BOOM!: Voices of the Sixties
Assignment #2
According to author Tom Brokow, in the book BOOM!, the sixties were a time that begun in 1963 and ended in 1974. There was a lot brewing in the early sixties causing this era to have a lasting affect on America. Some of these events were The Civil Rights Crusades, which were led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; the revolution of Ronald Reagan the actor, the Governor, and eventually the President of the United States. During this time, John F. Kennedy was president, but not favored by all. The people because of his stance on school desegregation demanded his resignation of Presidency; however, within weeks of this demand JFK was assassinated. “It was November 22, 1963, and it was, in effect, the …show more content…
The legacy of Vietnam was not one that many spoke of, until many years later. Vietnam Veterans experienced great divide amongst their generation, unlike the World War II veterans who had a unifying experience (430). Brokow explains two groups of Vietnam Veterans: those who showed their badge of distinction to the public, and those who shared a common bond with those who experienced it (war); however, those who did not experience the war remained invisible to them (430). When Vietnam veterans returned home they returned to a very different America than they left. The welcome home a Vietnam veteran received was far from welcoming. They were not welcomed with parades, as the WWII veterans did. Rather, they were not acknowledged, things were thrown at them, they were spat at, and they were called “baby killers” by passer byers. This was emotionally devastating to the veterans, only adding to their mixed feeling about what they just experienced. Upon their return, The Civil Rights Movement was well underway, with women demanding equal rights and finding themself in the work place, while the Blacks were demanding the same equality. The fight to stop discrimination was the forefront of society and words once spoken …show more content…
Today, we are fighting for the same things: equality, women’s rights, politics, etc., but on a different playing field. American’s are taking things into their own because the trust and hope in the government has been completely destroyed; therefore, defiance towards law enforcement and the government are rampant. The issues of the sixties are still very much alive today; however, division, racism and hate are being displayed from our government, causing devastation and destruction among the people. Although we have evolved in such things as technology, we have not matured and grown as a country. We have not learned from our past. I am proud to be an American and so grateful to live in this wonderful country, but I am truly concerned that we will implode because of the constant turmoil and divide that lies
Assignment #2
According to author Tom Brokow, in the book BOOM!, the sixties were a time that begun in 1963 and ended in 1974. There was a lot brewing in the early sixties causing this era to have a lasting affect on America. Some of these events were The Civil Rights Crusades, which were led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; the revolution of Ronald Reagan the actor, the Governor, and eventually the President of the United States. During this time, John F. Kennedy was president, but not favored by all. The people because of his stance on school desegregation demanded his resignation of Presidency; however, within weeks of this demand JFK was assassinated. “It was November 22, 1963, and it was, in effect, the …show more content…
The legacy of Vietnam was not one that many spoke of, until many years later. Vietnam Veterans experienced great divide amongst their generation, unlike the World War II veterans who had a unifying experience (430). Brokow explains two groups of Vietnam Veterans: those who showed their badge of distinction to the public, and those who shared a common bond with those who experienced it (war); however, those who did not experience the war remained invisible to them (430). When Vietnam veterans returned home they returned to a very different America than they left. The welcome home a Vietnam veteran received was far from welcoming. They were not welcomed with parades, as the WWII veterans did. Rather, they were not acknowledged, things were thrown at them, they were spat at, and they were called “baby killers” by passer byers. This was emotionally devastating to the veterans, only adding to their mixed feeling about what they just experienced. Upon their return, The Civil Rights Movement was well underway, with women demanding equal rights and finding themself in the work place, while the Blacks were demanding the same equality. The fight to stop discrimination was the forefront of society and words once spoken …show more content…
Today, we are fighting for the same things: equality, women’s rights, politics, etc., but on a different playing field. American’s are taking things into their own because the trust and hope in the government has been completely destroyed; therefore, defiance towards law enforcement and the government are rampant. The issues of the sixties are still very much alive today; however, division, racism and hate are being displayed from our government, causing devastation and destruction among the people. Although we have evolved in such things as technology, we have not matured and grown as a country. We have not learned from our past. I am proud to be an American and so grateful to live in this wonderful country, but I am truly concerned that we will implode because of the constant turmoil and divide that lies