American Literature

American Literature holds American Spirit!?

American Literature holds the spirit of being American by appealing to our feelings of living and working here in America. Writers of American poetry make it interesting for us to read because we can relate to what they are talking about. Unlike 19th century English poets, American Poets make it easy for readers to understand. If Emily Dickinson and Walk Whitman didn't appeal to readers on such a level, they wouldn't be as known as they are today. (:

What makes American Literature American?

I believe that free flowing structure, talk about the average american work day, and great emotion make American literature American. English poets liked to reflect on friendship and love, things that you may not think about every day. American poets, such as Emily Dickinson, liked to reflect on her thoughts with in the her day. Walt Whitman reflected on the American spirit, being able to do a job because that is what you enjoy.

Voices of the Wounded

Joseph Lewis was a Freshman at Kent State in 1970. He was against the US invading Cambodia during the Vietnam war. He attended the protest that was taking place on his collage campus with good intentions. Two bullets entered him, and Josephs parents believed that he had done something wrong to deserve it. It took a bit of time to convince them that what they had read in the news paper was not what happened that day. The bullets that hit Joesph went into his lower right abdomen and about six inches above his left ankle. He was close to dying from these injuries. After being in the intensive care unit, Joseph dropped out of Kent State University. He moved to Oregon two years later.
Jim Russel was a senior at Kent State when the shootings happened. He was hit in the right thigh and above his eye. After he was shot, he stumbled into Lake Hall where their were two student nurses. The secretary of that hall was rude, and tried to stop the nurses from helping Jim who was bleeding immensely. He had to wait for an ambulance to return on campus to take him to the hospital. After the shootings in 1975, Jim left Ohio and moved to Oregon, like Joseph, where he felt more 'part of a system'. Many things changed after the shooting, and many elders in the Kent State community looked down upon him because they believe he was part of the 'problem'. He and his dad both lost their jobs from being associated with the protest.
I don't agree with the way many people looked at the shooting. Most elders believed what they were reading in news papers such as the people who protested were the 'worst kind of people'. How were they bad when they were protesting an invasion? That's my question to them. I understand that the town was scared the students and other violent protesters may threaten the state, and that is why the national guard was called. But, why did the national guard open fire at unarmed students? They cry self defense, I cry unfair government. Their shooting was not justified in my eyes and I don't believe it ever will be.


Sources: http://www.burr.kent.edu/archives/may4/shot/shot2.html
http://www.burr.kent.edu/archives/may4/shot/shot3.html
http://kent.state.tripod.com/2009.html

The Heros

May 4, 1970

Protesters Wounded + Distance from the National Guard:

Joseph Lewis Jr.; 71 ft; hit twice in the right abdomen and left lower leg
John R. Cleary; 110 ft; upper left chest wound
Thomas Mark Grace; 225 ft; struck in left ankle
Alan Michael Canfora; 225 ft; hit in his right wrist
Dean R. Kahler; 300 ft; back wound fracturing the vertebrae - permanently paralyzed from the chest down
Douglas Alan Wrentmore; 329 ft; hit in his right knee
James Dennis Russell; 375 ft; hit in his right thigh from a bullet and in the right forehead by birdshot - both wounds minor
Robert Follis Stamps; 495 ft; hit in his right buttock

Donald Scott MacKenzie; 750 ft; neck wound

People who were killed by National Guard bullets:

Jeffrey Glenn Miller; age 20; 265 ft shot through the mouth - killed instantly
Allison B. Krause; age 19; 343 ft fatal left chest wound - died later that day
William Knox Schroder; age 19; 382 ft = fatal chest wound - died almost an hour later waiting for surgery
Sandra Lee Scheuer; age 20; 390 ft fatal neck wound - died from loss of blood

These people were brave to attend this rally when authoritys didn't want them to. It is sad to know that they lost their lives when they were not armed and not rioting. Rest in Peace.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings

Why?

I am only a 16 year old High School student, but I have strong views on the world, and how people go about their daily life's. I'm pretty Philosophical, If you'd like to have a chat with me about your views, I'd love to hear it. Ask, and I will give you my e-mail.
With this Civil Disobedience Project, I hope to open peoples eyes, and change their views on how the government is corrupt in their disciplinary actions, and that your voice does matter. If you're going to be civilly disobedient, you have to be ready to accept the consequences, and you cannot give up.
In English 11, we have been learning about Henry Throeau, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King. They are all major figures in disobeying the government peacefully for what they believe in. People should follow their examples if the rules and regulations the government put into effect over them are morally wrong. But, if you are not peaceful when going about your actions, your hard work will all go to waste and the government will not listen. In the process of being violent, you could be locked up or even killed.
Peaceful protesters can make the world listen, and act in their favor. Some people may have the same thoughts as you but have never had the courage to stand up and agree. I want to show that the Kent State Collage shooting should have never happened. I admire students for standing up for their rights. It should have not ended up how it did.

Summary

On May 4, 1970, over 2,000 Kent State College Students rallied in the 'commons' at their College Campus. Their purpose was to show President Nixon that he should not extend the Vietnam war into Cambodia. They wanted to 'bring the war home'. The events leading up to the protest such as vandalism, upset the State Officials, which closed down bars in town and called the National Guard.
The day of the protest, University Officials attempted to ban the gathering, handing out 12,000 leaflets saying the protest was not going to happen. Despite their efforts, over 2,000 students gathered on the Universities commons near Taylor Hall.
As my project and research furthers, I will talk more about the events that happened on May 4th, and how the Nation Guard reacted. I know if I were a teenage then as I am now, I would have been at that protest.