Saturday, May 5, 2018
Waco massacre
The Waco siege was a massacre that I feel could have been prevented. David Koresh was the leader of his followers from Mount Carmel, where they followed him because he said he was the son of god. Although Koresh started the trouble by abusing the corps of Anna Hughes, the police could have dealt with this a better way. After they tried to turn Koresh in, there was more problems that rose between them, leading to Koresh and his followers to stockpile AK-47 rifles at a ranch in Waco, Texas. The ATF (Alcohol tobacco firearms) was coming to take their weapons, but Koresh and his followers were stacked with weapons with 305 guns with armor piercing bullets. They also knew that the ATF was coming and killed some of their people immediately. Since the ATF were suited up with heavy armor and were invading them, they had nothing else to do but fight back. This caused a stand off where the government took their water supply lines away and the families inside were limited on food and water. This did nothing to stop Koresh from surrendering, so the FBI chose to bring in tanks. As the tanks were demolishing the building, it set a fire which killed 25 children and 50 adults including Koresh. This brought shock to America which brought even more people to hate the government and police. Leading to more militia's who started to buy more weapons and practice using them for the fear of the government invading them. For this reason, I believe that the government could have dealt with this a better way even though Koresh was being tough to deal with.
Rodney King and the Impact of the LA Riots
On March 3, 1991, Rodney King is beaten by LAPD after leading the police on a car chase. As soon as he stops the officers were ordering him around and King was not obeying the officers. The officers then decided to use force and lead to him being beaten. George Holiday the man who recorded Rodney Kings beating would deliver the footage to local news station KTLA. A trial would be held for the officers that were involved in King's beating in Simi Valley. On April 29, 1992, the 4 officers Koon, Wind, Briseno, and Powell would be acquitted of all charges and this would lead to people to be outraged. On that same day, a riot broke out in South Central LA. News helicopter footage showed that buildings were being broken into, buildings were lit on fire, and people in cars and on the street were beaten such as Reginald Denny. The mayor of LA and the Governor of California called for a state of emergency. This lead to the National Guard to patrol the streets of LA. King pleaded to the people saying that "People. I just want to say, can we all get along? Can we get along? Can we stop making it horrible for older people and the kids?" The riots are lasted for over 5 days in which 50 people were killed and 2,000 were injured. The same year on August 4, the federal grand jury decided to return the indictments against the 4 officers. Officer Powell and Koon were both sentenced to 30 months in prison for violating Rodney King's civil rights. The US District Court in Los Angeles awards King $3.8 million as compensation. King would have an autobiography about him in April 2012 called "The Riot Within: My Journey from Rebellion to Redemption. Learning How We Can All Get Along." King would die on June 17, 2012, from intoxication in his home in Rialto, CA.
Friday, May 4, 2018
Waco Cult Incident
In the recent incident we learned from Class about the Waco Cult, the sheer amount of deaths and action throughout the incident shocked me. This almost seemed like the video game Far Cry 5 to me where there was a cult armed with weapons. The incident had left more than 80 dead through the 51 day standoff. Throughout the Siege, for hours after hour the FBI negotiators tried to sought out an agreement with cult leader, David Koresh. To him, he was the almighty Lamb of God. Commanding men to surrender their wives, and fathering children that were as young as 12 years of age in order to prepare them all for the imminent apocalypse.
When under the siege, Koresh and his cult was confronted with tanks, snipers and multiple combat vehicles, the cult refused to leave either Koresh nor the squalid compound behind. Instead of surrendering within this time period, the cult held children up against the windows with a sign that said "Flames Await." Therefore, with the media and the world broadcasting the event through the news, on the morning of April 19th, 1993 with the FBI team still seemingly divided, the team began their assault with tear gas armed from Army-issue combat vehicles. That attack resulted in only nine cult sect member being alive. A fire was somehow started and fanned by a 30 mph wind. The flames destroyed through the compound and set the deaths of 76 Davidians (cult members) including Koresh and more than 20 children. What this stirred up was not only a craze in America's obsession with reality tv shows but also a lot of anti government people such as Oklahoma Bomber who had killed 168 people in the Oklahoma City bombing claiming to be avenging for Koresh and the Davidians. With this in mind, was it the best decision at the time of the siege to engage in combat and give up the negotiations? What would've happened without the negotiations?
When under the siege, Koresh and his cult was confronted with tanks, snipers and multiple combat vehicles, the cult refused to leave either Koresh nor the squalid compound behind. Instead of surrendering within this time period, the cult held children up against the windows with a sign that said "Flames Await." Therefore, with the media and the world broadcasting the event through the news, on the morning of April 19th, 1993 with the FBI team still seemingly divided, the team began their assault with tear gas armed from Army-issue combat vehicles. That attack resulted in only nine cult sect member being alive. A fire was somehow started and fanned by a 30 mph wind. The flames destroyed through the compound and set the deaths of 76 Davidians (cult members) including Koresh and more than 20 children. What this stirred up was not only a craze in America's obsession with reality tv shows but also a lot of anti government people such as Oklahoma Bomber who had killed 168 people in the Oklahoma City bombing claiming to be avenging for Koresh and the Davidians. With this in mind, was it the best decision at the time of the siege to engage in combat and give up the negotiations? What would've happened without the negotiations?
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Influence of David Bowie on Gay Culture
Because of his appearance in movies like Labyrinth and The Prestige, many of us have heard of David Bowie before, but what a lot of us don't know why else he is famous for besides being a singer.
David Bowie did not start as an average music student going into fame. He was often looked down upon in society because he enjoyed dressing up in clothes that were considered too feminine for him and in bright colors and hairstyles. People have ridiculed him while he walked down the street, and called many slurs. He could have changed for those people to conform, but he chose to keep going on his path to becoming a star.
When he first came out as a performer he used his birth name, David Jones, but because he had the same name as someone from the band The Monkees, people did not take him seriously as an artist and he did not become popular until he made his stage name David Bowie. His older music and style is much more conforming than his later stuff which was a more artistic expression in things that most people considered really weird.
His influence on young gay people is one of the most prominent. He was alive and popular in a time where people were fighting for their civil rights, and when homosexuality was looked down upon in society. David Bowie himself was gay/bisexual, and he came out to the public in an interview. He was a leader and icon for young gay people looking for closure and ability to accept themselves. He had come out to the public only three years after the Stonewall Riots, and his stardom was something that many young gay people looked up to.
David Bowie also had pushed the social norm of gender. He very rarely dressed in typical male clothing when he was in public, and presented himself as more of an androgynous space alien rather than a male human. This also gave transgender people a way to look at themselves as normal rather than mentally ill. Many of his songs are very suggestive in a non-straight way, and he has dressed in drag many times. The way David Bowie performed gender gave transgender and gay people someone to look up to.
David Bowie did not start as an average music student going into fame. He was often looked down upon in society because he enjoyed dressing up in clothes that were considered too feminine for him and in bright colors and hairstyles. People have ridiculed him while he walked down the street, and called many slurs. He could have changed for those people to conform, but he chose to keep going on his path to becoming a star.
When he first came out as a performer he used his birth name, David Jones, but because he had the same name as someone from the band The Monkees, people did not take him seriously as an artist and he did not become popular until he made his stage name David Bowie. His older music and style is much more conforming than his later stuff which was a more artistic expression in things that most people considered really weird.
His influence on young gay people is one of the most prominent. He was alive and popular in a time where people were fighting for their civil rights, and when homosexuality was looked down upon in society. David Bowie himself was gay/bisexual, and he came out to the public in an interview. He was a leader and icon for young gay people looking for closure and ability to accept themselves. He had come out to the public only three years after the Stonewall Riots, and his stardom was something that many young gay people looked up to.
David Bowie also had pushed the social norm of gender. He very rarely dressed in typical male clothing when he was in public, and presented himself as more of an androgynous space alien rather than a male human. This also gave transgender people a way to look at themselves as normal rather than mentally ill. Many of his songs are very suggestive in a non-straight way, and he has dressed in drag many times. The way David Bowie performed gender gave transgender and gay people someone to look up to.
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Military Perception: Vietnam to Persian Gulf War
During the Vietnam War, the perception to the war effort was very negative. Anti-war movements began on college campuses, the first known one coming from the organization Students for a Democratic Society. People hated the military presence in Vietnam. By November of 1967, 15,000+ Americans were killed and 100,000+ wounded. It also was costly, as the US spent $25 billion per year despite the end of the war being nowhere in sight. On October 21, 1967 over 100,000 protesters gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, and nearly 30,000 marched to the Pentagon. Once there, the demonstrators were violently halted by soldiers and US Marshals, and hundreds of demonstrators were imprisoned. Morale around the country was low, as the once seemingly invincible US had suffered greatly from a country like North Vietnam. This was a huge difference from the Persian Gulf War in the 90's, which was broadcasted publicly by American media to the people. The war was presented almost as if it were a video game, displaying complete American military domination. It restored faith around the country in the American military, as polling revealed a major support for the war.
Operation Able Archer and the Nuclear Scare
In November of 1983, the United States of America and the Soviet Union - the two significant superpowers - came extremely close to all-out nuclear war. As the Cold War became increasingly ominous, the Soviet Union was certain that the United States was about to strike with nuclear weapons. With both countries armed to such a degree with nuclear weapons that a single mistake could trigger a nuclear war in which, would wipe the human civilization off the face of the earth, all military movements were watched for extremely closely.
At the same time, the Soviet Union was certain that a nuclear attack was incoming, the United States and NATO commenced an operation in November 1983 named Operation Able Archer. This operation was an annual exercise designed to test communication with the NATO allies, with high-ranking NATO officers commanding a large force of 40,000 US and Nato forces. This particular exercise designed to test communications introduced unique elements to such a degree that would cause the Soviet Union to freak out and come close to the brink of a nuclear war. The unique elements introduced in Operation Able Archer included coded information, radio silences, and the participation of the heads of governments.
On November 7, 1983, Soviet intelligence was attempting to detect the early signs of a nuclear attack just as NATO was carrying out Operation Able Archer. The exercise was so realistic that it made the Soviets believe that a nuclear strike on its territory was imminent. Believing its only chance of surviving was a preemptive strike, the Soviet Union began to ready its nuclear arsenal. Nuclear-capable aircraft in Poland and East Germany were placed on the high-alert status and intercontinental ballistic missiles, easily readied and difficult for the U.S. to detect, were prepared to launch.
Fortunately, Soviet fears subsided when the Able Archer exercise concluded on November 11. After receiving intelligence reports on the Soviet reaction, U.K. officials lobbied Americans to ensure the misinterpretation would never happen again. However, it is far too easy to imagine a scenario in which the situation had ended with a devastating outcome. And perhaps more threatening, there are current trends globally that mirror those in 1983.
At the same time, the Soviet Union was certain that a nuclear attack was incoming, the United States and NATO commenced an operation in November 1983 named Operation Able Archer. This operation was an annual exercise designed to test communication with the NATO allies, with high-ranking NATO officers commanding a large force of 40,000 US and Nato forces. This particular exercise designed to test communications introduced unique elements to such a degree that would cause the Soviet Union to freak out and come close to the brink of a nuclear war. The unique elements introduced in Operation Able Archer included coded information, radio silences, and the participation of the heads of governments.
On November 7, 1983, Soviet intelligence was attempting to detect the early signs of a nuclear attack just as NATO was carrying out Operation Able Archer. The exercise was so realistic that it made the Soviets believe that a nuclear strike on its territory was imminent. Believing its only chance of surviving was a preemptive strike, the Soviet Union began to ready its nuclear arsenal. Nuclear-capable aircraft in Poland and East Germany were placed on the high-alert status and intercontinental ballistic missiles, easily readied and difficult for the U.S. to detect, were prepared to launch.
Fortunately, Soviet fears subsided when the Able Archer exercise concluded on November 11. After receiving intelligence reports on the Soviet reaction, U.K. officials lobbied Americans to ensure the misinterpretation would never happen again. However, it is far too easy to imagine a scenario in which the situation had ended with a devastating outcome. And perhaps more threatening, there are current trends globally that mirror those in 1983.
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
3 Mile Island
The three-mile island is a nuclear power plant located in southern Pensylvania. However, this was the last plant to ever be built on US soil. The United States decided it was best to put an end to any more nuclear plants being built. On March 28,1979, the staff of the power plant failed to realize that the reactor was experiencing a loss of coolant that leads to a series of mechanical issues which led to the meltdown of unit two. This incident caused other units to overheat and the nuclear fuel began to melt through the metal. A portion of the radioactive gases escaped into the air creating a large hydrogen bubble. Many worried that the bubble would cause an explosion, releasing even more radioactive material. The governor at the time advised all pregnant women and kids within a five-mile radius to be evacuated in fear of radioactive material reaching them. After a couple of days, experts concluded that the hydrogen bubble would cause no harm to the public. However, after this incident, many people started to question nuclear power. As a result of the incident two million people were exposed to small amounts of radiation. Since then there haven't been any other nuclear power plants built since 1974.
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