slavery in some parts of the world Martin Luther King made it possible for black people to attened the same schools, work at the same jobs, live in the same neigborhood and do all the things a white person can do. The people of Birmingham, AL also contributed to making things equal between different races. If it wasnt for those 1.00 children protesting and going to jail then segrigation would still be alive. Many African Americans still have anger against white people because people fell like white people jepardized what they could have had a long time ago ex: freedom. SOme white people also have opposing thoughts about blacks because they feel that blacks people are GHETTO?, DUMB and on this planet for like no reason at all < this is true. If it was for Martin I wouldnt be here because my mommy is white and my daddy is the total oppisite (black)

Anonymous said...

If I was alive during the 1970 and I had heard Nixon say that if the president did it then that means its not illegal then my first reaction would be shocked. I would be shocked at first because though what Nixon’s actions were might appeared to be less harmful compared to other criminal actions then a president will come in the future and abuse the power given to him as president of the united states and lead to a more serious crime that will be committed and America will start to fall apart. Also if this statement was true then that means that the president has to much power for one person to handle by himself and thus would create a system in which h could not be defeated in ultimately ending badly for the united states.

Anonymous said...

Mary Seymour

The hippie subculture has become so ridiculed in today's society because it is so different from any other subculture. The hippies have tried extremely hard to rebel against their parents who have always been very conservative. The hippies brought out very bright colors which are different from the previous generations’ dull colors and clothes which blend in with the rest of the American population and what the majority of the nation has been used to. Im guessing their parents were very into school and they were concentrated on their studies, but the hippies live a very care free lifestyle and don’t mind much about their future considering their careers and their economic status. They are very laid back and nice people who tried hard to make a statement with their lifestyles and did so without much violence at all. People were angry because they weren’t helping out the nation with moving the U.S forward with bringing many ideas to help everyone excel so society was against their ways. People saw them as lazy hobos who did drugs and slowed down civilization but I think it showed America how bold of a statement they could make by not doing much at all.

Geoff Wickersham said...

Americans views on how they see the Middle East, after the Iraq War really does depend on their personal attributions towards the Iraq War. For example if a family that had to endure the painful loss of a loved one in the war, or cause of the 9/11 attacks, they most likely will feel full hatred towards the Middle East terrorists. On the other hand 3rd party people that have no affiliation with the war on a personal level may just feel it is either a waste or they may just feel it’s stupid because we seem to kill more civilians than actual terrorists. But now the thing is people that just have no experience like that just really don’t understand all the harsh conditions over in Iraq and blame the marines for the civilian casualties, but it’s almost impossible to pick out civilians from terrorists so they cannot be blamed for civilian casualties. I see the terrorists in the Middle East as religious extremists that have no “limits” and will do anything to reach their goal which is to kill all that do not believe what they believe. The Middle East will see as either inferior or their version of terrorists because we killed people that were not part of the extremist groups, even though most of them support the extremists or join them, making our job, to save them even harder.

Don C

Anonymous said...

31.When do you think the war on terror will end? Why?

I feel that the war on terror will never end because terror is (the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear)
this is what terrorism is deined as in a dictionary
but I feel that terror will never be over with .

Christen Knight

Thurgood McCants said...

When do you think the war on terror will end? Why? (kyle d.)

I think the war on terror wont end anytime soon due to the fact that the U.S wont stop until they find weapons or Osama bin Laden dead or alive. Since 2003 when the war started it has gotten us sadam hussien, and cost us over 500 milli to this day. With americas bad economy 500 mil could help us out alot. Finding Osama has been a tough task and will continue to be. It seems osama knows what were doing and is out-smarting us every step of the way. The WMD, I’m not sure if we stopped searching for those or not but we need to stop, yea it’s to prevent future disasters which is a good idea but we have been looking going on eight years, if the had WMD in Iraq or Afghanistan we would have found them by now. With all that being said I don’t think the U.S will leave Iraq until they get what they want which could be 10- 15 years away.

Kevin Luyckx said...

Why has the hippie subculture become so ridiculed in today's society? (jack d.)


I think the people who are hippies are looked down upon because of the past. I think everyone views hippies as drugged up freaks who wear weird clothes and like to cause trouble. But that’s not always true over this trimester I’ve learned that being a hippie is a lifestyle hippies choose to live they way they do. It’s just like how everybody gets every morning and decides what they’re going to do and how. Hippies aren’t weird I think we just see them differently. Many young people today don’t like others because there different from us. Which isn’t right hippies should be considered people. I’ll admit I always thought they were drug up bastards but recently my view has changed. I have realized that hippies choose that life style they believe in everyone’s freedom and everybody’s peace. I think the media makes the hippies look bad by only showing the negative side to them. Hippies don’t want to cause trouble when they protest they just want peace for everyone. During the 70’s I think that was a different story the hippies that were involved in the Democratic conventions were causing lots of trouble and they didn’t seem to care. You don’t really see that many hippies out there on a regular basis but I’m glad I got to learn about their lifestyle and their views on life.

Kevin Luyckx

Anonymous said...

“Do you think the way America is portrayed as a "free country" is accurate to how it really is?”

I think that America is somewhat a “free country” but then in other ways it isn’t. I think that it is shown as a free country because everyone has a different way of life and people are allowed to practice their own religion, they can raise their children the way they want to, and some other things. The reason it’s not so much of a free country is because we can’t do everything we want to do. Obviously there has to be rules and laws to make sure that everything in our country goes smoothly, and I’m not saying that being a murderer isn’t a good thing but, people should be able to do what they want to do. For example, freedom of speech; from the first amendment, it says people have their right for freedom of speech, yet when people try to voice their opinions, they always get criticized for it or get in trouble with the law. For example, from the “Streets of Rage” article, people were injured because they were voicing their opinion and showing their freedom of speech, which obviously doesn’t apply (freedom of speech), I guess, if you’re going against the government.
`
Katie N.

Anonymous said...

The Frost-Nixon interviews were an important part of Nixon’s presidency. They let out many things about him that most people did not know before. They prove that Nixon is not just the president of the United States, but also a person just like the rest of us. Nixon tried to show the country that he was innocent during all of the interviews. He believed that if he was elected president for a second term, it would be the best for the people of the United States. He decided to do whatever it took to give these people the best. Nixon was an introvert. This meant that he was a quiet person. Being an introvert was Richard Nixon’s greatest downfall. It caused him to look nervous at times, whether it was in interviews or speeches. From the start, Nixon should not have hid what happened at the Watergate hotel. He should have told the American people what happened, and how he was involved in it. This was one of his main mistakes while president. He should not have denied what happened, he only made matters worse.
-Amanda S.

Anonymous said...

Paige P. 3rd hr

If i lived in the 1970's my reactionto Nixon's statement "If the president does it ,its not illegal" i would have been shocked to hear how the president thinks he can do anything under his power that involves the American people and think its not illegal. Its like he has made his own law adn regulations that only apply to him,he is not a king and America is not a dictatorship its a democracy so all of the rules and laws should apply to everyone.When it comes down to the end of it he was apart of an illegal scandal and he tried to cover it up i wouldnt vote for hi again.

Josh Cecile said...

3. During Watergate, Nixon invoked his power of executive privilege regarding his secret tapes. To what extent should a president be allowed to maintain privacy in the Oval Office? Why do you think this?
I believe that the privileges Nixon was bestowed with were too much….. I mean, he was able to cover up a crime that a normal person who wouldn’t have the same status as Nixon, would be convicted for. Even if he was the President, that just doesn’t sound fair, it just doesn’t sound like the American way to me. I think that a President should only be able to keep family, and friendship matters private from the public. If anything that the President does that is breaking the law, it should not remain private, and the President should be put on trial. That is the only fair way, if you’re the leader of a democratic government, then you should be treated like the average joe who is convicted of a crime. I think that a President should only be able to keep those matters private because they are more than likely not going to effect, the people of America, or their safety.

Anonymous said...

If America chose not to get involved in the world crisis I think the world would be unaware of or allies problems and wouldn’t be able to help. Such as the aids in Africa, the weapons of mass destruction and other world wide problems. On the other hand America would have less internal problems with the government. There would probably less stress on government which would ease the stress on everyday people. There would most likely be fewer immigrants because of the fact that America is not blending with other countries. Goods would come in easier because America is staying off the bad side of other countries.
Things would be more than friendly with other countries but at the same time an other country might need our help and it would be hard to help them without damaging a relationship with another country. Then eventually we wouldn’t be able to stay out of the world crisis because then our allies would look at us as if we are too good to help out any other people who are not Americans, and that wouldn’t be the case.
Jaz C.

Jake Chmara said...

2) I think that if the U.S. decided to not get involved in world crisis’, the rest of the world would not be very stable whatsoever. The U.S. is a very powerful and influential country and our presence in other countries conflicts is important. We have helped many nations solve their issues and win wars. We also have a lot of experience with how to handle conflicts in an appropriate way. I think that we can in a way be considered a mentor for other nations. We are the most developed and experienced. If we did not get involved and influence foreign nations, their conflicts could get way out of hand and end up catastrophic. I think we also have a good reason to be there. Many of the countries do business with the U.S. and we need to protect that. Also, we have many allies around the world. If another nation interferes with them or threatens their country, I think we have the right to intervene and provide protection. The world would look very unsettled and unstable if we did not get involved in the conflicts that occur. We are also one of the only nations with the power and ability to keep a nation stable and to provide protection.

singla said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.