“We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in Southwest Georgia and East Harlem“(3). As presented in “Beyond Vietnam”, Dr. King argues that stereotyping and racist ideologies of life in America is very coincidental to life in Vietnam. It is fairly coincidental because Americans and all types of citizens that live in the U.S. do feel or have a sense of belief to think the ideology of war is corrupt; but we as individuals still maintain to allow racial warfare on the grounds that we call our holy land cease to exist. We live the stereotype and hype of being segregated in Dr. King's era but let alone we contradict ourselves as human beings in society and send our children of all races and all different shades of black and white overseas to fight a battle that is similar to the trials and tribulations that they face each and every day on their homeland. Could it be possible that the mere coincidence that is in effect Dr. King sees a bigger picture to it? Of Course he does! Who am I to say that coincidences just as of this doesn’t happen everyday. It may be a lot more relevant in today’s time than it was during the time King gave this speech in 1967 but who is to say that Americans are better to judge one race such as the Vietnamese when we judge our own fellow soldiers in war off and on the battlefield, just because the color of their skin is different from our own or they hold different beliefs and come from a different culture that is different from what we are used to.
When you think about it, it all remains the same no matter how you look at it or how you try to interpret it. We can fight in a war outside of the United States but we can’t seem to come to a means of coming together as one and halting the injustice that lays on the grounds of our home. Where is the justice in that? Where is the hope in that? Are we against fighting a war that harms and kills the innocent Or are we for that adrenaline rush and the thrill of killing those that have not done or shown harm to us? What makes more sense to the eyes of the beholders or the higher authority in office that makes that decision in allowing us to engage in a war. Is this really what America is about? Abusing the power we strived for to hurt those less than ourselves. Is it that hard for us to believe in Dr. King's ideology of non-violence or is mankind just equip to be violent......
I feel like your argument is that the same abuse of power that allowed the Vietnam war to happen is the same abuse of power that allowed racism to preservere in this country. I think you point out that this was also Dr.King's opinion- that he saw this during his time- the injustice. I think that it Dr.King sees it less as a coincidence and more as the same relative abuse of power. I really like when you say "We can fight in a war outside of the United States but we can’t seem to come to a means of coming together as one and halting the injustice that lays on the grounds of our home". I feel like your getting to the heart of your argument there. I don't fully understand what you're trying to get at when you question the point of us fighting a war- are you saying that all wars should be fought in a nonviolent way? Is that even possible?
ReplyDeleteOverall, I think that you're argument is great and I totally agree:)
Thank you for that comment Krista :)
ReplyDeleteand I can see where you got unclear of the question I was posing out there. I think where I was trying to get at was 'is this all America is cracked up to be? Are we only about serving a purpose to be violent in general. Is creating and getting into battles this country's only purpose as a power nation. And I think that it is possible for some wars to be fought non-violently, afterall remember the cold war was a war that was fought out with non violence. It only showed technological and economical advances from both countries showcasing their power roles in the world.
lol yeahhh i get it now:)
ReplyDeleteHi Nyashia - I agree that you have great ideas to work with, and I really like your title. I notice that in your second paragraph, you start to get very broad with a lot of sweeping philosophical questions about America and human nature - they're great questions, but very broad and you won't be able to answer them in 600 words - go back to the questions in the assignment and the texts to specify.
ReplyDeletei think that the quote you chose was a great one and you did a great job at explaing it. However a few of your sentences were unclear or run on sentences. i think this could be a great strong essay with a few adjustments. keep up the good work!!!!
ReplyDeleteHello Prof. T :)
ReplyDeleteSome of the questions I placed in the Essay,I'm not really intending to answer. I just placed majority of the questions so my reader can gather up their own thoughts and answers to what they think is right and wrong. I know if I place my answers to some of the questions, Not everyone is going to agree or think what I'm saying is right but if they can draw their own conclusion to the answers they give based on them questions. Maybe they'll have a brighter look into what Dr. King message was and they'll have or get an ideology of their own out of it.
Hi Nyashia - It's interesting you make that comment - in conversation and discussion we often do pose those big rhetorical questions to think about, but in an essay, you want to try to focus on the topic at hand - otherwise the *specifics* and *your evidence* will get lost.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Lavaisha is right about the run-ons - have another look!