Freedom Rides, Vietnam, and Social activism among the youths of America have left the 60’s with a very profound effect on our society. Without question, the decade of the 1960’s was one of the most controversial in American History. Throughout this period of social unrest, anti-war attitudes were gaining prevalence in a peace-loving subculture, and individuals began to question certain aspects of governmental policy and authority. This was the decade of peace and war, optimism and despair, cultural turbulence and frustration.
Vietnam
Arguably, no conflict during this era more profoundly affected American societal structure than did the Vietnam war. While an average tour in Vietnam lasted only about one year, the physical, economical, and psychological effects of the war proved so phenomenal that they would remain forever imprinted in the minds of both the American soldiers who fought, and all Americans of military age who feared they would go next. During the course of the Vietnam war more then twenty-six million men came of age to be eligible for the draft, 2.15 million of which were sent to Vietnam. The army assembled for the Vietnam war was significantly younger than any other American army, with the average age of soldiers ranging from seventeen to twenty one.
There were many feelings of animosity towards the war and draft, especially from the soldiers themselves. Corpsman Douglas Anderson represented popular feelings of animosity towards the war, especially regarding the youngest of the soldiers fighting when he was quoted saying: “if your parents signed certain kinds of papers, you could get over there and die at seventeen.”
As evidenced by his words, it was not simply a matter of going over there at the age of seventeen to fight for one’s country. Rather, it was a matter of leaving behind the safety and security of the home to which you were accustomed, with little expectation of returning. At a time when these ‘kids’ should have been enjoying, they were burdened with the the trepidation of being drafted.
Those who were not chosen by the draft to fight overseas were left back to fight on the homefront in an effort to bring about the American soldiers return home. College students played a large role in the anti-war movement, as the soldiers fighting in the war were their peers to whom they could closey relate their predicaments. During this time many colleges shut down completely while students and faculty voiced their opinions.
Tim O’Brien finds himself staring at his draft notice on June 17, 1968. He was confused and flustered. O’Brien does not know how or why he got selected for the draft. All he knew was that he was above the war itself, “A million things all at once—I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, to everything. It couldn’t happen” (41). He was also demented on the fact that he, a war hater, was being drafted. He felt if anyone were to be drafted it should be the people who supported the war. “If you support a war, if you think it’s worth the price, that’s fine, but you have to put your own precious fluids on the line” (42). His draft notice was when he first carried his thought of embarrassment. He instantly thought if he does not support the war he should not have to go to war. The only way not to go to war was to flee the country so the draft council could not find him. He had a moral split. “I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile” (44). This quote is so true in young adults, not only then, but also now. Peer pressure, the thought of being embarrassed if we do not do something, pushes many young adults to do things they do not want to such as pushing Tim O’Brien to enter the draft. The thought of being judged ...
Many women have taken up the positions of engineers, factory workers and many more jobs normally occupied by men. Many women that wanted to help with the war effort had worked, bought war bonds, donated clothing and foods and anything else needed to help and support our troops. Some women now had the opportuinty to play baseball and still help promote help for the war. However the idea of women playing baseball and acting like men was completely absurd during that day and age. That year of attendance of The AAGPBL approached one million, with the players completely defined the image of a respectable lady, the girls played ball with a new baseball of fast pitching, stolen bases and injuries, epically skin abrasions from sliding to bases in short skirts. Though the female ball players were skilled and athletic, their required uniform were one piece dresses and had to wear makeup at all times so that it was a reminder to the spectators that these were indeed women playing in the field( ). No player was allowed to drink, smoke, date, cut their hair short or be seen in public with slacks or shorts. Every player were required to join and had to endure “charm schools” where they were obligated to learn ladylike behavior. Though there were many limitations and requirements for the female players this new form of
The Vietnam War was the longest war in America's history of involvement. Twenty years of hell, land mines, cross-fire, and death. Vietnam was divided by the Geneva Accord. The north being communist run by Ho Chi Minh. The south being anti-Communist run by Ngo Dinh Diem. Before Vietnam was separated, it was run by France. France had ruled most of Indochina since the late 1800s. The Vietnamese were unhappy with the way the French were controlling, therefore, many of them took refuge in China. When in China, they began to follow the lead of Ho Chi Minh, who wanted to model the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence as that of the U.S. version. In the 1940s, Japan had taken over Vietnam which upset Ho Chi Minh and his revolutionaries when they had returned a year later.
Women don’t receive the spotlight in sports very often. Usually, the men in baseball, football, basketball, and soccer have higher salaries and are paid attention to more. This wasn’t the case with a special league of female baseball players. These ladies sparked a thought in peoples’ heads in the mid 20th-century. Could women really play a professional sport instead of staying home to do the housework? From 1943-1954, women in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League helped to change the rights women were believed to have in society and in the workplace as they began playing a professional sport as a form of entertainment. Men, who would usually fulfill this role, were drafted into the military with the responsibility to serve during the war. The AAGPBL quickly became a world-winning group of women athletes and kept baseball and peoples' hopes alive during a time of weakness in American history.
At the beginning of the War, men felt that being part of the troops that were on the frontline was an honorable thing to do. Men who joined the army were seen as patriotic and loyal to their countries. In this perspective, any man who had the strength to go out to fight would voluntarily join the force without any resistance. The feeling was that of enthusiasm as many men wanted to serve their countries. In Britain for example, joining the army was seen as a noble cause and many men would volunteer to leave their families and join the frontline. In addition to this, it was seen as betrayal for fellow countrymen to be on the frontline while one was left at home. Such a person would not earn the respect of the society as he was seen as a traitor who did not love nor respect their country. In this perspective, the thoughts and experiences of men ...
Kennedy, C. Robert. “How To Escape The Draft.” New York Times: On This Day. accessed September 12, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/harp/0801.html.
The Vietnam War was a traumatic experience for everyone that fought on the ground. American soldiers were up close and personal with the Viet Cong (enemy) which made them live in constant fear for their lives. They never knew how they would die or when they would take their last breath, and this thought was always in the back of their minds. The Vietnam War was very brutal, and the amount of death from both sides was enormous. Tim O’Brien’s story “The Things They Carried” is an accurate description of the Vietnam War. He paints a good, yet brief, description of what the war was like for the American soldiers who fought on the front lines.
Insomnia can be linked to depression, heart failure, dramatic life events, and other medical issues. Curing these problems will help you get a better nights rest. It is really rare for someone to have insomnia and no other medical conditions. If this is the case, then curing or helping insomnia is far harder, although relaxation treatments may help.
Sleep disorders are a very serious problem for a lot of people. It affects a lot of people 's lives, requiring them to have to live a very different life than the average person. The five most commonly known sleep disorders are insomnia, sleep apnea, sleepwalking, and narcolepsy. Sleep insomnia is when you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep even when you have a chance to do so. Sleep apnea is when you have trouble breathing when you’re asleep. Sleepwalking is when you’re in a deep sleep and you start to walk around or perform some kind of complex behavior. People that are affected by these disorders have a very hard time either getting to sleep or staying asleep. I will be explaining what all of these disorders are and how they affect
Causes include stress, illness, emotional or physical discomfort, environmental issues (noise, light, or extreme temperatures), use of certain medications, and disruptions in the normal sleep schedule (jet lag or switching from a day to night shift). ("Insomnia Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic," 2017).
Although the sixties were a decade in which the United States became a more open, more tolerant, and a freer country, in some ways it became less of these things. During the sixties, America intervened in other nations and efforts were made to stop the progress of the civil rights movement. Because of America’s foreign policy and Americans fight against the civil rights movement, it is clear that the sixties in America were not purely a decade of openness, tolerance, and freedom in the United States.
A major motivator that got men to enlist in the Civil War was “rage militarie,” (McPherson, 16). In the beginning of the war, around 1861and 1862 (McPherson, 16), many chose to enlist; the draft had not started yet. With so many men enlisting, many others wanted to do so as well. It was a craze, and very excited phase of the war. “…the feeling runs mountains high, and thousands of men are offering their services where hundreds only are required,” (McPherson, 16). Many men felt obligated to enlist and defend their beloved country, or even just their hometowns, homes, women and families, because so many others had. The peer pressure on a man was to love their nation as much as their neighbor, which greatly influenced men to enlist in the war. This mania died down but would burst into life again when later points of crisis would become present, (McPherson, 17). The idea of “rage militarie” was present in both the Union and the Confederate.
“I hated the draft, but at the same time, it’s something that made every American take war seriously.” Time O’Brien said, when the questioning of the draft was posed to him. Thomas Jefferson was an advocate of the draft as well. Much debate has been put up over the idea of reinstating the draft, often bringing about arguments of liberty to enter the war as you please, and yet bringing forth the idea that men need to fight for their country. The draft can be a very harmful thing, leaving mothers to raise children on their own, all at the same time putting men at risk of being killed in war, never to see their families again. Yet, the draft can be a good thing, as many people see it, reinforcing patriotism in the hearts of citizens. Often times, Americans are considered lazy, as is a common notion even referred to by Americans themselves. COuld this laziness contribute to the idea of not reinstating the draft? Or would reinstating the draft violate the constitution's promise to keep the people’s rights and freedoms? These are questions asked on either side of the argument, and though not everyone will ever agree, there can be definite arguments made to each side of the draft argument. In
Insomnia is a tenacious disorder that can make it difficult to fall asleep, insufficient sleep or both, constant awakenings all through the night, and waking up early in the mornings with the inability to fall back to sleep. In the case of insomnia and individual will awake with feeling unrefreshed, tired, sluggish, exhausted, irritable, which will make you less functional and difficulty on concentrating and performing an everyday task. Insomnia can not only interfere with your energy level and mood, but also can affect your health, your job performance, and quality of life. Most adult’s experience insomnia at some point of time although some adult’s may develop chronic insomnia over a period of time if it’s not cured. The normal amount an individual must sleep in order to have a desirable functional day is to have at least 7 to 8 hours a sleep a night. Individuals with insomnia mostly have anywhere from 5 to 6 hours or less sleep. Insomnia is a curable disease so an individual do not have to endure with sleepless nights; simple changes in your daily habits can often help many with the disorder.
One out of every three people is affected by symptoms of mild insomnia. Those restless nights of staring at the ceiling could actually have an actual cause. The real issues of insomnia are the side effects that come from the sleep deprivation. The side effects could lead to much more serious physical and mental conditions so to understand the hows and whys of insomnia, every aspect of it must be explored.