In class recently we have been discussing the veterans of the Vietnam War. One thing I learned was that when they came home, some Americans were extremely crude to the soldiers, few would even spit on them. Personally, I think that's disgusting and completely inappropriate. Just because you might have disagreed with the war does not give you privileges to disrespect your fellow Americans.
We also learned about the effects that the war left on these soldiers such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and shell shock. I wonder what I would have done if someone I loved left for the war and came back a completely different person.
What are your thoughts?
-How would you react?
-How would you help them deal with something that nobody else can really understand?
-How would you have dealt with the veterans if you disagreed with them going there?
Maddie
"After a hard day's work diggin' up the sod, we're ready for chow."
Welcome to our class's blog. We are discussing the latest topics we're studying in American history and literature. This website has been active since December 2005. Selected Excel 10 students will take turns posting their thoughts, and other Excel 10 students will comment on these posts. Parents, staff, and other interested persons are invited to add their comments on our musings. Any inappropriate comments will be deleted.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Blog Archive
-
▼
2006
(81)
-
▼
May
(10)
- Matt's Thoughts on Abortion - Roe vs. Wade
- Who stays at home? Mom or Dad?
- What did the President know and when did he know it?
- "When the President does it, that means it's not i...
- Nixon's "Myths of Vietnam"
- Returning Vietnam Vets
- Emily on If I Die in a Combat Zone
- Was it all about RUBBER?
- Maggie on the Draft
- Holden Caulfield vs. Forrest Gump
-
▼
May
(10)
4 comments:
If someone I loved went over to Vietnam and came back a totally different person suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder I would try to keep their mind off of it. I would leave them alone if they were really thinking hard about it, although I would always try to distract them if I knew that they were starting to think about it.
If I desagreed with the Veterans going over there I still wouldn't treat them bat when they came back home. It wasn't exactly their choice to go over there and I feel that you have to support them anyways because they are over there basically for us. They were there for the American people and then to get disrespected by the same people when they came home is terrible and I don't think it is right.
-AJ
Even if I disagreed with the war in Vietnam, I would never disrespect the soldiers that went and fought there. Just because they went doesn't mean they totally agreed with it either. They could have been drafted and had no way of getting out of it. A way to help them get through post traumatic stress disorder is to have fundraisers and send the money to the veterans for therapy to get through it. Also, you could volunteer and do things with them to help get their mind off it.
If someone I was close to came back from the war affected really seriously from it I wouldn't know what to do. I would probably do research on PTSD and talk to psycologists to see what I could do to help. I'm not sure if taking them to counselling would be best or like AJ said, maybe it would be better to just keep their mind off of it. I would do whatever I had to do to help them, though, and be understanding and not take their changes personally. And of course I would not treat the veterans any differently. Even if their beliefs were the polar opposite of mine (which i'm sure most of them weren't) I would still be respectful.
If a loved one of mine such as a relative or close friend were to off to war and come back a totally different person I would surely not spit on them and instead treat them with the upmost respect for going out to fight for us when many would have ran or gotten out of the war. I might not have agreed with the war but would have given them the help they needed.
This would include trying to reconnect them to their previous life and show support for them. I would try and understand what causes them to react and do different activities with them to get around these obstacles and prevent them to have a panic attack or something like that. To fight in a war, no matter who you are have to be brave and courageous and so i would have respected them either way.
~Q
Post a Comment