Tet Docs

Once I read all of the "Tet Docs" I came to the conclusion that their were many views on the war and it was hard to predict what will really happen next. The Tet holiday was supposed to be a joyous day and celebration but it resulted in many deaths of both the American and Vietnamese people. Not only did US soldiers and those from the NVA forces die, but many towns were being attacked which killed innocent civilians. Even though the NVA and Viet Cong suffered about 10 times more deaths than the US and South Vietnamese forces, both sides were effected psychologically. It's crazy to think that just because of one conflict that occurred from a day that was supposed to be a pleasant one could result in the loss of thousands of people and millions of dollars. The event also ended President Johnson's desire to run for office again. Even today, the Tet Offensive "is seen as the turning point of the war" and that is because of the "psychological victory" on the North Vietnamese side. The experience's resulting from Tet had changed the pattern for future decisions and actions of leaders for both the Vietnamese side and the United States.
The Massacre at Hue was also a memorable event. After reading and processing the information from the event..I was startled and appalled at what happened during this time. The number of bodies found was mind boggling. Another thing that shocked me about the Massacre at Hue was that a large majority of the bodies were government officials or employees of the Americans. All of those people were captured by the Viet Cong cadres, and they were all recognized because of detailed blacklists that were carried during captures. If it weren't for all the false accusations and beliefs that the two countries made against each other, many of these little "inner" battles could have been avoided. The rumors that had been started were also a large influence on the Massacre at Hue which made me start to think why the people were so naive. Maybe it was because the public was not being told the whole truth?
Walter Cronkite's CBS Broadcast also had a large effect on the public. Many Americans believed that they were not getting the whole story on what was going on in Vietnam. Walter's opinion influenced the public to doubt their government and fear that they weren't being informed on progress or problems going on in Nam. He kept mentioning a future stalemate in the war, but no one could predict the future. Because he was such a popular celebrity figure, his opinion made a difference in the community. Whether he was being bias or not, the way he came about speaking of the issue in a public manner was wrong and unprofessional. Personal opinions should never be given on issues as large as these. If the broadcast was not aired, I'm sure that many people would not have been so paranoid about the issue.

Terkel #8

                Dolores Dante has been a waitress for over twenty years and surprisingly enjoys her job. She is a hard working woman, her job requires her six days a week from five pm till two am. Many would think that her job is for the needy and the uneducated but Dolores argues that any job is for the needy, people need money to survive. Dolores looks at her job in a different way though, she makes it theatrical and fun for her and the customers. She spices up what she says to her customers and tries to make their meal and experience an enjoyable one. One thing she said is that she looks at herself like an "entertainer", if the customers don't enjoy the atmosphere then they will not leave a good tip. She also spent a lot of her interviewing telling us how there is a certain way of doing everything. There is a distinct way of serving food, certain ways of talking to customers and how you react and act at work. If you have been in the business as long as Dolores has, you would know that work is a cycle. Especially a job as a waitress, after working long hours you go to bed tired and achey but then in the morning you wake up refreshed and ready for the day.. The cycle is a repeating one and its the same way with how you act. She emphasized how there is a specific way of treating others so you can make a living, its all about how you handle and react to the business.
               Phil Stallings is another very hard working person that has noticed the certain stereotypes and cycles that occur at work. He works at a Ford Dealership in Chicago. He has been working there for about three years and is already at the top of the list on the employee list. All of the employees at his work are treated differently and Phil tells us how there is segregation. The whites are with the whites and the colored work with the colored..It's surprising to hear all of this because racism and segregation is supposed to be over with now and it is still occurring in the work place.  Those who sell more cars and are better with people have a higher pay and are higher ranked at work. They are also treated with better respect, which I think is unfair. He also says that you become wiser after working at a job each year you are there. Phil tells us that he has become more mature and figured out all of the secrets and strategies there are at work. Both Dolores and Phil tell us how there is a certain way to do things at work to make a higher pay, work is a cycle. Even if you do not enjoy your job, you can make it interesting and everyday will be a different experience.

Terkel #7

         Both Dennis Hart, and Lucy Jefferson's interviews were focussed around their "images" in everyday society. Dennis Hart is a Chicagoland man who works two jobs and has two children. Throughout the interview, he speaks a lot about courage and pride. It seemed as if Dennis was looking for a meaning to life by the way he presented himself to the public. He said that "freedom is the most important thing in your life" (238) But then he says how in today's society, a white man can not express how he truly feels because it makes him a coward. The main points that Mr.Hart makes is to conform into society's beliefs  if you want to survive and be accepted in "Division Street".  Then he went on to talking about the John Birch Society, which he joined because he believed in what they believed in and felt that he could fit in there. Dennis said that even in the John Birch Society, you had to prove yourself and satisfy your peers to be accepted. After living in and experiencing a lot of different atmospheres, Dennis says that everyone, both black and white people have to build an "image" in todays society to be socially accepted.
          Lucy Jefferson is a black woman who lives in the "Robert Brooks" housing projects in Chicago. She spoke a lot about pride too, just as Dennis Hart did. Both of them grew up pretty poor which may explain some of the same similarities they have in their perception of todays society. Lucy worked very hard as an Aid at a hospital for her two children. She explains how society and her peers did not expect much from her at her work because she was negro. And she also stresses how everyone looked at her differently because she was a black woman who read a lot. She was always seen with a book in her hand at work and that made her coworkers question her intelligence and her intentions. Mrs.Jefferson explains that she was "breaking down" the stereotype that black people were given, that "all Negroes are ignorant" by reading so much and educating herself. (247) Then we learn that her son did not have books when he was going to school because the neighborhood and district could not afford books for the students. By experiencing that and seeing her own child not being able to get the education he deserved, she thought that she should break down the typical beliefs of Negroes and make a new "image" for herself. That was the reason that she carried and read these books, to make an accepting image of herself to her white peers. Both interviews are interesting because they are given from two different perspectives, but have many similarities within each other about conforming and proving society's stereotypes to be wrong.