During this Civil Rights and Women's Rights movements unit, we've seen a lot of injustice and been witness to tremendous acts of courage and bravery. I think that there are still many questions left unanswered, so I decided to let you guys ask the questions for a change.
1. Do you think that affirmative action is good or bad for America? - Tyler F., Phil,
2. If Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were competing for different political parties instead of the same party, who do you think would win the national election for the presidency? Why? - Alyssa T.
3. If you were Fannie Lou Hamer, would you feel that registering to vote was worth all the hassle after? - Derek M., Raekeshia,
4. What if Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King were alive today?
- How would they react to today's tragedies like Hurricane Katrina?
- How would the world be different today if they were alive? - Jake C.
- Which one's tactics/philosophy would you join today? - Kelsey
5. Do you think the things that Senator Obama said in his speech about distractions from the real problems that face America is true or not? Why? - John C.
6. Why do you think someone so unimportant to politics like Bill Russell (or other sports figures in today's world) can have such a big social/cultural impact on America? - Matt Bergin
7. How could the response to Hurricane Katrina have been improved? - Jourdan, Jessica, Jason S., Paul, Carleigh, Ian,
8. Do you think we would be closer to energy independence and newer forms of alternative fuel if if Al Gore had won the election in 2000 instead of George W. Bush? - Tyler H.
9. Which do you think had a bigger impact on the country and why: the Civil Rights or the women's rights movement? - Rob S., Robbie L.,
10.If you were a leader of the Civil Rights Movement back then, would you be a leader more like Dr. King or more like Malcolm X with regard to philosophy and tactics (non-violence vs. by self-defense / convert the opponent vs. black power and nationalism)? Or would you be something completely different? Why? - Stefan, Stefanos, Amber
11. Why is it taking so long to rebuild and repair New Orleans? - Nick
12. How would life be different for women if the E.R.A. amendment had been passed? - Matt Bajorek, Raffi
13. Why did the Bush administration take so long to get down to New Orleans after Katrina? - Ashley D., Alex D., Bethany, Raffi, Ian, Raekeshia, Stefanos,
14. Has women's advancement during the past 40-50 years hurt or helped men? Why? - Nikita
15. Women have always had difficulty with gaining equality and respect from men. So, why would some women dress scantily and only care about their looks to attract men? If women truly wanted to be better, why act dumb and do nothing? - Emma
16. Why do you think women in the 1950s were so dissatisfied with living "the ideal life" as a housewife? - Mollie, Tommy
17. In your opinion, would the appearance of the current female image of "beauty" have changed if pop culture sensation Twiggy not been discovered? Why or why not? - Angelina, Gina
18. Will discrimination ever be over in the future? - Audrey
19. Even though V.P. Al Gore had won the popular vote in the 2000 election, he lost the electoral vote to Governor George Bush. Do you agree that the current voting system we have is o.k. (with the electoral college) or should it be reformed to something else? - Paul
20. Was the non-violent protest method the best way to fight Jim Crow and establish Civil Rights? Why or why not? - Bethany, Sarah, Raffi, Ryan, Marin, Christy, - (It may be easy to judge this in retrospect since it worked, but would a self-defense strategy have worked faster or provoked a more violent reaction from a very racist, resistant South? - the editor)
21. Pretend you didn't know the outcome of the Children's March: would you have taken a stand with the other kids of Birmingham, AL in May of 1963? Why or why not? - Lydia, Angelina, Bethany, Sarah, Kelsey, Ally R., Amber22. If you were 18 this year, who would you have voted for in each of the primaries and why? - Robert G.
23. If you had lived in New Orleans or in the Gulf Coast region in late August 2005 and Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on the area (pretending you don't know the aftermath, of course), would you have evacuated or stuck it out? Why? Why do you think so many people who could leave stayed? - Sarah
24. Who do you think was the most influential woman in the women's movement? Why? (here's a link to help you with your decision - http://www.legacy98.org/move-hist.html )- Ben, Ally R.
25. Were there parts of Senator Obama's speech of March 2008 that you agreed / disagreed with? Why? - many people asked this question in several different ways.
26. The children of Birmingham, AL marched for freedom. Despite being jailed, their attempts eventually worked, and things became integrated in the South. Many people think that kids can't change history even though here is at least one example that proves them wrong. What would students / teenagers today march for and feel strongly enough to fight for (and maybe even be willing to go to jail in protest)? - Katie B.
27. Do you think you would have urged your state representative to vote for the E.R.A. Amendment back in the 1970s or would you have worked w/ Phyllis Schlafly to defeat the amendment? Why? - Christy
28. How can you try someone for a crime in 2005 that he/she might have committed in 1964 like with the Mississippi Burning case? - Emily C.
29. Why did it take so long for President Kennedy to react to the racism going on in his own country back in the early 1960s? - Lorne
30. How do you think sexual independence has changed women's roles in society today? (Others have asked similar questions about the Pill or Helen Gurley Brown's book, Sex and the Single Girl) - Claire, Tommy
31. What do you think the "proper shape" is for men and women today? - Ryan B.
Pick any one of these questions and answer it fully. You may NOT pick your own blog. Minimum word reply is 200 words.
Due Monday, April 14th, 2008.
