The oral history we had to turn in last week got me thinking on a few things. I knew beforehand that history is surely written by the victors. I also knew that time has a way of changing things, especially perspective. What I didn’t know was how it changed the Watergate scandal over time.
It will forever be remembered as one of the most infamous political blunders in American history. Seeing the front page from the Los Angeles Times dated the day after President Ford was sworn into office coupled with talking to my father who bought the paper opened my eyes. The experience showed me how Nixon and Ford’s legacy has changed over time.
Nixon back then was seen as an insecure power-crazed politician (more so than most.) Now he is now lauded as a master of foreign policy. His relations with China are largely responsibly for where America is now in the foreign corporate world.
Then there’s Ford. Back then he was seen as a fill-in president. Today he’s praised for helping to bring the nation back together after the scandal. He wasn’t too overpowering and maniacal in his political aspirations, which would not have been what was best for the country at that fragile time.
In this particular case, time heals all wounds. People who were once seen as only one way are now seen from a different perspective as another way. The truth comes out and flaws are accepted as human nature while the work accomplished is finally given the appropriate appreciation it deserves once prejudice is removed through time and hindsight. It was a very interesting oral history and I was glad I had the opportunity to discuss the issue with my father.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Blog 2: Vick and the issue of race
This blog allows me to bring up a very interesting story I have wanted to dissect for a while: the Michael Vick case. Michael Vick, former quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, was a popular, rich pro athlete who had it all. He was the face of the NFL for several seasons. That was before his darkest secrets were revealed.
Turns out he liked to watch dogs literally kill each other and occasionally he would do the same by killing the ones that weren’t up to snuff. Over the past few months, the federal government began building its case against Vick after a raid on his property earlier in the same showed evidence of a dog fighting ring operating on the premises not to mention the nearly dozen buried canine corpses found in the back yard.
The case never went to trial. Vick’s co-defendants ratted him out for better deals for themselves and he in turn pleaded guilty before a jury ever had the chance to make matters worse for him. He is now a convicted felon. His sentencing will take place in December.
The point I’m trying to make here is I am disgusted with the way Vick has been so vehemently defended by many. Numerous high profile athletes, actors and entertainers have came out in defense of Vick and tried to reason why he did what he did. It should be noted that the vast majority of his defenders are black, as is he and they have continually contended that it’s a racial issue.
Call me naive, but what really struck me as odd is how this issue has quickly become a racial issue. What everyone who is defending Vick seems to be forgetting is that what he did a white man or Hispanic man or any other man could do. Vick is not being hated on and protested against by PETA and other such groups because he is black, rather, it’s because he is a convicted felon who took pleasure in personally murdering numerous dogs.
We are a country of pet lovers, especially dog lovers. It doesn’t matter what race you are, if you do horrific things like that, you should be punished. However, so many people have turned it into a race thing and I hate it when the race card is used. Yes, there is racism in this world, but this is not a racial issue and should not be treated as such. For further evidence, just look into Vick’s history.
He has a rap-sheet longer than any touchdown run he ever accomplished. He has a documented history of getting into continued trouble with the law. Vick is seen as innocent by many and that confuses the hell out of me. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must say that I used to truly admire Vick. I thought he had an incredible talent, but he wasted it away, not because he was black, but because he made poor decisions time and time again.
Turns out he liked to watch dogs literally kill each other and occasionally he would do the same by killing the ones that weren’t up to snuff. Over the past few months, the federal government began building its case against Vick after a raid on his property earlier in the same showed evidence of a dog fighting ring operating on the premises not to mention the nearly dozen buried canine corpses found in the back yard.
The case never went to trial. Vick’s co-defendants ratted him out for better deals for themselves and he in turn pleaded guilty before a jury ever had the chance to make matters worse for him. He is now a convicted felon. His sentencing will take place in December.
The point I’m trying to make here is I am disgusted with the way Vick has been so vehemently defended by many. Numerous high profile athletes, actors and entertainers have came out in defense of Vick and tried to reason why he did what he did. It should be noted that the vast majority of his defenders are black, as is he and they have continually contended that it’s a racial issue.
Call me naive, but what really struck me as odd is how this issue has quickly become a racial issue. What everyone who is defending Vick seems to be forgetting is that what he did a white man or Hispanic man or any other man could do. Vick is not being hated on and protested against by PETA and other such groups because he is black, rather, it’s because he is a convicted felon who took pleasure in personally murdering numerous dogs.
We are a country of pet lovers, especially dog lovers. It doesn’t matter what race you are, if you do horrific things like that, you should be punished. However, so many people have turned it into a race thing and I hate it when the race card is used. Yes, there is racism in this world, but this is not a racial issue and should not be treated as such. For further evidence, just look into Vick’s history.
He has a rap-sheet longer than any touchdown run he ever accomplished. He has a documented history of getting into continued trouble with the law. Vick is seen as innocent by many and that confuses the hell out of me. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must say that I used to truly admire Vick. I thought he had an incredible talent, but he wasted it away, not because he was black, but because he made poor decisions time and time again.
First Blog for Jour Class
Dr. Lambiase, like most of my 100+ classmates, I was a little late on posting my first few blogs because I didn’t understand what we were supposed to blog on.
I sincerely appreciate that you said in class Friday, September 21 that it was okay if we wrote our first three blogs from the first three weeks right now and they wouldn’t be counted as late.
First blog:
I enjoy sports. There’s just no way around it. I guess you could say I am a sports nut, a sports junkie. Everything of that nature and everything in between. I bring this up because I really enjoyed one of the first major discussions we had in class. In was either the first or second class, I can’t recall. I think it was the first.
We discussed women in sports reporting. Specifically we talked about them as sideline reporters for NFL games. Many people shared their comments on the issue in class. I was one of them.
I agree that the women in those segments are often viewed as just a cute face asking simple questions and in my opinion that is wrong. I also think that such a trend is only seen in NFL games and that female journalists working for several other media outlets are valued and respected.
Chief among them is ESPN. ESPN often has women featured prominently on SportsCenter, their flagship show. These women have major assignments on big stories. They are also anchors on the show itself. Women may be devalued on NFL sidelines, but that does not mean that’s the way it is in the entire sports world.
I sincerely appreciate that you said in class Friday, September 21 that it was okay if we wrote our first three blogs from the first three weeks right now and they wouldn’t be counted as late.
First blog:
I enjoy sports. There’s just no way around it. I guess you could say I am a sports nut, a sports junkie. Everything of that nature and everything in between. I bring this up because I really enjoyed one of the first major discussions we had in class. In was either the first or second class, I can’t recall. I think it was the first.
We discussed women in sports reporting. Specifically we talked about them as sideline reporters for NFL games. Many people shared their comments on the issue in class. I was one of them.
I agree that the women in those segments are often viewed as just a cute face asking simple questions and in my opinion that is wrong. I also think that such a trend is only seen in NFL games and that female journalists working for several other media outlets are valued and respected.
Chief among them is ESPN. ESPN often has women featured prominently on SportsCenter, their flagship show. These women have major assignments on big stories. They are also anchors on the show itself. Women may be devalued on NFL sidelines, but that does not mean that’s the way it is in the entire sports world.
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