Studs Terkel #4

        The first story I read was about World War II, and how many people do not understand how big of an impact it made on America. After the war, many individuals' lives were changed drastically because there were limited amounts of job offers, job losses, loss of money, and people who were benefitting from the New Deal suffered because it was stopped, and the focus of America was changed to winning the war rather than helping people in need. Not only were individuals' lives changed, but America was changed as a whole. After the war, Americans started to expect more, and to live better lives because America became the most powerful industrial and military power in the world after winning a great war. World War II also influenced many Americans to believe that going to war was a good thing because of how great the outcome of  World War II was. Many people today do not understand that America is the way it is today because of World War II, and it is very upsetting to people who risked their lives while fighting for their nation. "It appears that the disremembrance of World War II is as disturbingly profound as the forgettery of the Great Depression: World War II, an event that changed the psyche as well as the face of the U.S. and of the world." (161) Although many soldiers fought in a war and risked their lives, they are not regretful at all for doing so because they had experiences that they have never had before, and they felt like good people because they were protecting their nation. This article relates to rationing, which was when people had to cut back on many things, such as food, and drinks because the soldiers needed more of those things in order to win the war. People had to change their way of living and give up many of their things to help the soldiers win the war. This story also connects to the tragedy of 9/11 because America was greatly impacted by it, and many changes were made. After 9/11 occurred, Americans' lives have been affected because people have lost many of their loved ones. This tragedy connects to World War II because America was changed after the war, and many people lost their loved ones.
       The second story I read was written by a Robert Rasmus, a rifleman during war. He talks about his experience during the war, and how it has changed him as a person. Robert trained with his group, but had to be switched to another one because he got sick. His original group ended up fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, and many were killed. Robert grew up in an isolated household, so going to war and seeing people being killed right in front of him was not something he could easily adjust to. He and his new group were sent to Germany, and at first it seemed as if he forgot the reason why he was there because he was so intrigued by the architecture. The members of Robert's group were all very young, and they fought very mild battles while other soldiers participated in the more dangerous ones. Although Robert and his group had easier duties than many other groups, they all witnessed what war was really like and it changed them as people.
"World War Two was utterly different. It has affected me in many ways ever since. I think my judgement of people is more circumspect...In a shore period of time, I had the most tremendous experiences of all of life: of fear, orf jubilance, of misery, of hope, of comradeship, and of the endless excitement, the theatrics of it. I honestly feel grateful for having been a witness to an event as monumental as anything in history, and in a very small way, a participant." (189) Although Robert did not play a huge role in the war, he was still happy to witness it because it made him a better person after going out of his comfort zone. This story relates to the Selective Service Act, an act that drafted men to be soldiers in the army, and Rasmus was selected to fight in the war. Robert Rasmus's story also relates to the soldiers who are coming back from Afghanistan because they have become different people after what they saw during the war, just like Robert Rasmus did when he came back from World War II.

Studs Terkel Entry # 3

       Jane Yoder was a middle class citizen who feared going into debt because growing up, her family barley had any money and she was afraid of having to raise her children the way she had to be raised. Jane grew up with limited amounts of food, clothing, and shelter. In the new generation when she had a family of her own to raise, she realized that people had more things than what was necessary, such as more than one sweater, and unlimited amounts of food. She did not think it was necessary for children to be given more than they needed because she knew there were people around the world, like her, who had to suffer without many things. She came to realization that children have become much more nurtured than they used to be. When Jane was a kid, her father was given a job at the Works Progress Administration. The WPA offered work to unemployed people, and redistributed food, clothes, and shelter. Many people who were more fortunate than Jane, made comments about the WPA. People would state that the WPA is not a respectable job, but any job was great for the Yoder's because she needed a way to survive. "Before I could ever say that my father was employed in the WPA, discussions in the bull sessions in our rooms immediately was: these lazy people, they shovel leaners...In my family, there was no respectable employment. I thought, you don't know what it's like...Gee these are just two seperate worlds."(129-130) This shows that anything they were given was greatly appreciated, but people who did not have to suffer like Jane did would never understand what is would be like to live the way she did because everything had always been given to them. One question that Jane Yoder's story made me think of is how can she go through life resenting people for spending their money on "unnecessary" things, and what will she do to encourage people to think of poor people before themselves? Years later, Jane Yoder had a child, Tom Yoder. His thoughts on the fact that children have become more nurtured reflects on how his generation is different from the generation that Jane grew up in. Tom defends the people who want to buy more than they need because it is their right. He grew up with everything he needed to survive, and never had to worry about not having food, clothes, and shelter. This story about Jane Yoder relates to the settlers from the 1800's who faced many challenges, and had to move into soddy's, which were dugouts. Jane Yoder could relate to the settlers because she had to also make do with the little bit that she had. This story also relates to people today because in the north shore, many people of all ages do not completely understand the value of money, and spend it on big houses, nice clothes, and other things. Many people also believe that money is what makes people happy, and that is what Jane Yoder was afraid of.
      The second story I read was about Peggy Terry, a spokeswoman for poor people, who learned to not feel ashamed of being poor. Growing up, Peggy witnessed many dust storms that would take out houses, clothes on clotheslines, and more. Many people whose things were ruined did not have enough money to replace anything. When Peggy was younger, it was not uncommon to be poor, and she was never ashamed of it. She would go to soup kitchens with her friends and feel no shame because she did not know any other way to live. One day, Peggy's father took he to see people who lived in even worse conditions than her, and a little girl gave her a book called, "Grapes of Wrath." This book taught Peggy to never feel ashamed of being poor. "And when I was reading 'Grapes of Wrath,' this was just like my life. I was never so proud of poor people before, as I was after I read that book...I don't think people were put on this earth to suffer...I think we were put her to live and be happy and to enjoy everything that's here. I don't think it's right for a handful of people to get a hold of all the things that make living a joy instead of sorrow."(146) Peggy believes in being possitive about what you have because you have it for a reason. Peggy has noticed that as time has gone by, people have become ashamed of being poor because people have become more judgemental, and she was encouraged to become a spokesperson for poor people because she does not want that shame to be present.  Peggy did not grow up with all the things that others had, but it taught her a lesson, and now she has become a spokeswomen for poor people; she influences many people around the world to believe that being poor is nothing to be ashamed of. Peggy Terry relates to Martin Luther Kind Jr. because he fought for blacks to have the right to be accepted, and Peggy is fighting for poor people to have the right to be accepted. This story as a whole relates to the SAGA group at Deerfield High School. The SAGA club allows straight and gay people to accept their differences and never feel ashamed, while Peggy Terry speaks out to encourage poor people to accept their differences and to never feel ashamed.

Studs Terkel Entry #2 Hard times: An Oral History of the Great Depression 1970

            The first story I read was about Ed Paulsen, a man who lived in South Dakota. Paulsen did not have a good enough education to find a job, therefore, he did not have any money. In order to make money, he believed in traveling to different states to find job opportunities, and because he was never satifsied living in South Dakota. Paulsen tried to find a job during the stock market crash of '29 because he did not lose a job, or any money because he never had any money to begin with, therefore, the crash did not affect him. Ed Paulsen, along with many other uneployed and not well educated people would travel to different states on freight trains. Along the way, he found a few jobs, but was not satisfied, so he kept searching for a job that he would enjoy because he had high expectations. One day while he was on a freight train with his brother, he arrived in Nebraska, where he was taken to a Transient Camp. He really enjoyed the camp because he and many other people just like him were given shelter, food, and other things to help them stay alive. Ed Paulsen was assigned a job with the National Youth Administration in South Dakota. In order to make a living, the members of the National Youth Administration would travel on freight trains, and steal from stores and residencies. They became criminals in order to make a living. "It wasn't a big thing, but it created a cayote mentality. You were a predator. You had to be... I grew up where they were hated 'cause they'd kill sheep...They're mean. But how else does a cayote stay alive? He's not as powerful as a wolf...A cayote is nature's victim as well as man's. We were cayotes in the thirties. Jobless. (98) Ed Paulsen, along with many other jobless people believed that the only way for them to survive was by committing crimes, such as stealing, to stay alive because they would never be able to find a job. Ed Paulsen's story connects the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, which provided money, food, and clothes for unemployed people. The Transient Camp that Ed Paulsen was sent to, also provided for jobless people. Today, people who are jobless and homeless may recieve public aid. Public aid  provides food, money, clothes, and shelter for people in need. Although some people faced problems with making money and finding shelter, others did not have to worry about those problems.
             The second story I read was about a man named Arthur A Robertson, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. My first thoughts on Robertson were that he was an incredibly wealthy man who knew exactly how to handle his money. Before becoming the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange Board, he served in the army. He was greatly appreciated by many people including: President Johnson, Hubert Humphry, and Dwight Eisenhower. Many people viewed him as a hero because he served in the war, and because of his great success with his business. Robertson became very successful at a young age because he became the chair member of his own company that he had bought. "I thought seriously about retiring in 1928 when I was thirty. I had seven figures by the time I was twenty four." (99) Robertson had been successful for a very long time, and although he had thoughts about retiring, he decided to still run his business because he had done it so well in the past years. While he was running his business, the stock market crashed. During that time, things were pretty hectic because people were losing their jobs, all their money, and many people were feeling extremely depressed. Robertson faced the tragedy of a few of his friends deaths due to suicide because they has been put in such a bad place from the crash. Everyone was aware that Roberston was incredibly successful, and a few of his friends asked him for loans. Being the generous man that he is, he gave them the money because he had so much money saved up, and the crash did not affect him. In addition to lending friends money, he opened up restaraunts and sold food for only a few cents each meal in order to help people who needed food but could not afford it. Robertson showed that he was smart with his money because he took all of his saved money out of the bank, knowing that it may be lost if he hadn't done it. Robertson was unlike most people living in his era because majority of the people were greatly affected by the stock crash, but he was not because he already had money saved up.Arthur A. Robertson's story releates the government's attempts to deal with the depression. Robertson and the government had the same intention: to help people in need with money problems, shelter, clothes, food, and all other things that were essential for survival. Today, homeless shelters and soup kitchens are available for people who cannot afford food or a place to live. These programs relate to Robertson because he created restaraunts for poeple who could not afford regualr meals.