Declaration of Environmental Rights 1970 by LINDSAY MISCHKE

In the 1950’s and the 1960’s, economic growth was powered by oil.  The United States produced more oil than they actually used or needed.  Large offshore deposits of oil were discovered off of the California coast, and in order to obtain this oil, a new technology of underwater drilling had to be done which was dangerous.  In the winter of 1969, off the coast, lots of sticky black petroleum floated up to the top and suffocated thousands of fish and trapped many seabirds.

·        Fish, birds & oil washed up on shore, ruining many beaches

·        Santa Barbara was affected the most

A group of angry citizens came together to protect the environment and to state how mad they were about the wasteful ways of Americans.  Although the economic growth was a success, it was overshadowed by the harm it did to the natural world.  Humans have been abusing the world for many years now.  The environmental disaster of the Santa Barbara channel brought many environmental issues up:

§  Littering

§  Humans have taken up much natural land

§  We have stripped the forest and grasses and reduced the soil

§  We contaminate the air WE breathe

§  Pollution of the lakes, rivers & oceans

§  We have exterminated species of birds and animals and brought others close to  it

§  “Made physical world ugly and loud depriving man of the beauty and quiet that feeds his spirit.” (Hofstadter p. 507)

We are able to solve this problem by simply using our minds, not machines.  People need to realize that man is a member of his community, not the master of it.  We must treat our backyards as if they were the world and the world as if it were our backyard. 

“TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF OUR LIFE ON THIS PLANET, WE WILL BEGIN ANEW.” (Hofstadter p. 508)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/28/epa-suspends-bp-oil-spill

                  A recent article relating to a recent BP deepwater oil spill..
"Offshore drilling is inherently dirty and dangerous and needs to be phased out."

Nuclear weapons and Cold War

President John F. Kennedy once said in his speech addressing nuclear testing during The Cold War era. "The treaty initiated yesterday... is a limited treaty which permits continued underground testing and prohibits only those tests that we ourselves can police. It requires no control posts, no on-site inspection, no international body. ...no nation's rights of self- defense will in any way be impaired. Nor does this treaty mean the end of the nuclear war. It will not reduce nuclear stockpiles; it will not halt the production of nuclear weapons; it will not restrict their use in their time of war. Nevertheless, it will reduce the nuclear testing which would otherwise be conducted on both sides; it will prohibit the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and all others who sign it from engaging in the atmospheric tests which have so alarmed mankind; and it offers to all the world a welcome sign of hope"

John f Kennedys Inaugural Adress

On January 20 1961, John F kennedy took an oath in office to became the nations 35th president. The Cold War had dominated the rhetoric of both Kennedy and Nixon's campaign. Through his breif inaugural address, Kennedy sought to send a  message of his hope for peace during the nuclear age.

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

 In a time period of insescurity and distrust a speech  was needed.The period refferred to as the Cold War revolvesd around the relationship that developed between the USA and the USSR. It was meant to settle International affairs such as the Cuban Missle Crisis, and the Berlin Wall.

"To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge—to convert our good words into good deeds—in a new alliance for progress—to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas. And let every other power know that this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house...

our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support—to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective—to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak—and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run.

Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction."   Kennedy provided a sense of security, and reassurance throughout his inaugral speech. This with the addition of his confident aura play a part in making the inaugural address a historical landmark.

 

Hello professor!!!!! :)

Locomotive

         

    Song of the Locomotive is a song praising the freight and passenger

railroads that eventually linked the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United

States. Trains have been a theme in popular music since the start of the

Railroad Era in the 1830’s. Railroads were  the first large scale business

enterprises replacing canals and rivers. Railroads made possible

 the transition to an industrial nation by opening up remote areas and

stimulating new industries. Railroads linked major manufacturing and

agricultural areas. For example, by 1856, the Great Lakes and the Mississippi

River had railroad crossings.  

               In the Song, the locomotive is portrayed as a powerful force of

nature when it is described as having the speed of a mountain eagle in flight 

The train is also given human traits by stating that it travels  ‘’with a scream

and a scowl of scorn’’. Vast amounts of land were given or sold by the new

American government for railroad development and the American landscape

and its people experienced radical changes. The violence  related to the

building of the railroad is expressed in the song by the use of the words

‘slaughtered’ and ‘mangled’.  The lyrics do not apologize for the locomotive’s 

 ‘iron path’ of destruction.  In fact, the lyrics of the song are of a boasting

nature. The lyrics boast about the wealth that the train carries.  The

locomotive takes pride in passing through beach, desert and busy city streets.

There is also boasting about being able to withstand all weather conditions

such as ‘’burning  heat and cold winter”.  In reality, the railroad was superior

to canals and rivers which froze during the winter.

          As stated in class, the 1860’s was a culture of poems. In the Song of

the Locomotive, the locomotive is personified as a ‘king’  who rules over and

strikes fear in his subjects.  The ‘loud thunder like noise’ and smoke is seen

and heard all day long from sunrise to midnight.  The Song of the Locomotive

is a vivid testament to the impact of the railroad on American life.  

Booker T. Washington, Up From Slavery and 1895 Slave Exposition

Booker T. Washington renowned educator, author and African-American leader released his autobiographical classic Up From Slavery in 1902. While undoubtedly a historic figure in American History Washington was also controversial, one criticized aspect of him was his stance on labor and black-white relations. In chapter 10 of Up From Slavery titled “A Harder Task Than Making Bricks Without Straw” Washington delves deeper into his thoughts on labor. Washington believed that it was essential for blacks to learn a trade rather than to indulge in literary academics. The belief of teaching students labor is written in the beginning of the chapter when Booker T. writes

“My plan was to have them, while performing this service, taught the latest and best methods of labor, so that the school would not only get the benefit of their efforts, but the students themselves would be taught to see not only utility in labor, but beauty and dignity, would be taught, in fact, how to lift labor up from mere drudgery and toil, and would learn to love work for its own sake. My plan was not to teach them to work in the old way but to show them how to make the forces of nature—air, water, steam, electricity, horse-power --- assist them in labor” – Booker T. Washington

Washington had students construct the Institutes many buildings and while many opposed this idea of having inexperienced students work construction the plan never changed. Washington felt the experience of building was essential for the student.  Washington believed that an emphasis on labor would better prepare black people to contribute to their respective communities immediately and more effectively than book knowledge, Washington wrote that

“The actual sight of a first class house that a Negro has built is ten times more potent than pages of discussion about a house that he ought to build, or perhaps could build.

There was much controversy however on Washington’s firm stance on the importance of labor to the advancement of black people. Many parents who sent their children to Tuskegee Institute were against the idea of their child predominantly being taught various trades of labor. Most likely this belief stemmed from slavery being abolished only abolished 37 years before, with the overall majority of slaves not being permitted and only knowing labor it is understandable why they would be opposed to idea of sending their student to school to do more labor. Washington writes on this matter and subtly criticizes the parents decision

“Most of the new student brought a written or a verbal request from their parents to the effect that they wanted their children taught nothing but books. The more books, the larger they were, and the longer the titles printed upon them, the better pleased the students and their parents seemed to be”

Washington, T. Booker. (1902). A Harder Task Thank Making Bricks Without Straw” Lyman Abbott (Ed.), Up From Slavery (pp. 108-112)

On September 18^th, 1895 Booker T. Washington delivered his historical Atlanta Exposition speech. The speech is considered one of his most acclaimed achievements. Booker T. Washington is generally celebrated for being the keynote speaker and delivering an historic speech, there some controversy. Most famously W.E.B DuBois but through out history there has been much discussion concerning Washington’s message. DuBois like other critics felt that Washington compromised to much especially considering that slavery had just ended 30 years before that. One quote that may have given critics this belief is

“As we have proved our loyalty to you in the past, in nursing your children, watching by the sick-bed of your mothers and fathers, and often following them with tear-dimmed eyes to their graves, so in the future, in our humble way, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach, ready to lay down our lives,”

This one quote good be used as the basis of the criticism, it describes slavery in a very peaceful and friendly way. Also the part about devotion most likely was also a trigger, to suggest black people should have devotion towards white people so soon after slavery and with segregation and civil rights still major social issues it would be seen as insensitive to black people.. Booker T. also spoke of how if blacks did not collaborate with whites they were aiding in the destruction of America. Booker T. says

“Nearly sixteen millions of hands will aid you in pulling the load upward, or they will pull against you the load downward.”

These two points would be easy pointers for critics to use against Washington’s speech

Welcome!

Welcome to the American People II blog. For those of you who have never posted to a blog before here are some simple guidelines:

• Posting: Use this blog to post about anything relating to the readings, lectures and class discussions. You can also post about current events that relate to the issues raised this semester.
• Presentation Posts: Posts are required for oral presentations. A presentation post should include any short quotations, links, images, or video, that you might wish to use in your presentation.
• Read before Posting: Always read the other posts on the blog before posting, don't repeat the same material as a previous post unless you have something to add to the discussion. Consider making a comment on a previous post instead of posting on the same topic.
• Short Paragraphs & Quotations: Blogging is a short form. Posts do not have to be very long (two or three well written paragraphs.) Quality is more important than quantity. Use short quotations from the assigned readings, always cite your source clearly. Write brief, focused paragraphs.
• Cite Sources Clearly: Always cite your sources clearly, using a link to the source material if possible. Use the author's full name, the title, and the page number, if possible.
• Strong Links: A good post should include helpful links. Judicious use of links to key reference materials can ensure that your posts are short and to the point. Make sure you only link to authoritative, reliable sources of information.
• Relevant Images: Use images that directly relate to the topic of your post. Don't post images just for window dressing. Ask yourself: does the image add to the substance of the post? Or is it just eye-candy? The same goes for videos.
• Proof-read! Always proof-read and spell-check your post before publishing. Remember, spell-check does not check the spelling in the title of the post. A warning: this is a public blog and your posts will may be used during class discussion as well (big screen, 40 people reading your post,) so proof-read before publishing!
• Comment: Reward good posts with praise and constructive criticism and discussion. Be prepared for comments from unknown sources that may not always be polite. Don't engage in flame wars with anonymous commenters.

President Lyndon B. Johnson Commencement Address at Howard U

BY QUALAN FALOYE

Allan Ginsberg, "Howl" (1955)

Poet Allen Ginsberg reads his poem "Howl"
outside the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, 1994

Allan Ginsberg was an American Poet and one of the leaders of the Beat Generation of the 1950’s.  He was opposed to militarism, sexual oppression and materialism.  In the poem Howl he appreciates his “hipsters” and takes a stand against capitalism and conformity, which he saw were forces of destruction for this country.

The Poem is comprised of three parts.  The Part found in the book Voices of Freedom is just the second part. Part two of Howl is based on the the characterization of Moloch as industrialism.  While Ginsberg wrote Howl, he was getting inspiration from using a drug called Peyote. The drug induced hallucinations.  These hallucinations made him identify with Moloch.  Moloch was an idol in the Bible to whom the Canaanites sacrificed their children.

A Short Analysis

What sphinx of cement and aluminum bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination? (The voice in the poem is blaming a creature that is mythical: A Sphinx, which has the head of a human and the body of a lion. The industrial reference is that its made of Cement and Aluminum.)

Moloch the incomprehensible prison! Moloch the crossbone soulless jailhouse and Congress of sorrows! Moloch whose buildings are judgment! Moloch the vast stone of war! Moloch the stunned governments! (Moloch is a representation of the government, which Ginsberg was anti-social authority.  Moloch is responsible for everything evil, war and sadness.)

Moloch whose mind is pure machinery! Moloch whose blood is running money! Moloch whose fingers are ten armies! Moloch whose breast is a cannibal dynamo! Moloch whose ear is a smoking tomb! (Moloch is a human made entity, but is truly inhumane. It shows no emotion, no sympathy or mercy.)

They Broke their backs lifting Moloch to Heaven! Pavements, trees, radios, tons! lifting the city to Heaven which exists and is everywhere about us! (They were looking in the wrong place for the divine. They thought it could be found in "stuff" (or material objects), when in fact it exists in people.)

Visions! omens! hallucinations! miracles! ecstasies! gone down the American river! (Ginsberg was a believed that American capitalism and modern-life had destroyed the ability for people to have visions of hope or reality. Omens, hallucinations, miracles, ecstasies were not part of Moloch. They are good things. But they have been destroyed by Moloch. They have "gone down the American river," which means they were treated like trash, or anything that has no importance.)

"Women Are Hungry"

 

Let others sing of the hungry pain of Life,

Let others sing of the hungry pain of love,

I will sing of the hungry pain of hunger.

            Meridel Le Seur provides a voice to the voiceless in her 1934 works entitled “Women are Hungry.” Le Sueur became the chronicler of women’s lives, often overlooked in accounts of the Great Depression, writing of their experiences in relief agencies and on the breadlines. “Women are Hungry” describes the harsh realities of poverty, starvation, and sexual abuse—of the lives of working-class women during the Depression and their survival by means of supportive friendships and a shared, communal life. In the stories she published in the thirties in such literary magazines as Scribner’s and Partisan Review, Le Sueur wrote treatments of both working- and middle-class women—their experiences of adolescence, marriage, sexuality, pregnancy, childbirth, motherhood, and widowhood.

            “The men are gone away from the family; the family is disintegrating; the women are trying to hold it together, because women have most to do with the vivid life of procreation, food, and shelter. Deprived of their participation in that, they are beggars.”

            In this literary piece Le Seur gives insight into the lives of women, from different walks of life. With each women having a story to tell, we are introduced to Anna, Anna’s mother, Mrs. Rose, Bernice, Mabel, Nancy, Fran, and Ethel. We become one with these characters as we follow their lives and hear their cries, as they struggle to survive in the face of trying times. For the sake of this presentation, I decided to focus in on two out of four stories. The first is entitled Old and Young Mothers, while the second is Moon Bums.

"Poverty is more personal to [women] than to men. The women looking for jobs of bumming on the road, or that you see waiting for a hand-out from the charities are already mental cases as well as physical ones. A man can always get drunk, or talk to other men, no matter how broken he is in body and spirit; but a women ten to one, will starve alonein a hall bed-room until she id thrown out, and then she will sleep alone in some alley until she is picked up.”

“Old and Young Mothers”

Anna is a cook and supports four people, her mother, sister, and two sons, on $45 a month. Her husband left three years ago to find a job in another city.

Mrs. Rose is an elderly woman who has raised six children whose whereabouts she has not known for four years, since they were out of a job. She tries to support herself by getting jobs as a housekeeper but has a hard time. Either she doesn’t get paid at all or the man tries to sleep with her.

Anna’s mother is a widow who was left to support her children by herself, scrubbing office buildings every night until five-thirty. She sent them all through high school, because in America education would lift them out of the physical labor of her class.

“I’ve worked all my life,…with these arms and hands and sent seven children through high school and now I can’t get enough to eat”

Moon Bums

Moon Bums is the vignette of two teenage girls who “had been traveling and mooching around the country for a year and a half” (Le Sueur 325). Fran and Ethel were “old hands”—“Workers kids [who] have graduated from poverty, sweat shops, machines, diets of pigs feet, stale hamburger and old bread” (Le Sueur 325). Before they set out to be on their own, Fran worked in a shirt factory since she was twelve at $ 1.97 for a five hour week, while Ethel went to eight grades in school and then worked as a learner in Connecticut …work[ing] for a dime a week…”(Le Sueur 325). This is the story of the cries of the lost children of the worker who lives hand to mouth.

“To be hungry is different than to count the hungry”.