Final Post

'Dante and Nesterenko' and 'Desperation over the Great Depression' are posts that I would like to be read. I enjoyed reading and writing about Dolores Dante and Eric Nesterenko most because they had the such enlightening stories and the two were easily connected through happiness. I feel like it is my best post because it fulfills each task successfully. Also, 'Desperation over the Great Depression' was one of my earlier posts and the readings were very interesting to me because I learned a lot about the personal and emotional effects from the Great Depression, something a textbook cannot teach. The writing also incorporates the tasks in it and answers the questions.

Lawrence and Brower

I chose to read Jacob Lawrence's story because I wanted to hear the opinions of an artist and how he interpreted the century. I still have not read an artist's story, so I wanted to learn something different. I also chose to read David Brower's conversation because I was curious to read how an environmentalist viewed the century. None of the other chapters seemed as appealing to me because I wanted to read how two different people were affected by the same events.

Lawrence offers good advice for the future by describing what really benefited him while growing up. Programs that were established during the Great Depression through the Roosevelt administration proved to be life changing for Jacob when he was young. Lawrence believes, "It's too bad we don't have more of that today-government support of the arts. In schools, the first programs cut are music, dance, the arts. If we don't realize how much these things contribute to the quality of life, we'll lose it. I see these youngsters on the street, never exposed to this experience-they've lost it, their chance at that life". He views programs such as art, music, and dance as vital to a child's development and important to upkeep in schools. An key lesson learned from the past century is the positive impact the arts have on children, which is something that should be continued in the future. Lawrence provides evidence to his opinion, "If it weren't for these federal programs, I probably would have been lost and drifting like so many young people were, without any sense of belonging. I dread to think what would have happened to me. Today I go out on the street and I look at these children, twelve, thirteen years old. Where will they be five years from now? Our society today doesn't recognize what potential may be in them". He would be lost without the programs and he worries that is what happening to todays society because everyone underestimates potential. Students need to be pushed and art helps keep kids out of trouble. Jacob warns society but also advises it to realize the importance of each individual and establish art programs in order to enlighten students.

David Brower also offers advice to future generations about the environment. He is worried about the environment and the impact people have on it. It is important to take action and help prevent any further damage. He explains that it is important to look ahead to the future and plan for it. Brower advises, "We have to have a sense of the future. The only thing that is real is Now. The Nows to come are going to be as real for the people living in the next year, the next century, the next millennium as the Now of this moment. The indigenous people were thinking seven generations ahead. They were too conservative. They didn't know the capability of the human species to damage their stamping ground the way we do. So we have to think further ahead. What is the earth going to be like in a thousand years from now? What do we do with the nuclear stuff?". The most important thing we can do it look ahead into the future and be prepared for it. We have to answer major questions and young people have the power to do it. We basically have to put everything together in regards to generations ahead of us. David's focus in to help the environment and this job is in the hands of the young.

Dante and Nesterenko

My initial reactions were pleasant when discovering that Dolores Dante actually enjoyed being a waitress. I liked how she told her story in an optimistic tone and the reader could tell the narrator genuinely liked her job. The part that I found most interesting was when she described why she wants to be a  waitress, "I have to be a waitress. How else can I learn about people? I can't go to everyone. So they have to come to me. Everyone wants to eat, everyone has hunger. And I serve them. If they've had a bad day, I nurse them, cajole them. Maybe with coffee I give them a little philosophy. They have cocktails, I give them political science". She is able to view the benefits of her career choice and I never considered how people would come to her. I like how she sees it as learning about people and connecting to them through serving them. I see a definite connection to the American Dream and how people come to this country to work hard and do something they love. Dolores is living out her dream. Even though she may not be a millionaire, she still has a career that she loves and would not trade. Even though others may look down upon her job she feels confident, "I don't feel lowly at all. I myself feel sure. I don't want to change the job. I love it". She is confident because she enjoys being a waitress and is not ashamed of it. I admire how she is satisfied with her career because many people ultimately don't enjoy what they do. Dante represents the ideal dream because she is happy with her life. The story raises questions of happiness and being content with ones career. Maybe salary does not really matter and it all depends on whether you enjoy your job.

Eric Nesterenko also shared the same passion for his career, playing professional ice hockey. From the beginning of his childhood, he recalls favorite moments on the ice and how much he loved it. This led him to then play for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Black Hawks. He describes the feeling, "It can't be just a job. It's not worth playing just for money. It's a way of life. When we were kids there was the release in playing, the sweetness in being able to move and control your body. This is what play is. Beating somebody is secondary. When I was a kid, to really move was my delight. I felt released because I could move around anybody. I was free". I liked reading how he explained the emotion behind skating and what he took from it. I can sort of relate it to the sports I play. I never considered the job of a professional athlete and how draining it is but also how much the players truly love the game. They dedicate so much of themselves to it. It's easy to pick up on his sense of happiness while telling the story, especially at the end. Eric explains, "I still like to skate. One day last year on a cold, clear, crisp afternoon, I saw this huge sheet of ice in the street. Goddamn, if I didn't drive out there and put on my skates. I took off my camel-hair coat. I was just in a sort of jacket, on my skates. And I flew. Nobody was there. I was free as a bird. I was really happy. That goes back to when I was a kid. I'll do that until I die, I hope. Oh, I was free!". This quote best represents the story because it highlights how important it is to do whatever you love since that is what makes you truly happy. This connects to how Dolores also loves what she does and is okay with doing it for the rest of her life. The main point of the American Dream is joy and pleasure from life, which Eric and Dolores have accomplished.

Kearney and Pharaoh

I really enjoyed reading Tom Kearney's story because of his tone and personality. He is just an average citizen that has opinions on controversial topics ranging from the atomic bomb to integration. I especially liked the story because of how blunt Kearney is. He is honest and simple in his opinions which was refreshing to read. From his experience as a Chicago police officer, he has seen it all and describes stories simply. "When people attempt to offer a bribe. I know I've been negligent in my duty because I should have arrested the person. At the same time. that's universal, everywhere. I turn it down. I told him, you know, 'No harm trying. But I just don't go that way.' [Laughs sadly.] It's a corrupt society". He handles bribery with experience and and his attitude is very calm. He understands society through dealing with it as an officer. He represents American views and is opinionated on everything. When asked if he had any colored friends, he gave a funny and honest response. "Oh yes. Yes. [Pause.] I say colored friends and I think colored friends...but I actually really don't know". Kearney tries to get along with everyone and does not have a negative opinion against African Americans. In fact, he relates himself to them saying how their objectives in life are really the same by imagining their side. I gained respect for Tom because he just wants best for everyone in the country and promotes the welfare of blacks. He explains the problems of the country through the way he sees them without much of a political view such as Americans fear of involvement and the young generation. Kearney perfectly illustrates a normal American man's view of the country.

Kid Pharaohs personality was completely different than Tom Kearneys. He has an aggressive, tough guy attitude that is the polar opposite from Kearneys. He acts invincible and almost too tough. When asked if he is scared if anything, Kid responds, "Absolutely nothing". He has such strong opinions about everything and a big ego about his way of life which translates into unique views. The most interesting though was his opinion on the Japanese, "The best people for communities are the Japanese. They're never above a whisper. Their homes are immaculate. Show me a Japanese on the street after ten o'clock. Show me one, I'll offer a universal challenge to all. Did you ever see one arrested? Did you ever see one under the influence of an intoxicated beverage? Did you ever see 'em pregnant, Japanese girls who are not married? Of course not, there's love in the home. Say for Negroes, they're animals". Pharaoh definitely articulates his ideas a lot more clearly than Kearney and shows respect for different races. He gives off a sense that he knows everything about everything and everyone. I guess he also sort of represents a different type of American, one with tons of strong opinions. He is set on his ideas and nothing can change them with is direct personality. I liked reading stories with two completely different personalities and seeing how opinions are expressed through them. Both represent some qualities of an average American.

Ota and Bayse

Peter Ota's story really affected me because it showed the emotional effects of the Japanese internment. It is easy to think you can imagine how difficult and frustrating it must have been, but there are just some aspects you do not realize to think of. For example, there must have been an enormous feeling of shame of the Japanese culture. Peters mother, felt especially this embarrassment. He remembers, "The shame and humiliation and just broke her down. She was into Japanese culture. She was a flower arranger and used to play the biwa, a Japanese stringed instrument. Shame in her culture is worse than death. Right after that day she got very ill and contracted tuberculosis". During the events and after, the Japanese felt an embarrassment for their culture. How were they supposed to embrace their culture when it was the reason they were imprisoned? Feelings of degradation was a result in being detained because of their race. It is inevitable that the internment of Japanese would cause a negative outlook on their culture. Not only did the United States abuse the rights of its citizens, but it also degraded their ethnicity. This also caused a large consequence after the war as well. It would be impossible to be able to adjust to society normally after being imprisoned. The change would not only be very difficult for Japanese Americans, but also for all citizens of the country. Taking pride in the Japanese culture would take time. Ota recalls, “We came back to Los Angeles at the end of the war, believing there was no other way but to be American. We were discouraged with our Japanese culture. My feeling at the time was, I had to prove myself. I don’t know why I had to prove myself. Here I am, an ex-GI, born and raised here. Why do I have to prove myself? We all had this feeling. We had to prove that we were Americans, okay?” Japanese were stuck believing they had to still prove their citizenship after the war. The worst result was that the Japanese culture was discouraged and those who were detained felt as though they had to deject their heritage to be accepted. Irreparable damage to was brought upon Japanese American citizens.

Betty Bayse also shares the story of how much soldiers had to suffer. There were many permanent damages that they had to live with for the rest of their lives. "Sitting at the bedside of this young flyer who went down over Leyte. He got his own fire bomb. Next to his bed is a picture of this handsome pilot beside in his P-38. He wants to be sure I see it: 'Hi, Red, look. This is me.' He was never gonna leave that bed until he got his face back. That handsome photograph he insisted be there, so that's the person you'll see. He was very hard to manage because he would scream when they changed his dressing. He was insistent that he was never gonna leave that room until they brought him back to where he was before". Soldiers were also very affected by their sometimes permanent wounds and this forever scarred their mentality. The one particular soldier Betty described just wanted his normal appearance back, to be viewed normally like the picture beside his bed. They just wanted their regular looks back and were so desperate to repair the damage the war had done. Everyone had to suffer some consequences and felt shame in their looks, the war caused both internal and external harm.

A Moral Test

The two readings really reflected how Americans were being tested mentally and emotionally throughout World War II. Morals were constantly being questioned and changed due to the tactics of war. The quote that had the biggest impact on me was one said by Peggy Terry, "If the Bible says, Thou shalt not kill, it doesn't say, Except in times of war. They'll send a man to the electric chair who in a temper killed somebody. But they pin medals on our men. The more people they kill, the more medals they pin on 'em". Peggy's logic brings up such a valid point about how right and wrong is challenged during war. Killing is considered a crime and yet it is valued and rewarded in the army. How are soldiers supposed to return home and lead normal lives? Their views are altered by fighting and they are forever impacted. If killing is wrong in the everyday life, why should it be viewed differently during war? Horrible images stuck in the minds of veterans and made it difficult to adjust back home. Peggy gives an example about her veteran husband, "One of the things that bothered him most was his memory of this town he was in. He saw something move by and building and he shot. It was a woman. He never got over that. It seems so obvious to say-wars brutalize people. It brutalized him". Americans were being tested on their mental strength which had an enormous consequence. The conditions were so terrible that soldiers were forced to adapt to the environment and change their mental attitude. E.B. Sledge, a marine who fought in WWII, admits, "When Lindbergh made a trip to the Philippines, he was horrified at the way American GIs talked about the Japanese. It was so savage. We were savages". Even an American marine can admit how low some soldiers fell. The war in the Pacific especially turned men into monsters because of the brutality the Japanese fought with. It must have been impossible to uphold your moral values when fighting against dirty tactics. Sledge recalls, "Our drill instructor at boot camp would tell us, 'You're not going to Europe, you're going to the Pacific. Don't hesitate to fight the Japs dirty. Most Americans, from the time they're kids, are taught not to hit below the belt. It's not sportsmanlike. Well, nobody has taught the Japanese that, and war ain't sport. Kick him in the balls before he kicks you in yours'". From the beginning, the U.S. expected the fight to be difficult against the Pacific because of their unconditional ways. Due to this type of strategy, Americans had to lower their principles to be able to actually win. No benefit came from warfare and it managed to change the lives of many soldiers. I do not believe America was able to uphold all of its important values. The country was simply blinded by the want of winning and ending the war.

The Good War

While reading about firsthand experiences of World War II, I was very surprised to learn how many soldiers were appreciative of it and how it truly benefited the country. I always thought fighting in a war was a regretful experience with seeing so many horrors and one of the things soldiers would want to change about their lives if they could go back. But, several veterans view it as a positive experience. Robert Rasmus believes, "World War Two has affected me in many ways ever since. In a short period of time I had the most tremendous experiences of all of life: of fear, of jubilance, of misery, of hope, of comradeship, and of endless excitement. I honestly fell grateful for having been a witness to an event as monumental as anything in history and, in a very small way, a participant". War brought upon all sorts of emotions and forever changed the lives of many. I can understand some of the positives like being able to travel and view the world but reading about piles of dead bodies or heads half blown off just does not justify it for me.

I love reading documents like, learning from people who actually lived through history instead of reading a textbook. For examples there are little things that cannot be learned in a textbook. An interesting part for me was when Rasmus recalled, "But you have to accept the fact that in a cross section of people- in civilian life, too -you've got cowards and quitters. Our radio man shot up his radio: he thought we were going to be captured. Panic. I became a bazooka man because our bazooka man threw his weapon away and I picked it up. He ran off". There are small occurrences that a textbook would never teach us. Its easy to forget that soldiers are normal men and not all are heroes, some actually did run away. Reading through a veterans perspective makes the biggest difference in the world. It is much easier to understand the impact of an event.

I really admired Jane Yoders opinions on what is necessary in life. Growing up in a household that made her believe boots were a luxury really contributed to her ideals. She said, "I have a real fear of being trapped into more than I need. I just turn away from it. Security to me is not what we have, but what we can do without. I don't want anything so badly that I can't wait for it. I think a second television set in our bedroom might be kind of nice. But i can dismiss it. We have one. How much can you watch?" I respect her way of thinking and agree with how we can wait for something if we really want it. Sometimes these ideas are forgotten, especially growing up in a predominantly successful area. Material objects such as shoes and jackets are not cherished while Jane wore a hideous Indian blanket coat only because it kept her warm and valued it so much. It is easy to forget that you just need one shirt not many when you are surrounded by many fortunate people who may have even more than you. The way Jane grew up made her form an opinion that stuck with her for the rest of her life. She survived with the minimum which made her appreciate each one of her belongings because she had so little. This made her used to not needing a lot. She describes, "We tell our boys: you have a black sweater, a white sweater, and a blue sweater. You can't wear ten sweaters at once, you can only wear one. What is this thing?...some of the people that I know have thirty blouses. Oh, my God, I have no desire to think where I'd hang them. For what? I can't even grasp it." Jane is right. No one needs a lot of belongings. The depression created this mentality among people who lived through it. Only the bare necessities are really necessary. I feel spoiled with all that I have and I know I do not appreciate it enough. It seems as though this generation has not truly suffered so we do not really understand how fortunate we are. I think the most important lesson to take away from Jane's story is to appreciate our belongings and value them. It is difficult to realize how privileged we are until we hear story's like Jane's that remind us of what others went and still go through.

Desperation Over the Great Depression

The feeling that was highlighted in both stories was the feeling of desperation. The Great Depression put the population into a new experience that was unusual. Struggle was a very usual thing at the end of the 1920s and throughout the 1930s. One story shared the perspective of a wealthy business man who dealt with the stock market crash and had several close connections with other business men who truly suffered. Friends in the business constantly asked for loans and grew more and more anxious. Arthur A. Robertson recalled, "I must have gotten calls from a dozen and a half friends who were desperate. In each case, there was no sense in loaning them the money that they would give the broker. Tomorrow they'd be worse off than yesterday. Suicides, left and right, made a terrific impression on me, of course. People I knew. It was heartbreaking." The Depression affected people emotionally and mentally. It seems surprising to me that these people ended their own lives by committing suicide rather than trying to live through the hard times and keep moving. It is difficult to imagine that times were so difficult and debts were so great that life was no longer worth living. I admire those who kept their families in mind and chose to live even if they would forever work because of their previous risks. But, the feeling of uncertainty did create a constant worry and led many to violence. Oscar Heline, a farmer during the depression, stated, "What I remember most of those times is that poverty creates desperation, and desperation creates violence." The common feeling of the country was that of desperation and frustration which ultimately led to violence in some cases. Everyone was put into a bad position and Oscar's story describes farmers experiences. Big business men on Wall Street were in the same bad situation as farmers. Foreclosures and bank takeovers were a constant issue for both. The country did learn several lessons from the depression and many mistakes that led to it will no longer be made. Robertson described a contribution to the crash, "Today, if you want to buy $100 worth of stock, you have to put up $80 and the broker will put up $20. In those days, you could put up $8 or $10. That was really responsible for the collapse. The slightest shake-up caused calamity because people didn't have the money required to cover the other $90 or so. There were not the controls you have today. They just sold you out: an unwilling seller to an unwilling buyer." The basic problem of the 1920s was the public buying things they did not have the money for. Many new restrictions and controls now protect the market. The depression reflected how people act in fear and uncertainty but also helped the country progress into one where such a great economic collapse can be prevented.

New Deal Legacy

The New Deal left a legacy of improvement both to the economy and country itself. Even though it may have been criticized by Huey Long who believed it did not do enough to redistribute the wealth of the country, Dr. Francis Townsend who disagreed with Social Security Act, Father Coughlin who thought more money needed to be taken from the banks, and several others, the program did have many postive outcomes. The Works Project Administration employed 8.5 million people and lowered the unemployment rate by providing temporary work. Public projects were funded and are still in use today. The constuction of the Lincoln Tunnel began in 1934, linking Manhattan and New Jersey together, it is todays busiest vehicular tunnel in the world with 45 million vehicles passing through it each year. The French Market in New Orleans was originally built in 1785, but the Public Works Administration funded the renovation of the market and it is now an internationally renowned tourist attraction in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Almost 40,000 schools were built and many miles of roads were constructed around the country. Programs such as the National Recovery Administration, Home Owners Loan Corporation, Federal Emegency Relief Administration, and more worked hard to boost the economy and help relieve citizens of the nation.$500 million was funded for direct relief for the needy to provide food and clothing. Agencies provided loans to homeowners who were facing foreclosure. President Roosevelt renewed the publics trust in the banking system when Emergency Banking Acts allowed the reopening of banks after they were thoroughly examined and financially secure. Investment practices of banks were put under tight regulations so that savings could be confidently put back into banks accounts. The New Deal represents the United States ability to recover quickly and strongly after negative incidents such as the Great Depression and stock market crash of 1929. The country was able to pull together and make the best of its circumstances to once again reach its full potential. By working together and having the ability to elect a productive leader such as President Roosevelt, America was once again back on the path to greatness.

C.P. Ellis

Reading about C.P. Ellis made me realize that negative feelings of inferiority and jealousy push people into the want of power. C.P. constantly felt ashamed of his father and his clothing to the point where he would leave school early because the other kids had nicer clothing. This sense followed him everywhere. "I always had the feeling about somebody looking at him and makin' fun of him and makin' fun of me. I think it had to do somethin' with my life". The self-consciousness affected how he viewed himself and the world around him. In his adult life, C.P. struggled. Financial and family problems made him question the country as though a specific group was to blame. "All my life, I had work, never a day without work, worked all the overtime I could get and still could no survive financially. I began to say there's somethin' wrong with this country. I worked my butt off and just never seemed to break even". The idealistic American Dream was impossible to attain. Soon enough, C.P. blamed his problems on the blacks because it was the only way to explain his difficulties. It had to be someones fault. Blacks were the natural choice because his father was a member of the Klan. Once C.P. joined the Klan, he described the moment as "thrilling". The majority of the group consisted of low-income whites who are struggling for a place in society and have a main desire for wanting to be a part of something. Many of the members felt shut out of society and just wanted a place in it. The Klan offered a sense of importance while providing a specific group to hate. For the first time Ellis was able to feel important. It wasn't until he was nominated chairman of the school committee that Ellis was able to feel content within himself. Ann Atwater, a black activist who C.P. absolutely despised, was nominated co-chairman. Together, they had to work to solve racial problems in schools. After sharing stories of the pain their children face as school, it was a moment where they understood each other. "I began to love the girl, really. The amazing thing about it, her and I, up to that point, had cussed each other, bawled each other, we hated each other. Up to that point, we didn't know each other. We didn't know we had things in common". Ann and C.P. are photographed together above. Interacting with Ann made him realized how every race and religion deals with the same issues. He was able to let go of all the anger when he recognized that everyone is also struggling and going through the same problems. C.P.'s early insecurities fueled his want for power and the need of a sense of belonging. The Klan allowed him to feel important but never satisfied him fully, but his work as chairman rewarded him morally and also gave him a positive role. It is unfair to judge someone solely by their race, religion, or appearance because you never know what they're really like. The common expression 'never judge a book by its cover' stands.