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.

Blog #18 - D.I.Y. Blog - Git 'Er Done!

(Before we begin, I must say that I have been highly impressed with the quality of the thinking and the depth of analysis that has gone into the questions. I am especially impressed by the students who I am working w/ for the first time this semester - wrapping your head around these blog questions can be a little tricky sometimes. Well done, and keep up the good work!)

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., Amber

22. 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.

How could you change things?

For the last couple of weeks, we focused a lot on racism and racial segregation between African-Americans and white Americans. We learned about how often the African Americans were abused and beat by the white people. We also studied the famous human right activist, Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister, who made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which served as the climax of the March on Washington, the largest rally of the civil rights movement. Lastly, we learned about Malcolm X, a Black Muslim Minister, who tried to speak out against racism using Black Nationalism as his theme.

Both of these men proved their point which was to show that African-Americans really deserved to be treated fairly in the United States of America. We also talked about many black movement groups such as the “Black Panthers”. It was their job to promote civil rights and self-defense. They were active throughout the United States in the late 1960s into the early 1970s. Even though, this racial segregation was aired on live television, white people still tried to make African-Americans look like fools and feel more uncomfortable just because of their different skin tone. However, since the African-Americans prevailed in their efforts to become equal, the whites turned out to be the fools.

Here's a couple of questions:
1. What would you have done to change the view of white Americans towards African-Americans?

2. How would you have felt if one of your family members that lived during the 1960s-1970s was brutally beaten by white police officers? How would you have reacted?

Ian K. - 5th Hour

Did the riots in April 1968 betray King's ideals?

While watching the Martin Luther King, Jr. video, I wondered why many African Americans after King's death started to riot in their anger to blame and attack white people. It is not that I don't understand why they were angry, but I think that their reactions to King's death is a betrayal of his ideals and everything he was fighting for.

Can you understand their reactions and think about it the same way I do, or do you have other explanations for the outbreak of the riots in April 1968?

Martin S. - 5th Hour

Photos from the Chicago Sun Times:
http://www.suntimes.com/realchicago/1960s/index.html

Is there another Dr. King out there?

In the past week we have been learning about MLK and what he has done. We have been learning what it is to be a leader, and how he was a leader. We have also learned the reasons people respected him and why they did. Martin Luther kind lead nearly thousands of people in protest to prove something to the world, and that is something I think that is extremely honorable, and brave. I do believe without him that the world would be a completely different place then it is today.

1. Do you think that there would have been has many movement for people in poverty or for African Americans if there wasn’t a Martin Luther King. Why?

2. Do you think any body else had the potential to be another Martin Luther King and to lead like he did? If so who?

Erin D. - 6th Hour

CNN's website on James Earl Ray, Dr. King's assassin - http://www.cnn.com/US/9804/23/ray.obit/#1

Questions about the Memphis 1968 strike

This week, after watching the videos, we learned that not only were the adults involved with the Civil Rights movement but so were the younger people too. Everyone was so into the movement that they would do anything. Some worried that MLK's non-voilent protests were out dated by the late 60s and that the younger people wouldn't be able to protest that way. In Memphis in 1968, the march soon got out of hand and many people were injured.


Questions: Why do you think that the non-violent march suddenly turned into a violent riot so quickly? Also, what would you have done if you saw other people starting to turn to violence at a rally?



Kristin M. - 6th Hour

The Children's March

In class we learned about and watched a video (The Children's March) about the how kids started a chain reaction within the Civil Rights Movement. In the video, it showed how kids came from everywhere to march in the streets of Birmingham, Alabama. It also showed how the kids wanted to go to jail so they could help out in the movement of the black race. The march of all the kids were successful but unfortunately, a little later four little girls (under the age of 14) were killed in a bombing of the church were the march was born.

Even though it was a non-violent protest, what do you think would have happened if the police force of Birmingham decided to shoot and kill all (or even some) of the young protestors? How would that affect the city and its populaton? How would MLK's reputation have changed?

Ashley L. - 6th Hour

What would you do if you lived back then?

My question is:
If you were an African American living during the Civil Rights Movement, what would you have done? Would you have joined the movement, or would you be too afraid of going to jail? Do you think you might have partcipated in a sit-in or a march?

Kaitlyn - 6th Hour

Editor's note: If it were me, I would go to jail and break the unjust laws like Dr. King talked about in the "Letter from a B'ham City Jail". Unjust laws are against morality.

Has the dream been deferred?

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.


I have a dream today." – “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King jr.

Martin Luther King jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream" speech marked a major turning point for all those against racial injustice. Blacks everywhere spoke out against prejudice and racial injustices that were unconstitutional. They were slowly introduced to white society and became an integrated part of our nation. However, today we still encounter numerous instances of racism and injustice. Whether it be on the news or even just walking down the halls at school we find that though blacks are “created equal", they are still considered a minority by some. Even 40 years after MLK’s motivating speech, it seems that society has still not gotten things right.

Would you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
Anna B.

Malcolm or Martin? Too much? Too little?

This week we talked about the segregation problems we had back then. We talked about how the civil rights leaders fought injustice not just for blacks but for every minority. Examples of leaders are MLK, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X.

Black Americans continued to protest and the fight against injustice in a non-violent way until Malcolm X came. The situation escalated to the point of black madness of Malcolm X. Do you think Malcolm X went too far? If so, why?
Do you think MLK did too little? Why or why not ?

What are some similarities between the two of them?

Gil C. - 5th Hr.

Build the Dream - National MLK Monument in D.C. - http://www.mlkmemorial.org/

The Official Website of Malcolm X - http://www.cmgworldwide.com/historic/malcolm/