Times of Change - for May 22

A Dubious Crusade
Look up both words in the title of the short essay. What do they mean?
Relate the title to the reading. What is Warren saying? How do you think this will relate to the rest of our study if Vietnam?

History
What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
What is the main thesis of the essay?
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?
How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?

10 important things everyone should know about the Korean War

Come up with 10 great facts that everyone should know about "The Forgotten War", using the examples below as guides.

A non example ... I like cheese.

A bad example ... There was a war in Korea in the 1950s.

A good example ... The Korean War began in July of 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea.

A better example ... The 3 year long Korean War began in 1950 when communist North Korea invaded democratic and US supported South Korea, pulling the United Nations into a peacekeeping effort in Asia.

Has MLK's "dream" been realized? - Government and voting

African Americans and other minority groups have made great leaps in the area of government and politics over the past two decades. The Black, Asian, and Hispanic membership in Congress has nearly doubled in the past two decades, from 36 House members in 1985 to 66 members in 2003. For state and local elected officials, Black and Hispanic totals have increased markedly since 1970. In addition, the Black population votes at a similar rate to the overall population, especially in presidential election years (like 2004).

However, there are still some signs that equality in government is not across the board. In the US Senate, there are currently only one African American member and no Hispanic members. Some states have a strikingly low number of minority elected officials (partially due to a traditionally low minority population). Perhaps most alarming is the voting record of the Hispanic population. Hispanics vote at about half the rate as the general population - for example, in 2004, 58.35 of the population reported that they voted, while only 28% of Hispanics voted.

In order to come closer to MLK's "dream" of equality in the area of government, minority groups should be encouraged to nominate candidates for elected positions at the local, state and national levels. There also must be increased voter education, especially among the Hispanic population, to increase the number of educated registered voters. It would be interesting to see the internet connectivity of minority groups, because online information has proven to be the easiest method of becoming a more educated voter!

Martin Luther King

Read the essay from TIME 100 - Martin Luther King. As you do, respond to the following questions in a blog entry ...

Why does the author feel that whites owe King the greatest debt?

Was King "the right man at the right time"?

Would King be upset with the current use of his most often quoted line? Why or why not?

Would you have been able to use civil disobedience and non-violence?

Unit 8 Preview

After listening to the introduction to Unit 8, what are you looking forward to in history over the next few weeks?