Final Entry

I would like you to read my entry on Vine Deloria and C.P. Ellis. I think I really developed my ideas well and was able to find larger ideas in the stories I read. I think I really connected my ideas to what it means to be an American. For example, when I wrote about Vine Deloria, I made connections to the American Dream. From 4th quarter I would like you to read my Entry # 9. In this entry I was able to back up my thoughts with many quotes from the book. I thought in my post about Larry Heinemann I made good connections fromt he text about how many people thought the war was wrong but it was still apart of American history.

Entry # 9: Rex Winship & Larry Heinemann

Rex Winship was a trader after he was out of the army. He worked his way up in the business he was in. He referred to his job as a risk manager because of the uncertainty in the market. "Nothing is forever. You always have to stay flexible, so you can change. That means education" (402). Rex Winship states that his job of being a trader meant that he was constantly having to re-educate himself in order to stay aheaed. I think this is true for many other jobs in America and not just being a trader. People always have to re-educate themselves to become the best at whatever their profession may be. Rex Winship also discussed the decreasing need for farmers in American society. Because Americans rely heavily on imports from overseas, farmers aren't needed as much to produce food for the country. He also said that unions were becoming less adapted to changing times. "And Unions. As you change society, unions are not set up for the change. They're designed to keep people out. They're designed to lock prices...They're built for inflexibility" (404). I think that Rex Winship's idea of flexibility being highly significant in any aspect of life is interesting. I agree that without proper flexibility in one's character, they cannot be successful because American ways are constantly changing to be better and newer.

Larry Heinemann, a Vietnam war veteran, told his story of life after the war was over. He knew about the political opposition that was growing in the country and how many people were against the war. "In my household, there was never any political discussion. We were raised to jsut submit to the draft, stiffly and strict. I went there scared and came back bitter. Everybody knows it was a waste" (416). Larry Heinemann states that although nobody fully believed the war was a good thing for America, he was raised to follow orders and going to war was just another thing he had to do. I also thought it was interesting that he reflected back on not joinign the antiwar movement as something he regrets. At the time he stated that he "didn't get involved with any antiwar movement. I felt I would be breaking faith with my friends who were still overseas. Now I'm sorry I didn't" (417). I feel that Larry Heinemann regrets not joining the antiwar movements because he was against the war, but chose to stick with his value of loyalty over sticking up for what he believed was right. Larry Heinemann also talked about America's progression since the Vietnam War. "I don't think the country's learned anything from the war. The guys who organized the Vietnam Veterans' Parade wanted it to be remembered as a nostalgic positive experience. They wanted so hard for it to be all right. It's not. It's going to be an evil thing in our lives and nothing's gonna change it" (420). This means that although many people still feel the war was wrong, nothing can change the past events. The country will always have the Vietnam war as part of its history. I think Larry Heinemann feels that although it cannot be undone, people need to stop looking back at the war as something that was positive because to him, there wasn't any positive moments to it.

Entry #8: Dolores Dante & Phil Stallings

Dolores Dante told the story of working as a waitress. She loved her job and the many people she got to interact with everyday. Her point of view of working as a waitress was interesting. She felt some sort of anger towards people above her that didn't have to work as hard for their living. "People say, 'No one does good work any more.' I don't believe it. YOu know who's saying that? The man at the top, who says the people beneath him are not doing a good job. He's the one who always said, 'You're nothing'" (Terkel 334). Dolores Dante states that people that do not work very hard for their living as she did, didn't know how hard people like her tried. They didn't understand the circumstances that people were left with leading them to work jobs like being a waitress.
Phil Stallings discussed how important work was to him and how his job could be replaced easily while he worked for Ford. He knew that with the machines he was working with, his job could go to someone else if he messed up. "You really begin to wonder. What price do they put on me? Look at the price they put on the machine. If that machine breaks down, there's  somebody out there to fix it right away. If I break down, I'm just pushed over to the other side till another man takes my place. The only thing they have on their mind is to keep that line running" (Terkel 356). I think the idea that Phil Stallings brings up of having a price put on him is interesting. I think that people in a position of great power don't really value the hard work that their workers put in. In some cases, the work is dangerous and often bosses do not fully appreciate what workers go through on a daily basis.

Entry #7: Dennis Hart & Tom Kearney

Dennis Hart's story of his reflections on historical events and his feelings on them showed a point of view of someone that grew up in tough circumstances. He discussed the importance of freedom and its role in people's lives as part of America's values. "Freedom is the most important thing in your life. We're facing an enemy today that's gonna annihilate us unless we retaliate in one way or another. We have to face up to it, Bomb or no Bomb. Otherwise, we're a bunch of cowards" (Terkel 238). Dennis Hart states that he felt the importance of making the decision with the bomb wasn't about the potential outcome of it, but what it represented. The bomb represented America's freedom and no matter what in Dennis Hart's opinion, freedom should be defended in anyway that was necessary. When Dennis Hart discussed a protest at a polling place, he discussed his feelings of courage. "It was the greatest experience of my life, in courage. Not only was I going to try to prove to myself that I was going to be a man, but I was doing it for a great person and a great cause" (Terkel 244). I think this idea of being courageous for a great cause is interesting because often people do not really understand the cause that they choose to stand up for. I think that Dennis Hart's feeling of great courage show that he was passionate about something, which lead him to not back down against great opposition. This courage is an important quality to have but I think it is only fully present in someone when they are fully committed to a cause like Dennis Hart was.

Tom Kearney discussed how he struggled with a difference in opinion from what he was taught through religion. He did not have a problem with African Americans and felt he was being taught something he didn't believe with. "I find myself at odds with the Church at various times. I knew the nuns taught me some things that weren't true...The same as going to school with the colored. You're going to have to get along with them. They're here, so you might as well go to school with them and get along with them" (Terkel 265). Tom Kearney was willing to adapt to changing norms in society. As blacks were gaining more freedom, he felt that there shouldn't be a problem getting along with them. He believed that African Americans were no different than people like himself. They wanted the same things in life and Kearney had an optimistic look at the future of integration. "The same as mine, the same as mine. Everything best for him and his family that he can possibly have. I can see where they'd want to move away from a completely colored neighborhood and integrate...I think people are intelligent enough to accept integration" (266-7). Kearney states that both races were similar and shouldn't have a problem integrating. He believed that integration should not be an issue or concern to anybody. He viewed people as people and not separated for their races.

Peter Ota & Betty Hutchinson

Peter Ota's story showed how hard it was for Japanese Americans to be living in the United States during WW2. Since America was fighting Japan, they extended the concept of Japan being the enemy all the way down to Japanese Americans living in the United States. Japanese Americans had to leave everything they knew just because of something they couldn't control, their race. I thought it was interesting what Peter Ota mentioned about freedom. When talking about educating in the camps, he said, "ONe of our basic subjects was American history. They talked about freedom all the time" (207). I thought it was interesting that in a place where the Japanese Americans were being denied their freedom, they were being forced to learn so much about American freedom and its importance in American culture. Peter Ota also expressed his feelings about how necessary it was for them to act like "Americans." When Peter Ota and his family were returned back to society they tried to establish a life for themselves that was very "American." "We became more American than Americans, very conservative. My wife and I, we talk about this. We thought it was the thing we had to do: to blend into the community and become part of white America" (209). Peter Ota and his family felt that after being imprisoned for having a Japanese heritage, they didn't want anything like that to happen to their family. They felt the only way to prevent this was by trying to conform to the white American lifestyle.

I thought Betty Hutchinson's point of view of her life during the war showed what it was like to be a nurse helping all the wounded soldiers. Betty Hutchinson's life was changed after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She felt that there was no other option but to do her part in helping. "Immediately, I was going to become a nurse. It was the fastest thing I could do to help our boys" (211). This shows how like many other Americans, Betty Hutchinson tried to help as much as she possibly could. I think it shows how much people were influenced when something happened on American territory. In previous years, fighting had never affected the United States on the homefront. The bombing of Pearl Harbor caught the attention of every United States citizen and everyone was willing to help out in anyway possible.

Entry #5

I thought the story of Peggy Terry's life working during the war was a very interesting point of view. I found it interesting that she knew only a little about the war, although she was working hard making things for the army. It shows how the whole country was not fully educated on the details of the war. People like Peggy Terry were only concerned with making money to live off of. She didn't know exactly what the products she was making would be used for. Peggy Terry's family could not afford a radio so they did not have immediate access to current events of the war. The radio was very important during WW2 in educating people on what happened. However, those people that could not afford this luxury missed the opportunity to hear news quickly. 


E.B. Sledge discussed the friendships that he established with the men he fought along side with. They formed a very strong bond while fighting overseas. "What was worse than death was the indignation of your buddies. You couldn't let 'em down. It was stronger than flag and country" (197). This shows how he was so concerned about keeping the trust of his fellow soldiers that it became the most important thing during the war. I think that in times of war, soldiers form strong bonds with each other because they go through hard experiences and have to learn to rely on each other. 

Blog # 4

Robert Rasmus's story directly shows how impacted the United States was by WW2. He discussed how the youth of all countries involved in the war were brainwashed. They were brainwashed to have extreme pride in their country and how horrible all the enemy countries were. The "brainwashing" that took place for the youth in many countries like the United States was important because it made the people who would be physically fighting the war overseas proud and excited to participate. I thought the part about seeing the faces of the people that had been killed was very intresting. Young boys were taught to kill the enemy as a way of defedning the country and its values, but after killing the enemy, the soldiers saw faces that were similar to them. The people they were killing and fighting against were boys just like them that were being given the same message of what was right and wrong and how bad the enemy was. Another part of the story I found interesting was that the boys were mainly fighting so they wouldn't let down their fellow soldiers. "'The reason you strom the beaches is not patriotism or bravery,' reflects the tall rifleman. 'It's that sense of not wanting to fail your buddies. There's a sort of a special sense of kinship'" (164). This shows that although the soldiers were forced or taught to have extreme patriotism and to be brave, their true feelings were within the friendships they established and that became what they fought for. I thought that it was interesting that some people found the war beneficial because of it's effect on the econmy. The economy of the United States prospered during and after the war was occurring. I think WW2 affected all people both during and after because it changed the country. It had changed the country's foreign policy because the country watched the events of the war unfold, and then was suddenly involved.

Extra Entry: Children's Letters to the First Lady

During the depression, many children were affected when their families lost everything. Children became homeless and others went without food or clothes. In their desperation, children wrote letters to the first lady. In these letters they would describe what they were going through. Many children considered the first lady their confidant. I think it is interesting that so many people felt like they could instantly trust her with their secrets and stories. In addition to many children being homeless, many schools were shut down due to the lack of funding. Although Eleanor Roosevelt didn't always respond, she did acknowledge what children were going to as a result of the poor economy. It interests me that people felt so sure that Eleanor Roosevelt was reading all their letters. I think it shows a lot about the image she put out and that she was in a position that she could do things to help children impacted by the depression. In response, Eleanor Roosevelt created the National Youth Administration to help children stay in school. I think she strongly valued education. Education could help people better their lives because it created more opportunities. Eleanor Roosevelt also supported and helped with other programs offered by the New Deal. Programs that helped underprivileged children were necessary because they were the future of the nation. If children were brought up without the necessities in life, they would not be able to contribute to the country later on in their lives.

Entry #2 : Arthur Robertson & Oscar Heline

It was interesting to read a story about the great depression from a view of someone who was very wealthy during the time. Although he had a lot of money he still knew the dangers of what was happening with the economy. Robertson's idea that people were buying on hope interested me because it shows how people were so wrapped up in the idea of becoming rich, that they invested money they didn't have. People would pay a little in hopes to make a lot and when the stock market crashed, many people could not pay back the money they owed. Robertson's opinion about how the economy crashing was handled was that the banks shouldn't have been the ones to gain control of large businesses. Robertson felt that although banks were being given money from the government, they were not capable of running a business they didn't know a lot about. "One of my friends said to me, 'If things keep on as they are, we'll all have to go begging.' I asked, 'Who from?'" (101). Robertson recognized that everyone was affected by the stock market crash and soon there would not be anyone to borrow money from. 
        Heline's story shows how farmers were affected by the depression. People like Heline that were farmers and lived in rural areas suffered greatly during the depression. They rarely could sell their crops and didn't receive help from the government at first like the banks were. Heline and his neighbors felt that the second world war was the answer to the failures they were facing on the farm. They felt that the war was creating more jobs and agricultural problems were being fixed. "The rank-and-file people of this state - who were brought up as conservatives, which most of us were - would never act like this. Except in desperation" (122). Heline states that desperation caused people to act out in the depression. People were so desperate to provide for their families that most were willing to do whatever it took to start getting money again. 
      

Entry #1: Vine Deloria & C.P. Ellis

I thought C.P. Ellis's story of his change from hating black people to working with them later in his life was interesting because it showed how important it is for people to realize that as time changes, the ways in which people think about people change too. C.P. Ellis felt anger towards black people because of the lack of success in his life. He was bothered that as he continued to work hard and not move anywhere, blacks were just starting to have success and have jobs. It frustrated him that other people around him were making something of their lives and he wasn't. The easiest group to blame for him being unsuccessful were blacks. "I always left school late afternoon with a sense of inferiority. The other kids had nice clothes, and I just had what Daddy could buy. I still got some of those inferiority feelin's now that I have to overcome once in a while" (Terkel 63). C.P. Ellis's childhood is what lead him to join the KKK. Since he had feelings of inferiority due to his economic class, he had built up aggression that he saw an opportunity to take out on black people. The KKK was the first thing that welcomed him in and made him feel equal and powerful despite the amount of money he had. By C.P. Ellis being able to look back at his life, he realized that the reasons for his hatred were unjust. C.P. Ellis was caught by the American Dream. He wanted to have something he could take pride in and feel powerful and successful. These strong desires lead him to joining the KKK, but after achieving these feelings, he realized what was right and wrong.
      Vine Deloria's story about how generations have changed in the way they think directly relates to how mnay people percieve the American Dream. Deloria states that the American Dream changes meaning from generation to generation. "The further down you move, the worse it gets. The younger people have taken the rat race as the real thing. It's a thing in their heads. In my generation, it was a thing in the heart" (Terkel 37). I think Deloria means that for people in the younger generations, the American Dream is about how far one can get in life and what they can achieve. People lose sight of their history and values in hopes of having the American dream. In older generations, the American dream is being successful, but also knowing where the success of the country came from. He views people in generations below him as being more individualistic, while the older the generations are, the more they understand the importance of success for the country.