Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Ten Trillon and Counting Comment
The fact that the national debt continues to rise is astonishing. I never heard of the PAYGO rule before watching this documentary, and I think it was a good rule and it should have continued to be followed. The Bush and the Obama administrations shouldn't be able to pass expensive plans when they have no way to pay for it and it would only increase the debt instead of lowering it.
Bush's War Comment
I found this documentary very interesting. There were a lot of things happening behind the scenes that very few people were aware of, and some important people were even left out of the loop which I thought was very interesting. The Bush administration kept telling people that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, even when there was no evidence of it. They made up false terms as to why the United States should go to war with Iraq, which I found odd. If Saddam Hussein didn't have to do with 9/11, why were we getting involved with Iraq? I now know why so many people were opposed to the war in Iraq.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Inside the Meltdown Comment
I found this documentary very interesting. I never realized how many companies on Wall Street went into trouble. I've heard of the problems with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but I never really knew what was going on and I think this video did a good job of explaining it. I also never realized that all of the companies on Wall Street are intertwined, and when one falls the rest will, kind of like the domino effect. It must have been really hard for people like Paulson to make the decisions he did, especially because they went against what he believed in.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Extra Credit Four: The Most Hated Family in America
The TV documentary by Louis Theroux and BBC, The Most Hated Family in America, investigates the Westboro Baptist Church and their beliefs. The Westboro Baptist Church is a Christian group made up of almost an entire family. It is located in Topeka, Kansas, and the most controversial church there is. Fred "Gramps" Phelps is the pastor of the church, and one of his daughters, Shirley, helps him run it. Shirley has taught all of her eleven children to hate homosexuals, and that America is a doomed nation. The church believes that when you have a nation that says it is OK to be gay, that nation is doomed. They protest outside of funerals for soldiers who have died in Iraq because they say these soldiers are fighting for a nation that is "deprived and doomed." They hold signs that say things like "God hates fags" and chant things such as "God hates America! America is doomed!" The children of the church also participate in these protests, and they don't even know what their signs mean, or what they are chanting means. They always get negative feedback from these protests, and people yell and curse at them, and throw things at them. When Louis talks to the children, he asks them about friends. Their friends are members of the church. They don't have friends at school, most of the people hate them because the members of the church tell them they are going to hell. The children also aren't allowed to date, or "fornicate" in anyway. One of the older girls, Megan, said she doesn't want to get married, and has no desire to experience "fornication." From Louis's observations, the members bonds with each other seem to have been strengthened from the hostility of the outside world. The members of the Westboro Baptist Church are very radical Christians, who have a skewed interpretation of the Bible.
This documentary's main theme is culture. For the children being born into this church, they were taught from an early age that they are right and going to Heaven, and everyone else is wrong and going to hell. This is the only lifestyle that they have known. Since most of the members of the church are members of the same family, this shows that this is mainly only this one family's beliefs. When Louis asked Shirley if she would consider them a cult, she said no because there was no brainwashing going on. But, if the children are learning this from an early age, wouldn't they be being brainwashed into believing that this is the right interpretation of the Bible? Many outsiders see the church as crazy, radical people. They see themselves as living the way of God. They have so much anger and hate toward the gay community, which makes them feel the same way about America.
While watching this video, I was very angered. I didn't know what the Westboro Baptist Church was all about prior to watching the documentary, but now I can see why they are the most hated family in America. It is one thing to be against homosexuality. In other religions it is against the faith to be a homosexual. That doesn't mean those people are saying God hates fags and God hates America. They took it to a whole other level. What angered me the most was when they protested outside of the funerals for fallen soldiers in Iraq. The church members said the troops were sinful for fighting for a country that supports gays, so they protested outside of their funeral. That is extremely disrespectful. Those men and women were fighting for their freedom to express their religious opinions about gays and America, and then they go and protest outside of their funerals while their families are trying to mourn their death. I found that very wrong and very disgusting that people could even imagine doing such a thing.
Bibliography:
StolenArts Productions, dir. "The Most Hated Family In America." Youtube. Youtube, 18
November 2008. Web. 23 April 2014.
This documentary's main theme is culture. For the children being born into this church, they were taught from an early age that they are right and going to Heaven, and everyone else is wrong and going to hell. This is the only lifestyle that they have known. Since most of the members of the church are members of the same family, this shows that this is mainly only this one family's beliefs. When Louis asked Shirley if she would consider them a cult, she said no because there was no brainwashing going on. But, if the children are learning this from an early age, wouldn't they be being brainwashed into believing that this is the right interpretation of the Bible? Many outsiders see the church as crazy, radical people. They see themselves as living the way of God. They have so much anger and hate toward the gay community, which makes them feel the same way about America.
While watching this video, I was very angered. I didn't know what the Westboro Baptist Church was all about prior to watching the documentary, but now I can see why they are the most hated family in America. It is one thing to be against homosexuality. In other religions it is against the faith to be a homosexual. That doesn't mean those people are saying God hates fags and God hates America. They took it to a whole other level. What angered me the most was when they protested outside of the funerals for fallen soldiers in Iraq. The church members said the troops were sinful for fighting for a country that supports gays, so they protested outside of their funeral. That is extremely disrespectful. Those men and women were fighting for their freedom to express their religious opinions about gays and America, and then they go and protest outside of their funerals while their families are trying to mourn their death. I found that very wrong and very disgusting that people could even imagine doing such a thing.
Bibliography:
StolenArts Productions, dir. "The Most Hated Family In America." Youtube. Youtube, 18
November 2008. Web. 23 April 2014.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Jimmy Carter Comment
I found it very interesting that Jimmy Carter was elected president even though he had little experience in Washington. After Nixon and Ford, I would have thought Americans would want a more reliable president, and someone who was well qualified for the job. To me, it wasn't surprising that the economy was doing so bad during Carter's presidency, and that he couldn't get the hostages in Iran free sooner than they were.
Blog Four: The Truman Years, the Eisenhower Years and the Sixties
Textbook Reading:
Chapter 26 of our textbook, American Horizons, talks about the 1950s. Many important things happened during the 1950s and during the Eisenhower administration. The Korean War, a result of the Cold War, was in a bloody stalemate. Eisenhower debated using atomic weapons, however, his advisors said it would only make things worse. Instead there was a ceasefire, and North and South Korea were split at the 38th parallel. Another result of the cold war was the arms race. The arms race was a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union which produced enough atomic weapons to destroy the population of the world many times over. There was also decolonization, which lead to the independence of new countries. However, many of these new nations leaned toward communism. Many uprisings and civil wars occurred in these developing nations, and one by one they began falling to communism. This became known as the Domino Theory. The Red scare was also spreading throughout America. Senator Joseph McCarthy became the face of anticommunist hysteria. The sinister turn in government efforts to control communism within the states was known as McCarthyism. Many Americans who had suspicions of being communist were put on trial during this time.
Birthrates skyrocketed after World War Two, and as a result, the baby boomer generation arose. The USSR experienced this too, they called theirs the "Sputnik generation." During this time there was affluence, health improvements, and an extended period of peace. "Miracle drugs" such as penicillin and the polio vaccine were being introduced, and there was great suburban migration, where colored people filled the inner cities. Many professionals and businesses left for suburbs, creating a decline of downtowns, abandoned buildings, deteriorating neighborhoods and increased crime. This became known as "white flight". White flight is when white people left the multicultural cities for more racially homogeneous suburbs. Suburbs continued to grow due to the demand of new technologies, however. The American people had an appetite for consumption, and consumption was the single most important contributor to America's economic growth. Mass production represented American culture worldwide as American products traveled throughout the world.
In the 1950s there were many powerful corporations in the American culture of consumption. One of these corporations was General Electric. GE produced hundreds of different kinds of products, such as appliances and electronics. Although American economy was flourishing, not everyone was experiencing it. There were high unemployment rates and poverty in the "other America", which included the elderly, minorities and rural Americans. Technology kept improving during the 1950s as well. The automobile industry kept improving and became a critical link to postwar consumer economy. The television became the most powerful entertainment medium, and advertisements for products began to be shown in television shows. Many, but not all, Americans experienced rising salaries, greater access to education and high rates of employment. Religion played a major role in life in the 1950s. During this time, an act was passed in making "In God We Trust" the nation's official motto, and featured it on all US currency.
Just like Rosie the Riveter was an icon for women in World War Two, 1950s white suburban housewives and mothers were Cold War icons. Domestic consumption was encouraged to be the best means for suburban women to participate in public life and fight communism. The purchase and use of appliances began to grow, and women became active dealers of them. They also sold Tupperware and real-estate. However, many mothers, especially minority mothers, remained in the workplace. In the 1950s, white collar jobs exceeded blue collar jobs for the first time ever. Rock n' Roll and Elvis Presley became very popular, and the Civil Rights Movement was getting bigger. The Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education declared separate is not equal, and called for the desegregation of schools. In Little Rock, Arkansas, 9 black students with a federal court order tried to desegregate the city's central high school. The students were not allowed in the school, and were being threatened by the white occupants of the school. President Eisenhower then stepped in. He sent soldiers from the 101st Airborne to escort the children to class, and they stayed in Little Rock for the entire school year. The Montgomery bus boycott also took place during this time.
In this chapter of American Horizons, culture is the obvious main theme. During the Cold War, communism tensions were at an all time high. The Red scare was very prevalent, and McCarthyism was underway. People were terrified of communism and what it would bring to the country, so they put people on trial if they were suspected to have communist ties. This shows how the Cold War effected the American people as a whole. The Cold War also effected American women. White suburban housewives and mothers became an icon for the Cold War, and women began to sell things such as Tupperware and real-estate. Technology in the 1950s was improving as well. New medicine was developed, such a penicillin and the polio vaccine, and new corporations emerged. Television became a huge part of American life. It became the largest entertainment medium, and advertisements began to be shown during television shows. People, especially white people, began moving into the suburbs. Unlike in previous years when urbanization was at a high, people and businesses were now leaving the cities for suburbs. Another major part of culture that was changing was Civil Rights. Many steps were being taken to achieve equal rights for African Americans. The Supreme court case Brown vs. Board of Education was a huge step in the movement. This case declared separate is not equal and called for the desegregation of schools. Many people were taking matters into their own hands to achieve rights, such as Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat on a bus. This action led to the Montgomery bus boycott, and eventually the desegregation of the public bus system. All of these things happening in the 1950s express how America was changing and growing. New technologies were being introduced to the people which made their lives better and easier, and a history of racism in the country was being fought for change.
Chapter 27 of American Horizons is all about the 1960s. In November 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. The whole country was in heartache and mourning JFK's death. JFK was the first Roman Catholic president, which made some people uneasy. He and his family, however, soon won the hearts of Americans. JFK created the New Frontier, which was his phrase for a collection of programs to expand economic and social opportunities in the United States. He mastered the medium of television, and people felt like he was actually in their homes talking to them about politics. JFK also was in office during the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, and created the peace corps. What people don't know about JFK is that he suffered from Addison's disease, which is a serious adrenal disorder, and he had many sexual affairs both inside and outside of the White House.
The Civil Rights movement was still going strong during the 1960s. There were sit-ins in local restaurants in the south, and the freedom rides began. Freedom rides were when people were trying to desegregate interstate bus travel and bus stations. Attorney General Robert Kennedy, JFK's brother, ordered US Marshalls to protect the freedom riders. James Meredith was the first black student to attend the University of Mississippi. There were riots at the school by whites, and JFK called the Nation Guard to restore order. Meredith graduated in 1963. Martin Luther King Jr. led the march on Washington on August 28, 1963 and gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.
After JFK was assassinated, Lyndon B. Johnson came into office. He created the Great Society, which was a series of social and economic reforms to end racial discrimination, expand educational opportunities, end hunger and poverty and ,make healthcare available for all. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was also passed, which allowed segregation in restaurants, overnight accommodations and transportation. In 1965, Medicare developed. Medicare is a health plan providing universal hospital insurance for Americans over the age of 65. In 1966, Medicaid was developed, which is when the federal government provides states matching grants to pay for medical costs of poor people of all ages. People in the 1960s had food stamps, which feed people whose income fell below the government calculated poverty line. Miranda v. Arizona was a court case that took place in 1966. It expanded the 5th amendment, which is the prohibition of self-incrimination. The case established that a person arrested for a crime had to be read their rights. In the early to mid 1960s, the economy was booming. However, towards the end of the decade economic growth fell to under 4% and inflation exceeded 6%.
There were many advances in technology in the 1960s. Color television was introduced, satellites, early version of government internet, first successful heart transplant, improved vaccinations for children, and the possibility for new treatments for cancer, diabetes and kidney disease. The Cold War was also going on. The Vietnam War started, and the Space Race with the Soviet Union also started. NAASA was created to explore space, and the United States successfully landed Apollo 11 on the moon, and also successfully landed the first man on the moon. The Civil Rights movement began to take a new approach. Black power emerged, which was the combination of racial pride and forceful, even violent resistance to anti-black violence. Malcolm X emerged as a new civil rights leader who promoted violence to earn rights. The Black Panther party rose, which advocated self-determination and armed self-defense against police brutality. Movements for Mexican and women's rights also emerged. Young people began part of the New Left, which was a group who intentionally distanced themselves from the ideological infighting, communism and labor organizing of the old left. Hippies were around in the 1960s, and people took mind altering drugs, such as LSD. These are all part of counter-culture, which is racial, gender, sexual and cultural protest.
In this chapter of American Horizons, culture, politics and economics are all themes present. Culture is a main theme of this chapter. There were many advances in technology and medicine, just like in the 1950s. Some of these advancements were the development of colored television, satellites, early version of the internet, first successful transplant, improved vaccinations for children, and the possibility of new treatments for cancer, diabetes and kidney disease. There were many approaches in civil rights for blacks, Mexicans and women. The Civil Rights movement for blacks took a turn from nonviolent to violent with the development of the Black Panthers, Black Power and Malcolm X. The government was also getting involved with the movements, and stepping in to help.
Politics and economics were also themes present in the chapter. The economy was booming in the early to mid 1960s, however, as the end of the decade neared, the economy wasn't doing as well as it was. Economic growth fell to below 4%, and inflation was above 6%. JFK and LBJ both instituted programs to improve life for Americans. These plans were the New Frontier(JFK) and the Great Society(LBJ). The Cold War was reaching new heights, such as the Vietnam, the Space Race, Cuban Missile Crisis and Bay of Pigs Invasion.
Freedom Riders:
In 1961, blacks and whites participated in the non-violent freedom rides. They rode public busses into the deep south in attempts to desegregate bus travel. The court case of Morgan v. Virginia declared that there should be no segregation on busses, however, the south did not follow this ruling. They traveled on the Greyhound and Trailways bus services, and the deeper south they drove, the more racism they saw. Before the rides, the people participating had to go through training to prepare for what they may encounter. However, they never really knew what to expect. They were blind to the reality of racism. The documentary Freedom Riders, by PBS explores the freedom riders journey.
The first freedom ride began in D.C. and was planned to end in the deep south. The first few days of their trip was uneventful. When they reached Atlanta, they met Martin Luther King Jr. He told them that there was going to be trouble in Alabama, and he advised them not to continue to Alabama. Of the two busses that were traveling to Birmingham, only one bus made it. When the one bus arrived to the bus station, 200 men surrounded the bus and beat the riders. The other bus never made it to Birmingham. A car was in front of the bus and kept dodging in front of it to keep it from passing. The bus then got flat tires, and the bus driver walked away from the bus and told the passengers to fend for themselves. There was an immediate flash fire on the bus, and the passengers barely made it off. The Trailways bus that made it to Birmingham had no idea that the Greyhound bus was burned in Anniston. Bull Connor was the Commissioner of public safety for the city of Birmingham. He believed that Whites and blacks needed to be kept separate. The FBI even knew of the violence, but did nothing to protect the riders. Jim Peck, the leader of the riders, was beaten to a pulp and he still said to continue the ride. However, the drivers of the busses refused to drive, and they were forced to end their ride. When the riders got to the airport, there was still a mob, and even a bomb threat on the plane. Despite all of this, they arrived in New Orleans by plane.
Although the first freedom ride was a fail, people didn't want to give up. Diane Nash was the leader and strategist of the second wave of student freedom riders. She said that you don't start something you can't finish, and therefore they will continue the freedom rides. This second wave of riders would be traveling from Nashville to Birmingham. When they arrived in Birmingham, Bull Connor arrested the riders, saying it was for their "own good". The freedom riders were then taken out of jail, and Bull Connor brought them out of state lines. He said the could catch a train back to Nashville, and the riders said they would see him back in Birmingham. When they arrived back in Birmingham, no drivers would drive the busses, and the riders were stuck in Birmingham. The KKK was in the bus station surrounding the riders. Floyd Mann, a member of Alabama's government at the time, said Alabama had the means, ability and will to protect the riders. When the riders arrived in Montgomery, they saw no one. Then, the mob came out and went after the reporters, and then the riders. During the brawl, RFK's administrative assistant, John Seigenthaler, was knocked unconscious. The U.S. Marshalls were then brought in. When the Civil Rights movement heard about this, they could no let it pass, and therefore backed the freedom riders. Many of the riders wanted King to continue the ride with them, but he says he can't because he is on probation. The city of Montgomery was under Marshall law, and the riders were provided with protection when traveling from Montgomery to Jackson, Mississippi. The fear of Mississippi was much worse than that of Alabama. Ross Barnett, the governor of Mississippi at the time, arrested the freedom riders for a breach of peace, and sent them to Parchman prison. He thought he could intimidate the riders by sending them to Parchman, but he was wrong. More and more busses kept coming. RFK called for a cooling off process of the freedom rides, but the riders refused. People from all over the country arrived in Jackson as freedom riders. As a result, the segregation signs began to come down, and the busses were desegregated.
This documentary by PBS contains themes of culture and demography. The culture of the deep south was full of racism. When the freedom riders made their way deeper in the south, southerners did not want them to go any further. They didn't want the freedom riders to change the culture of the south, so they terrorized them and brutalized them, but the freedom riders didn't give up. The freedom riders consisted of blacks, and whites who were willing to sacrifice themselves for civil rights. All of the freedom riders were riding for what they believed was right. The people in the mobs who attacked the freedom riders were white southern men. The freedom riders were trying to change the way of the south, and desegregate it piece by piece.
Textbook Readings:
Chapter 28 of American Horizons is about the Vietnam War. In 1954, Vietnam was divided into two states, North communist Vietnam and South non-communist Vietnam. The Domino theory was in full effect, but the United States didn't want to go to war with Vietnam because the Korean War just ended. However, the U.S. slowly started to increase its military commitments in Vietnam in 1964, and eventually the U.S went to war with Vietnam. The United States tried to defeat North Vietnam by using modern technology warfare, however, the North Vietnamese soldiers practiced guerilla warfare. They did not wear uniforms which made it hard for U.S. soldiers to distinguish them from South Vietnamese peasants. Many Americans opposed the Vietnam War. Some men burned their draft cards in retaliation against the war. During the war, the Tet Offensive and My Lai Massacre took place. The Tet Offensive is when North Vietnamese attacked throughout South Vietnam, and the My Lai Massacre is when American troops massacred 504 unarmed Vietnamese villagers.
On the American home front during the war, there was a presidential election happening. Eugene McCarthy was running against Johnson, and Johnson withdrew from the race. Robert Kennedy was also running, along with Richard Nixon. During this time, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were both assassinated. Nixon went on to win the election, and in 1975, communist North Vietnam wont the Vietnam War. Nixon practiced détente, which is the relaxation of tension with the Soviet Union. After the war ended in Vietnam, the United States continued to aid Asian countries to resist communism, but would expect them to assume "primary responsibility of providing the manpower for their own defense." The United States expanded war into Cambodia and Laos, as a result, the American people fought back. Many Americans disagreed with this expansion of war, and many protested. In Kent State, the Ohio National Guard shot at unarmed students who were protesting the Cambodian expansion. While the chaos of the Vietnam War and Cambodian expansion, president Nixon was involved in a scandal. The Watergate scandal of 1971-1973 was when White House operatives committed a series of illegal surveillance acts against political rivals in the Watergate building (Washington office building). This scandal resulted in president Nixon's resignation.
This chapter included themes of politics and culture. The decision to go to war with Vietnam raised a lot of controversy on the American home front. Many men burned their draft cards in retaliation against the war. Some men even fled the country. This has never happened before with any other war that America was involved in. This shows that Americans were completely against the war and wanted absolutely no part of it, and they would go to crazy lengths to avoid being involved with it. Times got so chaotic when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed students who were protesting Cambodian expansion. The war, and communism, made everyone paranoid. President Nixon thought he was doing a good thing to stop communism by expanding into Cambodia and Laos. He didn't imagine that his actions would lead to the shooting of students. He also got involved with a scandal at Watergate. This scandal ruined his career, and he was forced to resign as president of the United States.
Jonathan Haidt Explains Our Contentious Culture:
Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and professor of ethical leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business. In this interview, Haidt explains the difference between Liberals and Conservatives in American politics. He says that no matter what political views people have, everyone can agree that the country is in a mess and politics is not making it any better. In Haidt's studies, he found that liberals are higher in openness to experience than conservatives are. People who are high in openness to experience crave diversity, travel, novelty, culture and more. People who are low in this crave things that are familiar. He also says that liberals misunderstand conservatives more than the other way around.
Haidt is the author of the book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. In his book, he says that dividing people into teams is good because people come to love their teammates, and their hostility towards others is minimal. However, tribalism is made for war, and people see the other "team" as evil, and the switches flip. We are all born hypocrites, according to Haidt, and we believe the nonsense we tell other people because we believe what people think of us is more important than the reality. In a political sense, moral division exists, and the other side is seen as evil (conservatives and liberals). Compromise is necessary, but we can't compromise with evil. People on both sides of the political spectrum believe they are right. This is known as consensual hallucination. In Haidt's studies, he found that conservatives value care, liberty, fairness, loyalty, authority and sanctity equally. He says that this is the reason they do a better job convincing people they are the party of moral values. The right side of the political spectrum sees government as evil because they punish success and follow re-distributive policies. Haidt says he was a liberal, but when he started doing research he found that conservatives were more in touch with human nature.
This interview contains the themes of culture and politics. Haidt explores why conservatives and liberals are the way they are, and why they always think they are right. The kind of person you are ultimately will determine which side of the political spectrum you will be on. People who crave things such as diversity, travel, novelty and culture are more likely to be liberals than conservatives. People who crave things that are familiar to them are more likely to be conservatives. Haidt also found that conservatives value care, liberty, fairness, loyalty, authority, and sanctity equal, unlike liberals. Ultimately, the moral values and beliefs you have will contribute to which side of the political spectrum you will be on.
Bibliography:
Bezis-Selfa, John, Greenwood, Janette Thomas, Kirk, Andrew, Purcell, Sarah J., Schaller,
Michael, Schulzinger, Robert D., Sheehan-Dean, Aaron. American Horizons.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
Diego, Ken, dir. "Jonathan Haidt Explains our Contentious Culture." Moyers and Company. Bill
Moyers Journal. 3 February 2012. Web. 24 March 2014.
Nelson, Stanley, dir. "Freedom Riders." American Experience. PBS, 2011. Web. 24 March 2014.
Chapter 26 of our textbook, American Horizons, talks about the 1950s. Many important things happened during the 1950s and during the Eisenhower administration. The Korean War, a result of the Cold War, was in a bloody stalemate. Eisenhower debated using atomic weapons, however, his advisors said it would only make things worse. Instead there was a ceasefire, and North and South Korea were split at the 38th parallel. Another result of the cold war was the arms race. The arms race was a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union which produced enough atomic weapons to destroy the population of the world many times over. There was also decolonization, which lead to the independence of new countries. However, many of these new nations leaned toward communism. Many uprisings and civil wars occurred in these developing nations, and one by one they began falling to communism. This became known as the Domino Theory. The Red scare was also spreading throughout America. Senator Joseph McCarthy became the face of anticommunist hysteria. The sinister turn in government efforts to control communism within the states was known as McCarthyism. Many Americans who had suspicions of being communist were put on trial during this time.
Birthrates skyrocketed after World War Two, and as a result, the baby boomer generation arose. The USSR experienced this too, they called theirs the "Sputnik generation." During this time there was affluence, health improvements, and an extended period of peace. "Miracle drugs" such as penicillin and the polio vaccine were being introduced, and there was great suburban migration, where colored people filled the inner cities. Many professionals and businesses left for suburbs, creating a decline of downtowns, abandoned buildings, deteriorating neighborhoods and increased crime. This became known as "white flight". White flight is when white people left the multicultural cities for more racially homogeneous suburbs. Suburbs continued to grow due to the demand of new technologies, however. The American people had an appetite for consumption, and consumption was the single most important contributor to America's economic growth. Mass production represented American culture worldwide as American products traveled throughout the world.
In the 1950s there were many powerful corporations in the American culture of consumption. One of these corporations was General Electric. GE produced hundreds of different kinds of products, such as appliances and electronics. Although American economy was flourishing, not everyone was experiencing it. There were high unemployment rates and poverty in the "other America", which included the elderly, minorities and rural Americans. Technology kept improving during the 1950s as well. The automobile industry kept improving and became a critical link to postwar consumer economy. The television became the most powerful entertainment medium, and advertisements for products began to be shown in television shows. Many, but not all, Americans experienced rising salaries, greater access to education and high rates of employment. Religion played a major role in life in the 1950s. During this time, an act was passed in making "In God We Trust" the nation's official motto, and featured it on all US currency.
Just like Rosie the Riveter was an icon for women in World War Two, 1950s white suburban housewives and mothers were Cold War icons. Domestic consumption was encouraged to be the best means for suburban women to participate in public life and fight communism. The purchase and use of appliances began to grow, and women became active dealers of them. They also sold Tupperware and real-estate. However, many mothers, especially minority mothers, remained in the workplace. In the 1950s, white collar jobs exceeded blue collar jobs for the first time ever. Rock n' Roll and Elvis Presley became very popular, and the Civil Rights Movement was getting bigger. The Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education declared separate is not equal, and called for the desegregation of schools. In Little Rock, Arkansas, 9 black students with a federal court order tried to desegregate the city's central high school. The students were not allowed in the school, and were being threatened by the white occupants of the school. President Eisenhower then stepped in. He sent soldiers from the 101st Airborne to escort the children to class, and they stayed in Little Rock for the entire school year. The Montgomery bus boycott also took place during this time.
In this chapter of American Horizons, culture is the obvious main theme. During the Cold War, communism tensions were at an all time high. The Red scare was very prevalent, and McCarthyism was underway. People were terrified of communism and what it would bring to the country, so they put people on trial if they were suspected to have communist ties. This shows how the Cold War effected the American people as a whole. The Cold War also effected American women. White suburban housewives and mothers became an icon for the Cold War, and women began to sell things such as Tupperware and real-estate. Technology in the 1950s was improving as well. New medicine was developed, such a penicillin and the polio vaccine, and new corporations emerged. Television became a huge part of American life. It became the largest entertainment medium, and advertisements began to be shown during television shows. People, especially white people, began moving into the suburbs. Unlike in previous years when urbanization was at a high, people and businesses were now leaving the cities for suburbs. Another major part of culture that was changing was Civil Rights. Many steps were being taken to achieve equal rights for African Americans. The Supreme court case Brown vs. Board of Education was a huge step in the movement. This case declared separate is not equal and called for the desegregation of schools. Many people were taking matters into their own hands to achieve rights, such as Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat on a bus. This action led to the Montgomery bus boycott, and eventually the desegregation of the public bus system. All of these things happening in the 1950s express how America was changing and growing. New technologies were being introduced to the people which made their lives better and easier, and a history of racism in the country was being fought for change.
Chapter 27 of American Horizons is all about the 1960s. In November 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. The whole country was in heartache and mourning JFK's death. JFK was the first Roman Catholic president, which made some people uneasy. He and his family, however, soon won the hearts of Americans. JFK created the New Frontier, which was his phrase for a collection of programs to expand economic and social opportunities in the United States. He mastered the medium of television, and people felt like he was actually in their homes talking to them about politics. JFK also was in office during the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, and created the peace corps. What people don't know about JFK is that he suffered from Addison's disease, which is a serious adrenal disorder, and he had many sexual affairs both inside and outside of the White House.
The Civil Rights movement was still going strong during the 1960s. There were sit-ins in local restaurants in the south, and the freedom rides began. Freedom rides were when people were trying to desegregate interstate bus travel and bus stations. Attorney General Robert Kennedy, JFK's brother, ordered US Marshalls to protect the freedom riders. James Meredith was the first black student to attend the University of Mississippi. There were riots at the school by whites, and JFK called the Nation Guard to restore order. Meredith graduated in 1963. Martin Luther King Jr. led the march on Washington on August 28, 1963 and gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.
After JFK was assassinated, Lyndon B. Johnson came into office. He created the Great Society, which was a series of social and economic reforms to end racial discrimination, expand educational opportunities, end hunger and poverty and ,make healthcare available for all. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was also passed, which allowed segregation in restaurants, overnight accommodations and transportation. In 1965, Medicare developed. Medicare is a health plan providing universal hospital insurance for Americans over the age of 65. In 1966, Medicaid was developed, which is when the federal government provides states matching grants to pay for medical costs of poor people of all ages. People in the 1960s had food stamps, which feed people whose income fell below the government calculated poverty line. Miranda v. Arizona was a court case that took place in 1966. It expanded the 5th amendment, which is the prohibition of self-incrimination. The case established that a person arrested for a crime had to be read their rights. In the early to mid 1960s, the economy was booming. However, towards the end of the decade economic growth fell to under 4% and inflation exceeded 6%.
There were many advances in technology in the 1960s. Color television was introduced, satellites, early version of government internet, first successful heart transplant, improved vaccinations for children, and the possibility for new treatments for cancer, diabetes and kidney disease. The Cold War was also going on. The Vietnam War started, and the Space Race with the Soviet Union also started. NAASA was created to explore space, and the United States successfully landed Apollo 11 on the moon, and also successfully landed the first man on the moon. The Civil Rights movement began to take a new approach. Black power emerged, which was the combination of racial pride and forceful, even violent resistance to anti-black violence. Malcolm X emerged as a new civil rights leader who promoted violence to earn rights. The Black Panther party rose, which advocated self-determination and armed self-defense against police brutality. Movements for Mexican and women's rights also emerged. Young people began part of the New Left, which was a group who intentionally distanced themselves from the ideological infighting, communism and labor organizing of the old left. Hippies were around in the 1960s, and people took mind altering drugs, such as LSD. These are all part of counter-culture, which is racial, gender, sexual and cultural protest.
In this chapter of American Horizons, culture, politics and economics are all themes present. Culture is a main theme of this chapter. There were many advances in technology and medicine, just like in the 1950s. Some of these advancements were the development of colored television, satellites, early version of the internet, first successful transplant, improved vaccinations for children, and the possibility of new treatments for cancer, diabetes and kidney disease. There were many approaches in civil rights for blacks, Mexicans and women. The Civil Rights movement for blacks took a turn from nonviolent to violent with the development of the Black Panthers, Black Power and Malcolm X. The government was also getting involved with the movements, and stepping in to help.
Politics and economics were also themes present in the chapter. The economy was booming in the early to mid 1960s, however, as the end of the decade neared, the economy wasn't doing as well as it was. Economic growth fell to below 4%, and inflation was above 6%. JFK and LBJ both instituted programs to improve life for Americans. These plans were the New Frontier(JFK) and the Great Society(LBJ). The Cold War was reaching new heights, such as the Vietnam, the Space Race, Cuban Missile Crisis and Bay of Pigs Invasion.
Freedom Riders:
In 1961, blacks and whites participated in the non-violent freedom rides. They rode public busses into the deep south in attempts to desegregate bus travel. The court case of Morgan v. Virginia declared that there should be no segregation on busses, however, the south did not follow this ruling. They traveled on the Greyhound and Trailways bus services, and the deeper south they drove, the more racism they saw. Before the rides, the people participating had to go through training to prepare for what they may encounter. However, they never really knew what to expect. They were blind to the reality of racism. The documentary Freedom Riders, by PBS explores the freedom riders journey.
The first freedom ride began in D.C. and was planned to end in the deep south. The first few days of their trip was uneventful. When they reached Atlanta, they met Martin Luther King Jr. He told them that there was going to be trouble in Alabama, and he advised them not to continue to Alabama. Of the two busses that were traveling to Birmingham, only one bus made it. When the one bus arrived to the bus station, 200 men surrounded the bus and beat the riders. The other bus never made it to Birmingham. A car was in front of the bus and kept dodging in front of it to keep it from passing. The bus then got flat tires, and the bus driver walked away from the bus and told the passengers to fend for themselves. There was an immediate flash fire on the bus, and the passengers barely made it off. The Trailways bus that made it to Birmingham had no idea that the Greyhound bus was burned in Anniston. Bull Connor was the Commissioner of public safety for the city of Birmingham. He believed that Whites and blacks needed to be kept separate. The FBI even knew of the violence, but did nothing to protect the riders. Jim Peck, the leader of the riders, was beaten to a pulp and he still said to continue the ride. However, the drivers of the busses refused to drive, and they were forced to end their ride. When the riders got to the airport, there was still a mob, and even a bomb threat on the plane. Despite all of this, they arrived in New Orleans by plane.
Although the first freedom ride was a fail, people didn't want to give up. Diane Nash was the leader and strategist of the second wave of student freedom riders. She said that you don't start something you can't finish, and therefore they will continue the freedom rides. This second wave of riders would be traveling from Nashville to Birmingham. When they arrived in Birmingham, Bull Connor arrested the riders, saying it was for their "own good". The freedom riders were then taken out of jail, and Bull Connor brought them out of state lines. He said the could catch a train back to Nashville, and the riders said they would see him back in Birmingham. When they arrived back in Birmingham, no drivers would drive the busses, and the riders were stuck in Birmingham. The KKK was in the bus station surrounding the riders. Floyd Mann, a member of Alabama's government at the time, said Alabama had the means, ability and will to protect the riders. When the riders arrived in Montgomery, they saw no one. Then, the mob came out and went after the reporters, and then the riders. During the brawl, RFK's administrative assistant, John Seigenthaler, was knocked unconscious. The U.S. Marshalls were then brought in. When the Civil Rights movement heard about this, they could no let it pass, and therefore backed the freedom riders. Many of the riders wanted King to continue the ride with them, but he says he can't because he is on probation. The city of Montgomery was under Marshall law, and the riders were provided with protection when traveling from Montgomery to Jackson, Mississippi. The fear of Mississippi was much worse than that of Alabama. Ross Barnett, the governor of Mississippi at the time, arrested the freedom riders for a breach of peace, and sent them to Parchman prison. He thought he could intimidate the riders by sending them to Parchman, but he was wrong. More and more busses kept coming. RFK called for a cooling off process of the freedom rides, but the riders refused. People from all over the country arrived in Jackson as freedom riders. As a result, the segregation signs began to come down, and the busses were desegregated.
This documentary by PBS contains themes of culture and demography. The culture of the deep south was full of racism. When the freedom riders made their way deeper in the south, southerners did not want them to go any further. They didn't want the freedom riders to change the culture of the south, so they terrorized them and brutalized them, but the freedom riders didn't give up. The freedom riders consisted of blacks, and whites who were willing to sacrifice themselves for civil rights. All of the freedom riders were riding for what they believed was right. The people in the mobs who attacked the freedom riders were white southern men. The freedom riders were trying to change the way of the south, and desegregate it piece by piece.
Textbook Readings:
Chapter 28 of American Horizons is about the Vietnam War. In 1954, Vietnam was divided into two states, North communist Vietnam and South non-communist Vietnam. The Domino theory was in full effect, but the United States didn't want to go to war with Vietnam because the Korean War just ended. However, the U.S. slowly started to increase its military commitments in Vietnam in 1964, and eventually the U.S went to war with Vietnam. The United States tried to defeat North Vietnam by using modern technology warfare, however, the North Vietnamese soldiers practiced guerilla warfare. They did not wear uniforms which made it hard for U.S. soldiers to distinguish them from South Vietnamese peasants. Many Americans opposed the Vietnam War. Some men burned their draft cards in retaliation against the war. During the war, the Tet Offensive and My Lai Massacre took place. The Tet Offensive is when North Vietnamese attacked throughout South Vietnam, and the My Lai Massacre is when American troops massacred 504 unarmed Vietnamese villagers.
On the American home front during the war, there was a presidential election happening. Eugene McCarthy was running against Johnson, and Johnson withdrew from the race. Robert Kennedy was also running, along with Richard Nixon. During this time, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were both assassinated. Nixon went on to win the election, and in 1975, communist North Vietnam wont the Vietnam War. Nixon practiced détente, which is the relaxation of tension with the Soviet Union. After the war ended in Vietnam, the United States continued to aid Asian countries to resist communism, but would expect them to assume "primary responsibility of providing the manpower for their own defense." The United States expanded war into Cambodia and Laos, as a result, the American people fought back. Many Americans disagreed with this expansion of war, and many protested. In Kent State, the Ohio National Guard shot at unarmed students who were protesting the Cambodian expansion. While the chaos of the Vietnam War and Cambodian expansion, president Nixon was involved in a scandal. The Watergate scandal of 1971-1973 was when White House operatives committed a series of illegal surveillance acts against political rivals in the Watergate building (Washington office building). This scandal resulted in president Nixon's resignation.
This chapter included themes of politics and culture. The decision to go to war with Vietnam raised a lot of controversy on the American home front. Many men burned their draft cards in retaliation against the war. Some men even fled the country. This has never happened before with any other war that America was involved in. This shows that Americans were completely against the war and wanted absolutely no part of it, and they would go to crazy lengths to avoid being involved with it. Times got so chaotic when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed students who were protesting Cambodian expansion. The war, and communism, made everyone paranoid. President Nixon thought he was doing a good thing to stop communism by expanding into Cambodia and Laos. He didn't imagine that his actions would lead to the shooting of students. He also got involved with a scandal at Watergate. This scandal ruined his career, and he was forced to resign as president of the United States.
Jonathan Haidt Explains Our Contentious Culture:
Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and professor of ethical leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business. In this interview, Haidt explains the difference between Liberals and Conservatives in American politics. He says that no matter what political views people have, everyone can agree that the country is in a mess and politics is not making it any better. In Haidt's studies, he found that liberals are higher in openness to experience than conservatives are. People who are high in openness to experience crave diversity, travel, novelty, culture and more. People who are low in this crave things that are familiar. He also says that liberals misunderstand conservatives more than the other way around.
Haidt is the author of the book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. In his book, he says that dividing people into teams is good because people come to love their teammates, and their hostility towards others is minimal. However, tribalism is made for war, and people see the other "team" as evil, and the switches flip. We are all born hypocrites, according to Haidt, and we believe the nonsense we tell other people because we believe what people think of us is more important than the reality. In a political sense, moral division exists, and the other side is seen as evil (conservatives and liberals). Compromise is necessary, but we can't compromise with evil. People on both sides of the political spectrum believe they are right. This is known as consensual hallucination. In Haidt's studies, he found that conservatives value care, liberty, fairness, loyalty, authority and sanctity equally. He says that this is the reason they do a better job convincing people they are the party of moral values. The right side of the political spectrum sees government as evil because they punish success and follow re-distributive policies. Haidt says he was a liberal, but when he started doing research he found that conservatives were more in touch with human nature.
This interview contains the themes of culture and politics. Haidt explores why conservatives and liberals are the way they are, and why they always think they are right. The kind of person you are ultimately will determine which side of the political spectrum you will be on. People who crave things such as diversity, travel, novelty and culture are more likely to be liberals than conservatives. People who crave things that are familiar to them are more likely to be conservatives. Haidt also found that conservatives value care, liberty, fairness, loyalty, authority, and sanctity equal, unlike liberals. Ultimately, the moral values and beliefs you have will contribute to which side of the political spectrum you will be on.
Bibliography:
Bezis-Selfa, John, Greenwood, Janette Thomas, Kirk, Andrew, Purcell, Sarah J., Schaller,
Michael, Schulzinger, Robert D., Sheehan-Dean, Aaron. American Horizons.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
Diego, Ken, dir. "Jonathan Haidt Explains our Contentious Culture." Moyers and Company. Bill
Moyers Journal. 3 February 2012. Web. 24 March 2014.
Nelson, Stanley, dir. "Freedom Riders." American Experience. PBS, 2011. Web. 24 March 2014.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Extra Credit Three: Death by Fire
On December 23, 1991, in the small town of Corsicana, Texas, the Willingham house burned down in flames and three little girls died. The fire was ruled an arson, and Cameron Todd Willingham was charged with capital murder and sentenced to death. However, as his execution date approached, speculations arose that the fire was not arson. Was Todd Willingham wrongly convicted of a crime that wasn't a crime, and wrongly put to death? The documentary "Death by fire" by Frontline explores this question.
23 year old Cameron Todd Willingham was in the house with his three children Amber, Carmen and Cameron when the fire started. Todd's wife and the children's mother, Stacy, was Christmas shopping at a thrift shop. The firemen were not able to save the children. All three of the little girls died in the fire. Todd said that he tried to run back into the house to save the girls, but he couldn't find them and came back outside. Todd was virtually unharmed, and his minor burns were inconsistent with his story that he was trying to save his kids. He was also seen partying the night after the fire at a benefit for his family at a bar. His attitude was inconsistent with someone who had just lost his children. The owner of the bar where the benefit was held said that Todd was telling people that the money would start rolling in because people were going to feel bad for him. This didn't seem right with the bar owner. An investigation started, and Todd was the primary suspect.
One of the Willingham's neighbors said that Todd was a mean man, and would "beat on Stacy all the time." This made investigators believe he was capable of the crime. It was then believed that Todd did not make an effort to go back into the house to save his children. Investigators found signs of what they believed to be flammable fluid on the floor of the children's room. When they tested it, it came back a positive sample of charcoal lighter fluid. There was 20 indications of arson, and therefore the fire was declared arson. One investigator said that when he was interviewing Todd, he showed no signs of remorse or sorrow. As they kept questioning Todd, they realized that his story didn't match up with his lack of injuries. They pushed him to confess, and it was only when he saw pictures of his dead children he showed remorse. The investigators believed he cried not because he was sad about his children, but because he got caught.
Todd was charged with murder, and his bail was set at one million dollars. He was given a deal to confess and avoid the death penalty. However, Todd didn't take the deal and he went to trial. The first witness was a jailhouse informant named Johnny Webb. He told the court that Todd confessed to him. He said that Todd told him he spread the accelerant in the children's room in a star shaped pattern, like a pentagram. This insinuated Satan worship. Investigators also found posters in Todd's room that insinuated Satan worship. The next person to testify was Todd's wife, Stacy. She testified about the abuse, and said she stayed with Todd because she thought it was going to stop, but it didn't. After the trial, it only took the jury one hour to find Todd guilty. He was then sentenced to death, and taken to the Texas state prison in Huntsville where he would await his execution.
While Todd was in prison he received a letter from a women named Elizabeth Gilbert. She was assigned to be his pen pal, and when she received his reply letter, it was very polite and well written. She decided to go meet him. When they met, Todd told her his side of the story. He said the fire started and he couldn't get back in the house to save his daughters. After hearing his side of the story, Gilbert decided to find out who Todd really was and what really happened that day. Gilbert found that Todd was born in Oklahoma. His birth mother had many children with different fathers, and Todd was abandoned. He went to live with his birth father and stepmother. His father was very strict, and by the time Todd was in the sixth grade he already started using drugs. In court, Dr. Grigson, who testifies in cases to ensure the death penalty, said that Todd was an extreme sociopath, although he never met Todd. People who knew Todd personally knew that he wasn't a sociopath. Gilbert continued to investigate, and she found that the posters in Todd's room weren't for Satan worship. They were posters of the heavy metal groups Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden.
Todd moved to Corsicana to be with his girlfriend, Stacy. They had three children together, and while Stacy was at work, Todd stayed home with them. The two only got married three months before the fire. Stacy stood by her husbands side throughout the whole trial, but when Todd went to death row she never visited him, and eventually filed for a divorce. When Gilbert interviewed Stacy, she seemed nervous and reserved. Gilbert understood this because she had a lot of tragedy in her life. Stacy told Gilbert that even though Todd abused her, she didn't think he was capable of hurting their children. This made Gilbert believed that Todd was not guilty. She began looking into the records of the trial, and she didn't believe that Todd would confess to Webb, a complete stranger. When Gilbert asked Webb, he stood by his story. Then suddenly, Webb sent a recant saying Todd was innocent, and then another recant of that recant. Now he claims he doesn't remember any of it. Three months before Todd's execution date, Gilbert was in a car accident. She broke her neck, and was no longer able to visit Todd or continue her investigation. According to one of the Willingham's neighbors, Todd carried around the guilt of not going back into the house to save his kids, so he made up the story that he did.
As time went on, arson investigation improved, and began to include science. Gerald Hurst began to investigate the case, and he found that the fire was a flashover fire, which is often misidentified as pour patterns. A flashover fire is the near-simultaneous ignition of the directly exposed combustible material in an enclosed area. There was a grill on the front porch, and if there was charcoal fluid on the floor, it would explain the evidence the original investigators found. Hurst also gives reasoning for why Todd had no burns on his feet. He says that if there was lighter fluid on the floor, it would have been cool until shortly after the flashover. This means that Todd's feet would have been the last part to be burned. After all of these points, Hurst believed it wasn't arson, and that Todd Willingham was innocent. Then, Stacy shockingly told reporters that she now believed Todd was guilty. In a meeting between Todd and Stacy, Todd asked to be buried next to his children, but Stacy told him no. After the meeting, Stacy's brother signed a paper saying that Todd confessed to Stacy in their meeting. Todd was very upset by this, and denied it. Todd's appeal was denied, and his scheduled execution day was February 17. His final words were that he was innocent, and wrongly convicted. When he looked out the viewing window and saw Stacy there, even when he asked her not to go, he cursed at her and told her he hoped she rotted in hell. He then was given the drugs, and died. Now the question is if the state of Texas executed a man for a crime that he didn't commit, and a crime that may have not even been a crime. There are people who believe that the fire wasn't arson, however, the original investigators still stand by their ruling of arson.
In this documentary, there is a theme of culture. Once people got their minds set that this was arson, every piece of evidence they found they connected to arson. People saw Todd's early drug addiction, family life, his violent relationship with his wife, and the posters in his room as evidence that he was responsible for the fire. People believed that Todd was the kind of person who was capable of such a terrible crime, and others believed he wasn't. It wasn't until the arson investigation improved, and incorporated science that people began to realize that this wasn't an arson, and that Todd was innocent. Since it was such a terrible tragedy that three innocent little girls had to die in the fire, people wanted someone to blame for it, and that person was Todd Willingham.
I found this documentary very interesting. When it first began, I thought Todd was guilty of arson. But as the documentary went on, and Gilbert and Hurst started their own investigations, I became skeptical as to whether or not Todd was guilty. After finishing the documentary, I do not think he was guilty. He was put to death for something he didn't do, and for something that wasn't even a crime. I also found it interesting how his wife, Stacy, started acting. She was supportive of him at first, but then she changed her mind completely and said she thought he was guilty and filed for divorce. I wonder why she did this. It is very unfortunate that Todd Willingham had to die for something he didn't do.
Bibliography:
Deeter, Jessie, dir. "Death by Fire." Frontline. 19 October 2010. Web. 16 April 2014.
23 year old Cameron Todd Willingham was in the house with his three children Amber, Carmen and Cameron when the fire started. Todd's wife and the children's mother, Stacy, was Christmas shopping at a thrift shop. The firemen were not able to save the children. All three of the little girls died in the fire. Todd said that he tried to run back into the house to save the girls, but he couldn't find them and came back outside. Todd was virtually unharmed, and his minor burns were inconsistent with his story that he was trying to save his kids. He was also seen partying the night after the fire at a benefit for his family at a bar. His attitude was inconsistent with someone who had just lost his children. The owner of the bar where the benefit was held said that Todd was telling people that the money would start rolling in because people were going to feel bad for him. This didn't seem right with the bar owner. An investigation started, and Todd was the primary suspect.
One of the Willingham's neighbors said that Todd was a mean man, and would "beat on Stacy all the time." This made investigators believe he was capable of the crime. It was then believed that Todd did not make an effort to go back into the house to save his children. Investigators found signs of what they believed to be flammable fluid on the floor of the children's room. When they tested it, it came back a positive sample of charcoal lighter fluid. There was 20 indications of arson, and therefore the fire was declared arson. One investigator said that when he was interviewing Todd, he showed no signs of remorse or sorrow. As they kept questioning Todd, they realized that his story didn't match up with his lack of injuries. They pushed him to confess, and it was only when he saw pictures of his dead children he showed remorse. The investigators believed he cried not because he was sad about his children, but because he got caught.
Todd was charged with murder, and his bail was set at one million dollars. He was given a deal to confess and avoid the death penalty. However, Todd didn't take the deal and he went to trial. The first witness was a jailhouse informant named Johnny Webb. He told the court that Todd confessed to him. He said that Todd told him he spread the accelerant in the children's room in a star shaped pattern, like a pentagram. This insinuated Satan worship. Investigators also found posters in Todd's room that insinuated Satan worship. The next person to testify was Todd's wife, Stacy. She testified about the abuse, and said she stayed with Todd because she thought it was going to stop, but it didn't. After the trial, it only took the jury one hour to find Todd guilty. He was then sentenced to death, and taken to the Texas state prison in Huntsville where he would await his execution.
While Todd was in prison he received a letter from a women named Elizabeth Gilbert. She was assigned to be his pen pal, and when she received his reply letter, it was very polite and well written. She decided to go meet him. When they met, Todd told her his side of the story. He said the fire started and he couldn't get back in the house to save his daughters. After hearing his side of the story, Gilbert decided to find out who Todd really was and what really happened that day. Gilbert found that Todd was born in Oklahoma. His birth mother had many children with different fathers, and Todd was abandoned. He went to live with his birth father and stepmother. His father was very strict, and by the time Todd was in the sixth grade he already started using drugs. In court, Dr. Grigson, who testifies in cases to ensure the death penalty, said that Todd was an extreme sociopath, although he never met Todd. People who knew Todd personally knew that he wasn't a sociopath. Gilbert continued to investigate, and she found that the posters in Todd's room weren't for Satan worship. They were posters of the heavy metal groups Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden.
Todd moved to Corsicana to be with his girlfriend, Stacy. They had three children together, and while Stacy was at work, Todd stayed home with them. The two only got married three months before the fire. Stacy stood by her husbands side throughout the whole trial, but when Todd went to death row she never visited him, and eventually filed for a divorce. When Gilbert interviewed Stacy, she seemed nervous and reserved. Gilbert understood this because she had a lot of tragedy in her life. Stacy told Gilbert that even though Todd abused her, she didn't think he was capable of hurting their children. This made Gilbert believed that Todd was not guilty. She began looking into the records of the trial, and she didn't believe that Todd would confess to Webb, a complete stranger. When Gilbert asked Webb, he stood by his story. Then suddenly, Webb sent a recant saying Todd was innocent, and then another recant of that recant. Now he claims he doesn't remember any of it. Three months before Todd's execution date, Gilbert was in a car accident. She broke her neck, and was no longer able to visit Todd or continue her investigation. According to one of the Willingham's neighbors, Todd carried around the guilt of not going back into the house to save his kids, so he made up the story that he did.
As time went on, arson investigation improved, and began to include science. Gerald Hurst began to investigate the case, and he found that the fire was a flashover fire, which is often misidentified as pour patterns. A flashover fire is the near-simultaneous ignition of the directly exposed combustible material in an enclosed area. There was a grill on the front porch, and if there was charcoal fluid on the floor, it would explain the evidence the original investigators found. Hurst also gives reasoning for why Todd had no burns on his feet. He says that if there was lighter fluid on the floor, it would have been cool until shortly after the flashover. This means that Todd's feet would have been the last part to be burned. After all of these points, Hurst believed it wasn't arson, and that Todd Willingham was innocent. Then, Stacy shockingly told reporters that she now believed Todd was guilty. In a meeting between Todd and Stacy, Todd asked to be buried next to his children, but Stacy told him no. After the meeting, Stacy's brother signed a paper saying that Todd confessed to Stacy in their meeting. Todd was very upset by this, and denied it. Todd's appeal was denied, and his scheduled execution day was February 17. His final words were that he was innocent, and wrongly convicted. When he looked out the viewing window and saw Stacy there, even when he asked her not to go, he cursed at her and told her he hoped she rotted in hell. He then was given the drugs, and died. Now the question is if the state of Texas executed a man for a crime that he didn't commit, and a crime that may have not even been a crime. There are people who believe that the fire wasn't arson, however, the original investigators still stand by their ruling of arson.
In this documentary, there is a theme of culture. Once people got their minds set that this was arson, every piece of evidence they found they connected to arson. People saw Todd's early drug addiction, family life, his violent relationship with his wife, and the posters in his room as evidence that he was responsible for the fire. People believed that Todd was the kind of person who was capable of such a terrible crime, and others believed he wasn't. It wasn't until the arson investigation improved, and incorporated science that people began to realize that this wasn't an arson, and that Todd was innocent. Since it was such a terrible tragedy that three innocent little girls had to die in the fire, people wanted someone to blame for it, and that person was Todd Willingham.
I found this documentary very interesting. When it first began, I thought Todd was guilty of arson. But as the documentary went on, and Gilbert and Hurst started their own investigations, I became skeptical as to whether or not Todd was guilty. After finishing the documentary, I do not think he was guilty. He was put to death for something he didn't do, and for something that wasn't even a crime. I also found it interesting how his wife, Stacy, started acting. She was supportive of him at first, but then she changed her mind completely and said she thought he was guilty and filed for divorce. I wonder why she did this. It is very unfortunate that Todd Willingham had to die for something he didn't do.
Bibliography:
Deeter, Jessie, dir. "Death by Fire." Frontline. 19 October 2010. Web. 16 April 2014.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Extra Credit Two: The Confessions
"The Confessions", a documentary by Frontline, tells the true story of the Norfolk Four. In July 1997 in the naval station in Norfolk Virginia, four U.S Navy sailors were accused of the brutal rape and murder of Michelle Moore-Bosko, the wife of another sailor, William Bosko. After long hours of interrogation, all four men accused of the crime confessed, and based on these confessions, a jury found them guilty. This documentary investigates the truth of their confessions.
U.S. Navy sailor William Bosko came home to find his wife, Michelle Moore Bosko, dead. He ran to his neighbor, Daniel Williams, for help and Dan called 911. When police arrived, they found there was no evidence of forced entry, the apartment was clean except for the bedroom where Michelle lay dead, she was brutally raped and murdered, and they believed the crime was committed by a single assailant. When police talked with another neighbor and Michelle's friend, Tamika Taylor, she said to look into the neighbor who called 911, Dan Williams, because he seemed interested in Michelle. Police then believed Dan was responsible for the crime. He went down to the police station for questioning, and was questioned by a Detective Ford, who was known for getting confessions. Dan agreed to a polygraph test, and Ford came back with his results saying he failed and he was a liar and needed to start telling the truth. The actual truth is Dan was telling the truth, and he did in fact pass the polygraph test. Detective Ford lied to him so he would confess. After eleven hours of intense interrogation, Dan confessed. He confessed to a crime he didn't commit. When being questioned more, the facts Dan gave were inconsistent with the crime scene evidence. The police didn't take that into account, and Dan was charged with rape and murder in less than 24 hours of the body being found. He never asked for a lawyer, because he believed his innocence could defend itself. The case was then closed.
Four months later Dan's DNA results came in. They did not match the DNA found at the crime scene. These results were kept a secret, and the search went on for Dan's accomplice. Police looked into an old roommate of Dan's, Joe Dick Jr, who is socially awkward. While interrogating Joe, Ford calls him a liar and says he failed his polygraph test. Joe's results were never released. After many hours Joe told Ford what he wanted to hear. He, like Dan, confessed to the crime. He agreed to give DNA samples because he knew they wouldn't match because he was innocent. Joe's DNA didn't match, but the charges against him weren't dropped. Instead, they looked for another accomplice. Joe's lawyer believed he was guilty because he confessed, and said he could get the death penalty. He urged Joe's parents to talk to Joe and tell him to cooperate and tell the truth, and give the names of the other people involved. The "truth" that Joe was telling was all lies he made up. He was just telling Ford and the police what they wanted to hear. He named Eric Wilson as another person involved. Eric's DNA didn't match that at the crime scene either, but he wasn't released like the others. Joe began to believe the lies he was telling, and he began to think he actually was responsible for the crime. He named George Clark as another man involved, and gave a description. However, police couldn't find a George Clark, they found Derek Tice instead, who match the description Joe made. Just like the others, Ford interrogated Derek for long hours and said he failed his polygraph test and called him a liar. Derek's test results were never released. He stopped talking and asked for a lawyer, but he never got one. Ford continued to interrogate him, and after eleven hours he signed a confession. Derek told Frontline that he had two choices: tell Ford what he wanted to hear and live, or continue to tell the truth and die from the death penalty. All of the men said they were emotionally and physically drained, and they only confessed because of Ford's interrogation tactics and the threats of the death penalty. When the men were being interrogated, the police didn't start recording the interrogation until they got the confession they wanted to hear. Therefore, no one knows what happened in the interrogation room except for the people who were there.
Ford then wanted Derek to identify other men who were involved. Derek said the first two names that came into his head: Jeffery Ferris and Rick Pauley. The men were then arrested. Their DNA didn't match either, and police told Derek to identify the DNA match. Since he didn't know who it was, he had to guess. Ford became interested in a man named John Dancer. Derek said John wasn't there, but he gave into Ford and told him what he wanted to hear. He told Ford that John was there, however, John had an alibi. That didn't matter though, because police didn't let John go. There were now seven men, and the police cared very much about preserving the confessions that they already had. When Derek Tice took back his plea deal, Jeffery Ferris, Rick Pauley and John Dancer were released because there wasn't enough evidence against them. As a result, Derek now faced the death penalty.
Then the case took an interesting turn. A women gave police a letter that her daughter-in-law received from a man in jail. It was a love letter, but it was also a threatening letter. The letter was from a man named Omar Abdul Ballard, and he ended the letter saying he killed Michelle. Ballard was in jail for beating a women in the same apartment complex that Michelle lived in, and also for raping a fourteen year old girl. The crimes all happened within three weeks of each other. Ballard is from New Jersey, and met up in Norfolk with an old friend, Tamika Taylor. The same Tamika Taylor that told police to look into Dan Williams. Ballard's DNA was analyzed and was a match to the DNA at the crime scene. If the DNA was tested through a database from the beginning, the seven other men would have never been investigated. Ballard confessed to the crime, and said he acted alone. However, the other men weren't let go, they went to trial. In court, the prosecution said they believed it was a gang rape despite Ballard's confession of acting alone. The prosecution and the police couldn't admit they made a mistake, so they said it was a gang rape to cover up their mistakes. In court, Ballard pled the fifth. Eric said he confessed because of Ford's angry and aggressive interrogation, and because he was threatened with the death penalty. The jury found them guilty. They ignored the evidence of their innocence, and they couldn't get over their confessions, so they found them guilty. Eric was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison, and Derek was sentenced to life. Dan and Joe took life without parole. They didn't go to trial. Dan didn't go because he was afraid of the death penalty, and Joe didn't go because he actually believed he committed the crime. No one wanted to believe Ballard's confession that he acted alone, and he got out of a life sentence by saying he acted with the other men. Thirteen years later, he wanted people to know the truth. In a phone interview with Frontline, Ballard said he committed the crime alone.
Dan, Joe, Eric and Derek became known as the Norfolk Four. On August 10, 2009, Dan, Joe and Derek were released from prison(Eric released before others), but they weren't exonerated. All of the men have to register each year as sex offenders. Eric is married now, and he said they have almost no friends. He can't get some jobs because of his past, and he can't live in some neighborhoods. Then in 2010, the Norfolk Four meet at appeals court. Derek won his appeal, and the other three cases are still pending. Detective Ford was charged with extortion, and in October 2010 he was found guilty on two out of the four charges. This case shows the flaws in the system, and raises deep concerns. These men's lives are forever changed for the worse because of the system.
This documentary by Frontline contains themes of politics and culture. When a crime like this is committed, the police want to find out right away who did it. However, that doesn't mean forcing false confessions out of people. Detective Ford should have known better than to bully a suspect into a confession. He should have put his reputation for getting confessions to the side and worked on getting the truth. It hurt his reputation more by creating a whole mess of the case than it would to have gotten the truth. The police and the prosecution were trying to cover themselves by saying it was a gang rape so their mistakes wouldn't be let out. Their job was to get justice for Michelle, and instead they made a huge mess of her case by playing politics. Culture is also a theme. No one wants to be wrong, and Detective Ford showed this. He wanted to preserve the confessions he already had instead of get the correct one. Rape and murder are such heinous crimes that police want to catch the people who commit them right away. However, that shouldn't cloud their judgment of what is right and wrong.
I found this video extremely interesting. It is common for people to be questioned about crimes they didn't commit, but seven different men should not be charged with the crime when there is no evidence against them. Detective Ford used tactics that were extreme, and someone should have stopped him. I was very surprised to see that no one intervened with his strategies, and no one stopped the manhunt for multiple accomplices. If this investigation was carried out with thought and patience, several men could have a normal life. I always had confidence in the system, but watching this makes me think farther into the problem that there apparently is. It saddened me to see how those four men's lives are changed for the worst forever.
Bibliography:
Bikel, Ofra, dir. "The Confessions." Frontline. PBS, 9 November 2010. Web. 27 March 2014.
U.S. Navy sailor William Bosko came home to find his wife, Michelle Moore Bosko, dead. He ran to his neighbor, Daniel Williams, for help and Dan called 911. When police arrived, they found there was no evidence of forced entry, the apartment was clean except for the bedroom where Michelle lay dead, she was brutally raped and murdered, and they believed the crime was committed by a single assailant. When police talked with another neighbor and Michelle's friend, Tamika Taylor, she said to look into the neighbor who called 911, Dan Williams, because he seemed interested in Michelle. Police then believed Dan was responsible for the crime. He went down to the police station for questioning, and was questioned by a Detective Ford, who was known for getting confessions. Dan agreed to a polygraph test, and Ford came back with his results saying he failed and he was a liar and needed to start telling the truth. The actual truth is Dan was telling the truth, and he did in fact pass the polygraph test. Detective Ford lied to him so he would confess. After eleven hours of intense interrogation, Dan confessed. He confessed to a crime he didn't commit. When being questioned more, the facts Dan gave were inconsistent with the crime scene evidence. The police didn't take that into account, and Dan was charged with rape and murder in less than 24 hours of the body being found. He never asked for a lawyer, because he believed his innocence could defend itself. The case was then closed.
Four months later Dan's DNA results came in. They did not match the DNA found at the crime scene. These results were kept a secret, and the search went on for Dan's accomplice. Police looked into an old roommate of Dan's, Joe Dick Jr, who is socially awkward. While interrogating Joe, Ford calls him a liar and says he failed his polygraph test. Joe's results were never released. After many hours Joe told Ford what he wanted to hear. He, like Dan, confessed to the crime. He agreed to give DNA samples because he knew they wouldn't match because he was innocent. Joe's DNA didn't match, but the charges against him weren't dropped. Instead, they looked for another accomplice. Joe's lawyer believed he was guilty because he confessed, and said he could get the death penalty. He urged Joe's parents to talk to Joe and tell him to cooperate and tell the truth, and give the names of the other people involved. The "truth" that Joe was telling was all lies he made up. He was just telling Ford and the police what they wanted to hear. He named Eric Wilson as another person involved. Eric's DNA didn't match that at the crime scene either, but he wasn't released like the others. Joe began to believe the lies he was telling, and he began to think he actually was responsible for the crime. He named George Clark as another man involved, and gave a description. However, police couldn't find a George Clark, they found Derek Tice instead, who match the description Joe made. Just like the others, Ford interrogated Derek for long hours and said he failed his polygraph test and called him a liar. Derek's test results were never released. He stopped talking and asked for a lawyer, but he never got one. Ford continued to interrogate him, and after eleven hours he signed a confession. Derek told Frontline that he had two choices: tell Ford what he wanted to hear and live, or continue to tell the truth and die from the death penalty. All of the men said they were emotionally and physically drained, and they only confessed because of Ford's interrogation tactics and the threats of the death penalty. When the men were being interrogated, the police didn't start recording the interrogation until they got the confession they wanted to hear. Therefore, no one knows what happened in the interrogation room except for the people who were there.
Ford then wanted Derek to identify other men who were involved. Derek said the first two names that came into his head: Jeffery Ferris and Rick Pauley. The men were then arrested. Their DNA didn't match either, and police told Derek to identify the DNA match. Since he didn't know who it was, he had to guess. Ford became interested in a man named John Dancer. Derek said John wasn't there, but he gave into Ford and told him what he wanted to hear. He told Ford that John was there, however, John had an alibi. That didn't matter though, because police didn't let John go. There were now seven men, and the police cared very much about preserving the confessions that they already had. When Derek Tice took back his plea deal, Jeffery Ferris, Rick Pauley and John Dancer were released because there wasn't enough evidence against them. As a result, Derek now faced the death penalty.
Then the case took an interesting turn. A women gave police a letter that her daughter-in-law received from a man in jail. It was a love letter, but it was also a threatening letter. The letter was from a man named Omar Abdul Ballard, and he ended the letter saying he killed Michelle. Ballard was in jail for beating a women in the same apartment complex that Michelle lived in, and also for raping a fourteen year old girl. The crimes all happened within three weeks of each other. Ballard is from New Jersey, and met up in Norfolk with an old friend, Tamika Taylor. The same Tamika Taylor that told police to look into Dan Williams. Ballard's DNA was analyzed and was a match to the DNA at the crime scene. If the DNA was tested through a database from the beginning, the seven other men would have never been investigated. Ballard confessed to the crime, and said he acted alone. However, the other men weren't let go, they went to trial. In court, the prosecution said they believed it was a gang rape despite Ballard's confession of acting alone. The prosecution and the police couldn't admit they made a mistake, so they said it was a gang rape to cover up their mistakes. In court, Ballard pled the fifth. Eric said he confessed because of Ford's angry and aggressive interrogation, and because he was threatened with the death penalty. The jury found them guilty. They ignored the evidence of their innocence, and they couldn't get over their confessions, so they found them guilty. Eric was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison, and Derek was sentenced to life. Dan and Joe took life without parole. They didn't go to trial. Dan didn't go because he was afraid of the death penalty, and Joe didn't go because he actually believed he committed the crime. No one wanted to believe Ballard's confession that he acted alone, and he got out of a life sentence by saying he acted with the other men. Thirteen years later, he wanted people to know the truth. In a phone interview with Frontline, Ballard said he committed the crime alone.
Dan, Joe, Eric and Derek became known as the Norfolk Four. On August 10, 2009, Dan, Joe and Derek were released from prison(Eric released before others), but they weren't exonerated. All of the men have to register each year as sex offenders. Eric is married now, and he said they have almost no friends. He can't get some jobs because of his past, and he can't live in some neighborhoods. Then in 2010, the Norfolk Four meet at appeals court. Derek won his appeal, and the other three cases are still pending. Detective Ford was charged with extortion, and in October 2010 he was found guilty on two out of the four charges. This case shows the flaws in the system, and raises deep concerns. These men's lives are forever changed for the worse because of the system.
This documentary by Frontline contains themes of politics and culture. When a crime like this is committed, the police want to find out right away who did it. However, that doesn't mean forcing false confessions out of people. Detective Ford should have known better than to bully a suspect into a confession. He should have put his reputation for getting confessions to the side and worked on getting the truth. It hurt his reputation more by creating a whole mess of the case than it would to have gotten the truth. The police and the prosecution were trying to cover themselves by saying it was a gang rape so their mistakes wouldn't be let out. Their job was to get justice for Michelle, and instead they made a huge mess of her case by playing politics. Culture is also a theme. No one wants to be wrong, and Detective Ford showed this. He wanted to preserve the confessions he already had instead of get the correct one. Rape and murder are such heinous crimes that police want to catch the people who commit them right away. However, that shouldn't cloud their judgment of what is right and wrong.
I found this video extremely interesting. It is common for people to be questioned about crimes they didn't commit, but seven different men should not be charged with the crime when there is no evidence against them. Detective Ford used tactics that were extreme, and someone should have stopped him. I was very surprised to see that no one intervened with his strategies, and no one stopped the manhunt for multiple accomplices. If this investigation was carried out with thought and patience, several men could have a normal life. I always had confidence in the system, but watching this makes me think farther into the problem that there apparently is. It saddened me to see how those four men's lives are changed for the worst forever.
Bibliography:
Bikel, Ofra, dir. "The Confessions." Frontline. PBS, 9 November 2010. Web. 27 March 2014.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Extra Credit One: Facing Death
"Facing Death", by Frontline, is a documentary that really gets you thinking about what you would do if you were in a situation like some of the people in Mt. Sinai hospital in New York. The documentary is about people who come to hospitals with diseases that are life shortening and the decisions they have to make, or their family has to make. In today's world, more Americans go to the ICU to die than to get better, and more Americans die in hospitals than anywhere else. The doctors have to have very difficult conversations with the patients, and if he patients can't communicate due to their disease or sedatives, the doctors talk to the family members. Very hard decisions have to be made. The family member has to decide whether the patient lives or dies, and this causes disputes within the family because some members don't agree on what is best or what to do. The doctors don't put their personal beliefs on a family, although they do have beliefs on what should be done for the patient. There are always patients who surprise the doctors and their families, however. Patients who the doctors didn't think would breathe on their own do, for example. There are always miracles. In an interview with one patient who has cancer and his wife, they say why give up? It is scary to sit there and do nothing, so why give up fighting to live? With advancing technology, there are always options for treatments. However, there is always a degree of uncertainty, for doctors, patients and family members. Doctors feel guilt when a patient dies. The doctor feels that the patients may have gone through unnecessary pain when they died, but it was the family member's decision, so the doctor had to follow. Between $20-25 billion a year is spent on people living on ventilators. Making a decision about your life is hard, and making one about someone else's life is even harder. People can prepare for what happens next, but they can never be completely ready.
In this documentary by Frontline, there are themes of demography and culture present. Anyone could contract a disease or an illness that threatens their life. It doesn't matter about their age or gender. The people in the documentary were of all different ages and genders and races, and they were all in the same boat. Their life was in danger and their families had to make a difficult decision. Culture is also a theme present in the documentary. There is new technology and new medicine that always provides an options for patients and their families. On the other hand, people think of hospitals as a place to go and get better, and that image in now changing. More Americans are going into hospitals and dying rather than getting better. Different cultures of different families also effect the decision they make on the patients life. Some families have different cultural values that make them decide one way or another, and some families disagree with one another which makes it difficult to come to a decision.
While watching this documentary I started thinking about what I would do if I was in this situation. If I was the patient, and there was a good chance of me getting better on life support, I would want to do it. But if I was on life support for a really long time and I wasn't getting better, I would want my family to pull the plug because that is not living in my opinion. Lying in a hospital bed for the rest of my life is not living to me. If someone I loved was on life support and I had to decide whether to take them off or leave them on, I would have a difficult time deciding. I would have to talk with them about it before they couldn't communicate any longer. I would base my decision for them off the same idea as for me. If there was a good chance of them getting better, I would keep them on. But if they were on for a long period of time, I would take them off because they aren't really living. It is an extremely hard decision for anyone to make, and it is unfortunate that so many people have to make it.
Bibliography:
O'Connor, Karen, Navasky, Miri, dir. "Facing Death." Frontline. PBS, 23 November 2010.
Web. 27 March 2014.
In this documentary by Frontline, there are themes of demography and culture present. Anyone could contract a disease or an illness that threatens their life. It doesn't matter about their age or gender. The people in the documentary were of all different ages and genders and races, and they were all in the same boat. Their life was in danger and their families had to make a difficult decision. Culture is also a theme present in the documentary. There is new technology and new medicine that always provides an options for patients and their families. On the other hand, people think of hospitals as a place to go and get better, and that image in now changing. More Americans are going into hospitals and dying rather than getting better. Different cultures of different families also effect the decision they make on the patients life. Some families have different cultural values that make them decide one way or another, and some families disagree with one another which makes it difficult to come to a decision.
While watching this documentary I started thinking about what I would do if I was in this situation. If I was the patient, and there was a good chance of me getting better on life support, I would want to do it. But if I was on life support for a really long time and I wasn't getting better, I would want my family to pull the plug because that is not living in my opinion. Lying in a hospital bed for the rest of my life is not living to me. If someone I loved was on life support and I had to decide whether to take them off or leave them on, I would have a difficult time deciding. I would have to talk with them about it before they couldn't communicate any longer. I would base my decision for them off the same idea as for me. If there was a good chance of them getting better, I would keep them on. But if they were on for a long period of time, I would take them off because they aren't really living. It is an extremely hard decision for anyone to make, and it is unfortunate that so many people have to make it.
Bibliography:
O'Connor, Karen, Navasky, Miri, dir. "Facing Death." Frontline. PBS, 23 November 2010.
Web. 27 March 2014.
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