Saturday, January 29, 2011

Johnsons speech

Ben Weisner

1/29/2011

Shaw

Lyndon Johnsons Speech

 

 

Lyndon Johnson spoke to the American people and congress when he gave this speech. He included the events that happened in Selma, Alabama. In his speech he speaks to all saying I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of Democracy. I urge every member of both parties, Americans of all religions and of all colors, from every section of this country, to join me in that cause.” If we all work together then hopefully will be able to curve racism. Everyone must work together if we are to fight this. “I often walked home late in the afternoon after the classes were finished wishing there was more that I could do. But all I knew was to teach them the little that I knew, hoping that I might help them against the hardships that lay ahead. And somehow you never forget what poverty and hatred can do when you see its scars on the hopeful face of a young child.” each person faces such things in there life.

Johnson said “There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem.” I agree with this the problem lies with in the person, every American has the right to do as they please but morally it does not make it right to hate on races. I hope there will be a time when the American people will not have to ever worry about this problem.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

We Shall Overcome

On Monday, March 15, 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed the full congress to push for Voting Rights for African Americans. There's the key word African AMERICANS. Shouldn't a person who is legally an American and eligible to work in the United States be eligible to vote on issues going on in our country? Sadly enough back in 1965 this wasn't the case. A quote given my Johnson that really stood out to me was "There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem" This I felt was a very powerful line in that world calling for equal rights wasn't the norm is was a very controversial issue and Johnson put his own career and presidency on the line for these "second class citizens." After African Americans gained voting rights a very serious problem for them was the “literacy tests” that were specifically designed to keep African Americans from casting their votes. These tests were designed specifically to keep African Americans from voting. Today African Americans still suffer some discrimination but life is infinitely better for them in 2011 than it was in 1965.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Blog 2- Questions

When it comes to how Arizona's law is a huge deal for the state because they have a huge border that they must share with mexico, compared to texas. I belive that everyone has the right to start a new life for themself in this country just like people have done before them. Since being in maine people dont relize that we have a huge border with canada but we dont have some of the problems that arizona has with gang wars but we do have a problem with drugs coming acrossed the border. This is the biggest problem with the border is the drug trafficing. I hope that this problem will get cleared up and things will get better no matter were people are in the United States.

the next issue is with the up incoming governer Lepage and the actions that he said on live news. I do agree with casey there is still the problem of racism in the country and the problem is that it will alway be here because people have the freedom to think the way they well protected by the first amendment. Aslo with the point that they take what some one has said and blows it way out of context.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Blog 2 questions

I completely agree with what Casey said living in Maine has a lot of advantages but also a lot of significant disadvantages. We get the benefit of growing up in safe small towns but for many Mainers racism is still an issue. White people are the norm in Maine. We do look like close minded hillbillies compared to some other states especially when a member of our own government does not watch what he says to the press and makes himself (and by proxy) our entire state look like uneducated close minded and unprofessional people. Maine is a great place to live and grown up but instead of making Maine look wonderful (as it is) we make it look like a ridiculous place to live. The immigration brutality (again I've never witnessed it) but reminds me a lot of how Somalians were and still are treated like crap by all the other "real" citizens. Americans are angry because we just "gave" these people free stuff a fast that most people do not realize is that they were loaned to them if they do not pay them back in a certain amount of time they are deported. Somalians are working for what they are getting.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Blog 2-Questions

I think that in the past year citizenship has gotten a whole new meaning in Arizona. With the new laws making it impossible to live in the state unless you are a legal citizen a state that is so close to the Mexican border this is seen by a lot of legal and illegal citizens as a big deal. Being from Maine I have never had to witness brutality towards immigrants but I have read and heard about it in other areas of the country. The hostility towards them for living, working and even just being in the United States creates problems for a lot of Americans.

When people in a position of power make negative comments about ethnic groups especially in a state like Maine that is primarily white and has a background of being closed minded as a whole it can create many problems. One problem being that radical groups start to think that they are in a position of power because they take the comments out of context and use them toward their cause. Another reason being it makes the our state look like a bunch of backwards hicks because our governor doesn't have a filter on what he says. The implications of this event will make it look as though we Mainers are as closed-minded as our governor.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Summary MLK Speech

The first who was to post to the Blog was Jonathan Mallar and he explains what the speech was about and it was by Martin Luther King talking about the events that had happened. John mentions that in kings speech that “no cross’s are burned, no white man gets drag from his house and lynched, and no white man gives up his seat for a black man or women.” King also talks about this going on for far to long. Then King talks about Rosa Parks and how she did something that was unheard of at that time. John also makes the point that all African Americans need to stick together at this time to make it work in the long run. John points out the two people that stood put and made a difference for the movement.

The second one to post was Casey Trask, her point was about the event that Rosa Parks went through that day. King describes Parks as one of the finest citizens in Montgomery. Casey hyperlink was a picture of Rosa parks being finger printed into jail. She also points out that Rosa was not one to cause trouble with in the community and king was glad that it had happened to her. Casey mentions that king organized a boycott of the buses and asked them to walk or get rides. Also that they must stay united and keep God in there forefront.

The third was Michelle Morris, she had two hyperlinks in her post one to you tube that had kings I have a dream speech and another that was biography about King. Michelle mentioned the main points that had been said and elaborated on them. Michelle talks about that king really did work hard to accomplish what he was after. The main points that I got out of this Blog was that Rosa parks was the main focus and she was not one to cause trouble. Mentions were made about how he told everyone to stick together if they are to get through this and faith will help them through it. King wanted to help other people and he set out to do that and he expressed it in his words in this speech.

Monday, January 17, 2011

MIA Mass Meeting at Holt Street Baptist Church

Today is Martin Luther King Junior day, and I hadn't ever really stopped and thought about what that day really meant. Something Johnathon missed was that Rosa Parks was one of the finest citizens in Montgomery, Alabama. "Just the other day, just last Thursday to be exact, one of the finest citizens in Montgomery (Amen)—not one of the finest Negro citizens, (That’s right) but one of the finest citizens in Montgomery" Not just including the white citizens, not just black citizens but out of ALL citizens. I feel this is a very powerful statement. In this day and age this doesn't mean the same thing that it did when Martin Luther King Junior gave this speech. Times have (thankfully) changed and blacks are no longer segregated against and are given all of the same rights that have always been given to white citizens. Something else that is pretty amazing is that something that helped spur this evolution of rights among blacks is the fact that Rosa Parks wouldn't get out of her seat when a white person asked for it. “as taken from a bus (Yes) and carried to jail and arrested (Yes) because she refused to get up to give her seat to a white person." and thus she was arrested. Martin Luther King Junior did so much to change the world to make this world a better place for everyone to live in; free of hate and racism, he has accomplished so much even in death. He is a person that the United States can continue to be proud of for the years to come, every day not just on his national holiday.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Martin Luther King Jr.

I found a particular line in this speech to be very powerful, "Just the other day, just last Thursday to be exact, one of the finest citizens in Montgomery (Amen)—not one of the finest Negro citizens, (That’s right) but one of the finest citizens in Montgomery—was taken from a bus (Yes) and carried to jail and arrested (Yes) because she refused to get up to give her seat to a white person." When Dr. King describes Rosa Parks as one of the finest citizens in Montgomery and then goes on to specify that he means in general and not just of their race. I think that it really says something about the time that he has to clarify to make this point. An additional point that I found riveting was where Dr. King said since it had to happen he was glad that it happened to Parks, because no one could say that she was one to cause trouble in the community. King really drives home his point when he says that just for refusing to get out of her seat Parks was arrested.

After this act on Parks Dr. King organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott were blacks in the south boycotted the buses and walked everywhere or got rides from the few blacks who had cars. King goes on to express their need to stay united and work together and that together they don’t need to be afraid. He also talks about how in everything they do they must keep God in their forefront. Through all of the oppression and hardships and unfair treatment they kept their faith, I think that makes them some of the strongest citizens that have ever lived in the United States, then or now.

MIA Mass Meeting at Holt Street Baptist Church

In this speech by Martin Luther King, he talks about a women named Rosa Parks. Now Rosa Parks started a movement, that movement is what changed the rights of African Americans. Mr. King mentions that no cross’s are burned in the white neighborhood, no white man gets dragged out of his house and brought to some road in the middle of no where and lynched for no reason; no white man gives up his seat for a black man or women.
King also talks about how this has been going on for far to long, and this needs to stop. Rosa Parks finally did something that others wanted to do, Stand up; but everyone else was to afraid of what would happen.
King speaks later on about how everyone needs to stick together and for those not aboard to reunite those. King wants to get as many followers as possible to make everything fall into place and work. You cant have just 50 followers to carry out something huge like changing the rights and way everyone treats you, u need thousands+ to make this work. King told his followers, “ the road ahead will be rocky, its going to be rough, we just need to stick together”. In conclusion if Rosa Parks dint stand up for what she believed, black rights probly wouldn’t be the way are now. Martin Luther King was the speaker and fonder of everything for the African Americans. These 2 people both stood up for what they believed in and the outcome was much greater to what they were hoping for. Its extremely sad that King dint get to see the world he helped reform.