Social Commentaries through Songs

The 1960s was a time of social and political upheaval in the United States and even musicians have taken notice of it and used their songs to express their sentiments on the prevailing issues at the time.  Songs are considered to be more effective than speeches as music has a unique way of penetrating the human psyche and deliver the subliminal message.    In this case, two such songs come into mind, Feel Like Im Fixing to Die by Country Joe McDonald in 1967 and Bob Dylans Blowin...

The Vietnam War Perspective of War

The Vietnam War can be viewed in two different perspectives.  One of them is a struggle by the local population against a foreign (imperialist) power, assisted by their locally-installed puppet leaders. In its history, Vietnam has been the battleground of conquerors, particularly its powerful to the north, China.  Yet, despite being invaded several times, the Vietnamese showed remarkable resilience in the face of adversity as they valiantly and vigorously resisted the foreign occupiers...

Negroes with Guns

Racial segregation did not end with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Similarly, it was more than the non-violence movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King that resulted in change of policies and abolishing of Jim Crow Laws. Many black organizations led militant struggle against segregation and white supremacy.  Robert F. Williams led armed struggle in North Carolina and his book Negroes with Guns is an excellent example of the relationship between civil rights movement and the use...

The American Civil War in Film

The 1989 civil war movie Glory starring Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and directed by Edward Zwick.  The film is about the formation of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, a unit primarily consisting of African-Americans who came from varying backgrounds such as former slaves and free blacks.  They were formed in 1863 following President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation and fought with distinction is several skirmishes.  Perhaps the most famous action...

Age of Reason

Thomas Paine is a prolific writer whose dedication to freedom of speech and supports the right of each man made a significant impact in history.  Age of Reason is an essay about religion and his viewpoint on the subject.  He believed in one God and one alone, free from any doctrine and beliefs, and views the moral teachings of different religions and churches, like the Jewish, Catholic, Turkish and others, as a fabrication of facts to manipulate peoples thinking of what is wrong and right....

Relations among the Races Represented in California Gold Rush in 1849

When James Marshall found gold in the American River, he unknowingly initiated a set of events that dramatically transformed California and the United States. The paper compares various and different relations between white miners and the African Americans, Indians, and Chinese in the mining camps. The second paper looks at various and different relations between the white miners, the Europeans and Latin Americans in the mining camps. They look at the various roles played by gender in both situations. The...

The declaration of independence

The declaration of independence was a phrase proclaiming the independence of the United States from Britain in 1776. The phrase expressed the ideas and beliefs of the founding fathers of the United States on what the role of the government should be. In the first line we hold truths to be self evident. The phrase identifies that the reason for founding of the government were rational and that laws could be used in determining what was right and wrong. In the second part that all men are created...

Cuban Missile Crisis

On October 28, 1962, BBC reported The world has breathed a collective sigh of relief after the superpowers reached an agreement ending the immediate threat of nuclear war (1962 World relief as Cuban missile crisis ends).  The leader of Russia, Nikita Khrushchev, had finally consented to the dismantlement of Russian missiles located in Cuba.  The missiles were to be brought back to USSR.  The president of the United States, John F. Kennedy had heard of this public announcement on Moscow...

Iraq War Protests

America sent troops in Iraq in 2001. Since then, the question of whether the troops have achieved what they went to do is still unanswered. Basing on the previous Anti-war campaigns around the world with the USA and Britain leading the park, its clear that the troops have brought more harm to the volatile Iraq than any good. Tony Blairs meeting with George Bush where he agreed to send British troops to Iraq have since then brought controversies making him face a tribunal to answer for his decisions....