Times of Change

A Dubious Crusade by James A. Warren
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22

Look up both words in the title of the short essay. What do they mean?
Dubious means: doubtful or uncertain
Crusade means: a war or conflict to defend religon or another important idea

Relate the title to the reading. What is Warren saying? How do you think this will relate to the rest of our study if Vietnam?
The reading talks about how we lost the war and failed to stop communism, which was why it was dubious in defending our beliefs in democracy, our crusade. We lost this war, faith in our government, and many American lives, which shook our confidence.


History by Thuong Vuong-Riddick
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22

What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?
The overall theme is death and war and killing and how useless it is.


The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution … by Goldberg
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22

What is the main thesis of the essay?
The main thesis is that the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a lie by the President, or an exaggeration, in order to be able to fight Vietnam.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
The resolution was an act passed by Congress granting the president permission to defen the US's interests in the area of the Maddox and other US ships.

What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?
He says that later, in the movie "Hearts and Minds" Senator Fulbright was interviewed and said that the president had lied. (The president did not say it under oath.) Also, the firing on the US ship that triggered the resolution became suspicious and people started to doubt that it happened so extremely or if it even happened at all.

How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?
The actions of the president, and the actual incident of the shooting of the US ship, the Maddox, in the Gulf of Tonkin, was doubtful or unbelieveable.