Semester Deux, Blog Twelve

Dear Mr. President,

The recent upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa mark a great time for America to make new progressions in our efforts of providing economic aid to the regions. The presence of a middle-class in these regions are missing, creating a large gap between the upper-class/high authority figures and the lower class.

In North Africa, the current government cuts off prosperity, which could lead to development and diplomacy, by depending on government and NGO assistance, as well as foreign investments, but that only benefits the elite. There is a need for social and physical infrastructure in this region, and these needs are not being met. The World Bank's Doing Business Rankings show that countries that allow participation in local businesses thrive such as- "Mauritius(No.24), Botswana(38), and Ghana(87)"- in comparison to- "Mozambique(No. 141), Zimbabwe (158), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (181). The countries that allow self run small businesses often thrive fluently, not to mention the men and women have their own support systems. If the low-class was able to start small-self-owned businesses, which a handful would grow into large businesses as time passes and a middle class forms, social and physical infrastructure could come naturally with a steady fund.

Similar to North Africa, the Middle East is in need of a self generated economy in place of government aid. There is currently an air of 'chronic corruption, poor socio-economic performance, and a persuasive sense of stagnation' which can not be changed overnight. In the 1980's some Arab countries initiated political reforms in order to support multi-competitive elections, but the efforts faded by the 1990's. This is reflected in current times, with Arab governments 'curbing political participation, manipulating elections', and limiting the peoples' freedom of expression. It has been a real struggle to plant democracy into these countries, as there is many other priorities along side that, and a true democracy may be out of reach without a true commitment from the United States.

Economic aid may not be the solution to the need of social and physical infrastructure that are necessary to these regions. Keep in mind that the Marshall Plan worked because loans were made to businesses first, which then were able to support social and physical infrastructure in the long run.

Sincerely,

Brandi Coley

Semester Duex, Blog Eleven

If you were President, how would you confront the multiple issues surrounding the Geneva Conventions that we have discussed in class over the past week?

If I was the President of the United States of America present day, and I had to confront the multiple issues surrounding the Geneva Conventions I would probably have the idea to restore America's well-known side of sticking to the rules of international affairs. The first thing I would do(or tell someone to do for me) is determine wheter Guantanamo Bay is on U.S. soil or if it's on Cuban soil. The laws of international affair probably differ depending on what country you are in, so thats a pretty big part. Then after that is figured out, , myself(or the hired person) would go through the Geneva Conventions to see what classifies one as a soldier, so we can then decide whether these prisoners are P.O.W.'s or just mere prisoners. From there you can determine how these prisoners should be treated, and also I would have them tried. And if people protested I would show the evidence of that guy from 9/11 who got tried and is imprisoned right now and other examples such as this to show the public or whoever that its happened before, and they weren't protesting then so why are they protesting now. I think there is just a mass hysteria going around because people aren't educated about things and so they just freak out, so maybe I would try to enforce something about teaching the public about the laws and stuff.

Semester Dos, Honors Blog

May 7^th, 1942

Dear John,

It's wonderful to hear from you and I am glad that all is well so far. Things here are going swell. I heard from the girls Meredith and Joann that at Minter Field, which is not too far from Bakersfield perhaps twenty miles, job openings as riveters were open. So we went right on down there and well what do you know, here we are working on the Army's training planes! It is actually quite nice here; there is a Chapel, a swimming pool, a theatre, a post office; when we are not busy with work there is always something relaxing and entertaining to do. I'm learning a lot about the Vultee BT-13 Valiant and the Cessna Bamboo Bomber; they're quite common around these parts. The student pilots use the BT-13 in their second or third phase of their training, oh my, I just realized you've already gone through this training so you must already know these things! Anywho, the work that I have been doing is quite interesting and challenging. I have an instructor who watches my every move; it is very much as though the men do not trust us. I'm sure they are unhappy with our presence in their working space, but I think little by little they have come to accept it. They often teased us and called us degrading names, and there is this lady by the name of Rosie who sees it fit to wear skin-tight red blouses and it bothered the men so much that our instructor asked her to wear overalls to work from then and on…That Rosie sure is a character. I do not understand why it is that she wears those shirts; everyone knows that factory attire calls for slacks or overalls. Where was I...? Ah, my work. While we were being trained on how to use the rivet gun properly our instructor gave us some metal sheets to practice with as he bore holes into the back of our heads. John, I am telling you, these men are either hostile or extremely careful about their work…perhaps a combination of the two? Well, now that I am thinking about it, it must be a combination of the two. I did not exactly realize the importance of our jobs when we first arrived. But here we are, with lives depending on us and the repairs we make on these planes. Sometimes while Meredith, Joann, and I are working, we sing that song “Rosie the Riveter” although it seems to irritate the men who get partnered with us at times. They say it is ‘too distracting’ to listen to us sing and that they may not do the repairs correctly with all of the ‘distractions’. Have you heard the song? It goes something like this:

While other girls attend their fav’rite cocktail bar, Sipping Martinis, munching caviar. There’s a girl who’s really putting them to shame, Rosie is her name. All the day long whether rain or shine, she’s a part of the assembly line. She’s making history, working for victory. Rosie the Riveter Keeps a sharp lookout for sabotage, sitting up there on the fuselage. That little frail can do more than a male will do, Rosie the Riveter. Rosie’s got a boyfriend, Charlie. Charlie, he’s a Marine. Rosie is protecting Charlie Working overtime on the riveting machine. When they gave her a production “E” She was as proud as a girl could be. There’s something true about Red, white, and blue about Rosie the Riveter.

There is more to the song, but I think that will do. I hope you know I’m protecting you overtime on the riveting machine, John—we all are. Sometimes when I take a break from using the bucker bar or the riveting gun, I think about the old days when mother used to set out lemonade on the porch on hot days after our play time. I miss those days, and I miss you brother. I am sure if mother and father were still around they would love to see how well we have supported each other through-out the years physically and emotionally, even how we have supported our country in its time of need! I hope you can forgive me, a long while passed since I last wrote to you and next time I will be sure to be quicker in my efforts-- John, I hope the war will not treat you too badly.

with Love From Yours truly,

Samantha Stanford

www.pophistorydig.com

www.nps.gov

WW2 Imagery

This shows the 'leaderes' of the allied powers, the big three. Joseph Stahlin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D Roosevelt. When I see this picture I already know who they are, but if I didn't from looking at the way the picture was taken I could probably infer they were people important. Its shows them kind of looking down, and sincce theyre up kinda high its like theyre high society high power type of thing.

This is Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini who were part of the Axis powers..I'm thinking it was Italy, Germany, Japan, and Russia sort of tried but didn't exactly seem to be included with these three groups. Anyways, this is Hitler and Mussolini meeting in 1940. My first reaction was indifferent, I've seen the picture before.

In this picture theres a japanese soldier hitting an american soldier in the face. My inital reaction was shock, I've seen a lot of propaganda but not any that actually portrayed any violence. Even though its promoting violence and killing and I usually wouldn't like something like this, they do a good job of persuading Americans to go out and kill the 'Japs'.

Semester Dos, blog eight

To Kill a Mocking Bird, written by Harper Lee, told the story of two young children living in Maycomb Alabama whose father defended a black man in a rape case involving a white woman. The novel starts out when the main character, Jean Louise Finch otherwise known as Scout, tells the reader about her brother Jem's broken arm- Scout spends the rest of the novel explaining the events that led up to Jem's broken arm. Throughout the novel Scout introduces more and more characters, most of them living in Maycomb, except for one. Dill meets Scout and Jem one summer, and after that keeps returning. They have good fun together often making up games that revolve around Arthur "Boo" Radley, Maycombs 'crazy' shut-in. He dared Jem to go and touch the Radley house, came up with an idea of using a fishpole to stick a note that would invite Boo Radley to ice cream with them, even made up a 'game' where him, Jem, and Scout acted out the daily lives of Boo Radley. From day one, Dill was always very adventurous and creative (he made up very many stories in attempt to impress Scout and Jem) just like an innocent child. He represents the innocence and curiosity that children have. In a way, Dill almost represents Scouts state of childhood throughtout most of Part One of To Kill a Mockingbird. She asks many questions to her father Atticus Finch and to Miss Maudy who lives across the street as well about plenty of things. When she isn't asking questions, she is always out playing with her brother Jem, or in school trying to do right. Sometimes although she is only trying to do what she thinks is right, she gets into trouble. For example one of the poorer students, Walter Cunningham, came over to dinner and poured mollasses all over his vegetables. Scout tried to tell him his proper manners, not rudely, but got in trouble. In a way, I think her innocence has to do with this, because she hasn't been exposed to the evil of the world so she doesn't know what she is doing/saying could have a negative meaning depending on which way you interpret her actions. Scout finds herself facing the difference or wrong and right all through out the novel, especially when tension starts to rise in result of the upcoming courtcase. The kids at school jeer at her and tell her that her father Atticus is a nigger-lover and when she walked home from school an old woman named Mrs. Dubose harrassed Scout and Jem. Now Scout did not fully understand what exactly was going on, but she knew by the tone that it was nothing good. This is when she is first exposed to evil in the world and taking note of it. Jem and Scout both have a pretty hard time realizing that both evil and good coexist in the same world, but little by little they begin to understand, and they see the unfairness of it all. Their father Atticus Finch is the backbone of Scout and Jem's morals, often he guides them through a thought-process that leads them to what is right versus what everyone else thinks is right. When Atticus' brother gets Jem and Scout guns for christmas, Atticus even gives them a little piece of advice: “Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. “Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This isn't the exact quote, but what Atticus told his children was that whatever they do, do not kill a mockingbird. Later on in the book after Tom Robinson, the black man that Atticus defended in the rape case involving a white woman named Mayella Ewell, the jury of course voted guilty although it was most likely impossible for Tom to rape her because of his shriveled left arm. Anyways, there was a good chance to free Tom Robinson from prison but he tried to run and got shot. I think this was an example of them killing a mockingbird, Tom didn't do anything at all. He was always helping Mayella, free of pay, anytime she asked. He truly was a mockingbird, did not harm, and in the end people who knew but simply did not care did away with him- solely because of what everyone other white person in Maycomb would do- it was commonality for white people to go free in court when they were against black men. In court Mayella almost admitted that it was her father, Tom Ewell, who beat her while he was drunk. Bob Ewell had seven children, the oldest was Mayella who was 19. She had never had much schooling, but could read and write. Everyone knew the Ewells as the low-down dirty poor southerners who just didn't care at all. Bob Ewell used his welfare checks all on booze, and hunted in the woods even though it was illegal(there was an acception since he had no other means of getting food for his children). Even after Tom Robinson had gotten killed, and even though Tom Robinson never raped Mayella in the first place, Bob went down to Atticus' office in the town and told him he would get him. A long time passed and no one really thought Bob Ewell would do anything, but one night he caught Jem and Scout and tried to kill them. Luckily Boo Radley saved their lives. No one ever saw it coming, they hadn't seen or heard a peep out of him for as long as they could remember, but here he was. Boo turned out to be everything Scout didn't imagine, he was kind, caring, kind of awkward, but still had the best intentions. I think Boo was another mockingbird. In the midst of all the rumors that went about him and the violence and sadness he suupposedly spread, all he really was was an innocent caring person that tried to help in any way that he could when he could. He was a mockingbird in the midst of all the chaos.