ch30

To be honest I did not really enjoy reading this chapter.  I know it is a fault of my own, but I really do not like reading about politics and this chapter starts to focus on political things that I should but do not have much interest in.  I think there were/are a lot of scandals and its kind of depressing to read about them.  I know this is just a small part of a section in the chapter, but I though the Americans with Disabilities Act was a major positive step in fairness in our politics.  It is odd to think that I am now reading about things in a history book that I was alive for.  It’s weird to think about that I was being born while the new innovations were shaping trends of today.  People started to buy more fun and unnecessary things like handbags and sport cars. 24 hour tv came about and so did internet!  Now I wonder how people ever managed without these daily used things.   

civil rights today

A civil rights movement that is relevant today is same sex marriage.  I really do not understand why some people are so against it.  I think that anyone should be allowed to marrythe person they want to spend the rest of their life with regardless off what gender they are.  Honestly I do not even understand why some people care so much.  It is not hurting anyone to let people of the same sex get married.  It kind of shocks me that after all the civil rights movements this country has had in the past that we still cannot learn to except people for who they are when how they are is harmless.  I read a litlle bit about this topic and found that just very resently Hawaii passed the law allowing same sex marriages.

Minutes after the Hawaii legislature passed same-sex marriage tonight, President Barack Obama offered a statement praising his home state’s support of marriage equality.

“I want to congratulate the Hawaii State Legislature on passing legislation in support of marriage equality,” the President, who was born in Honolulu, said.
“With today’s vote, Hawaii joins a growing number of states that recognize that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be treated fairly and equally under the law.  Whenever freedom and equality are affirmed, our country becomes stronger.  By giving loving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry if they choose, Hawaii exemplifies the values we hold dear as a nation.  I’ve always been proud to have been born in Hawaii, and today’s vote makes me even prouder.  And Michelle and I extend our best wishes to all those in Hawaii whose families will now be given the security and respect they deserve. ”
The President and the First Family usually head to the Aloha state for the Holidays. Hawaii’s same-sex marriage bill becomes effective December 2 (assuming the governor signs it, which he has said he will.) Might the 44th President become the first sitting President to attend a same-sex wedding?
Something tells me Bo would want him to.

ch29

Oh how the countercultural revolution changed things.  It seems like one minute we had many quiet youthful people just following in the foot steps of their parents to a very voiceful and outgoing group of educated college students.  Hippies will symbolize a time that I think will always be remembered.  Drugs where experimented with and sex was no longer something you waited to do with one person when you were married.  In my opinion this time period of hippies greatly changed our perspective on life.  The new outlook was if it feels good we should do it! The thought was both sex and drugs make you feel good so why not do them all the time.  People believed in love and peace and a good time.   Women’s focus on equal education, jobs and the right to abortion started making changes in womens opportunities that we should be thankful for today.

I never really fully understood what the Watergate upheaval was about before reading this chapter.  I knew it was about Nixon and I knew he tried to cover up a scandal and tapes were involved and I knew he resigned because of this scandal.  However, I never knew the scandal was about his dirty tricks to win and security break in involving wiretaps.

ch 28

Oh my gosh!  Reading about President Kennedy brings me back to third grade!  My teacher was in love with Kennedy.  Every year third grade puts on a performance for the school and every year part of it has to do with JFK.  We had to learn the Kennedy girls songs and such.  One of my cousins is in her class this year and they are still learning all about JFK and how he was handsome, inspirational and relatable.  Its so sad that it took things like images of a police dog attacking young black people to get people attention.  In my opinion it should have taken a lot less than physical abuse to get laws put in place that protected all races.  Thank goodness for people like Martin Luther King Jr. who spoke up for black rights and wasn’t afraid to proclaim aloud his dream of freedom and equality amongst all races, black or white.  I had no idea the Cosby Show came out during this time.  I wouldn’t have thought that they would have a show staring black people during this time when blacks were still discriminated against so much.  I never really understood why so many people in America disliked the Vietnam vets but after reading about the children and women that the soldiers raped and massacred I can understand now.  Just looking at the picture on page 707 is enough to raise questions about our soldier in Vietnam.  

ch 24

Before this chapter it seems as though the United States was making such great progress!  Reading about the great depression is so depressing!  Just like that the stock market crashed and many people were in a world of hurt.  It is also sad to think about so many people being jobless and living in such poverty in the United States.  I like FDR.  I did a whole report on him once and he seemed like he tried his best to make a bad situation better.  Eleanor Roosevelt seems like she was really trying to help make a difference.  It was nice to see her trying to help.  

ch 23

Oh my goodness, do you ever stop to think about what we would do without our vehicles?  I know I would miss my car for sure.  It is so convenient to hop into your car and drive to the grocery store or to school or home or to see family and friends.  I could not imagine how long it took people to travel for just simple things before the automobile.  I think I would spend a lot more time at home!  The picture on page 554 is hilarious!  How did people ever find their car?  The cars are all made in an assembly line and they all look the same.   Thank god for November 2, 1920 because I love listening to music on the radio.  Listening to music is fun and relaxing.  I am not surprised on how quickly it became popular.  I think that anyone could see that prohibition wasn’t going to make people very happy.  

ch 21

This chapter was surprising to me because there was so much that I knew so little about!  Usually I have a pretty good idea about what we are reading about already.  I had never heard the term “muckrackers” before this reading, but they seem like they can be compared to some of our journalists today.  I guess we will always have corruption and people will always be around who dig it up and were elaborate about it in their words to the public.  I think it is such a great thing that people realized working conditions were hazardous and started campaigning to make them better.  I cannot imagine if working conditions were still that bad in America today.  I certainly would not want to work in a cramped factory with poor ventilation for long hours with no breaks.  It sounds awful.