Tet Offensive 1968, US Embassy & Saigon fighting

This video gives us a clear understanding of the horror and commotion that occurred during the Tet offensive.
Credit to Madmax2K2 for the video.

The Man who Embraced his Call of Duty

Chapter 12- Vietnam War

“Bringing the battlefield into the American living room

“As long as a free press remains fundamental o the democratic form of government,  the news depiction of reality- no matter how vivid or horrifying that reality may be- is a positive contribution to that country.” – Dean Rusk, secretary of state in the 1960’s

The pinnacle of journalism lies within this quote spoken by   Dean Rusk, and it could not be more applicable to the Vietnamese war that was fought in the 1960’s. The news media during the war played such a crucial role in reporting the war, digging out the truth, and influencing the point of view of the American public. At a time were television were still fairly “new”, most Americans relied and trusted this new reporting style and technology to bring them their daily news feed. But the public at the time got to experience something that even the American people today don’t get a chance to. The Vietnamese war was the first and last war to ever be televised live, and it had an effect whose magnitude was too much to take in. Beliefs shifted, presidents agendas were shattered, and a way was subsided. All this was one by the immeasurable power of the press.

                                                                                             

credit to www.911review.com for the image.

                In the 1950’s the French were having a huge struggle keeping control in their colony of Vietnam. So once again the U.S. was invoked itself to help the French with military because, the U.S. felt threatened by the force of communism in the area. When in 1964 a turning point occurred which changed the course of military action in the area. American military announced that North Vietnamese vessels had fired upon U.S. destroyers that were stationed in the Gulf Of Tonkin. With no other choice President Lyndon B Johnson requested a war be declared on the North Vietnamese, and the Congress obviously agreed when they passed the “Gulf Of Tonkin Resolution.” The troops were on their way, and the public believed that an easy victory was in  near sights. This was the common concept of the time because at first the war was portrayed as something that should not present a challenge to the mighty United States, and that’s how it was reported upon as well. ABC, CBS, and NBC were the news networks that at the time the people depended on most for their news. They networks combined would draw an audience of 35 million nightly to get informed about the war and what was occurring. CBS in its ranks, had an anchor that could be characterized as the voice of news of the period, this man was Walter Cronkite. Cronkite “Had shepherded the nation through many momentous events- including the 1963 Kennedy assassination.”  Most of the public embraced Mr. Cronkite who was a proud supported of the war. Even president Johnson knew the influence that Walter had on the people, that he even called him in for private meetings early in the war. The president was well aware of the power of the media, and he was also well aware that if he wanted the public on his side and his agenda to go through. He needed that power of the Fourth Estate on his side.

                The Press’s duty is to remain honest and truthful but also to inform the public in an honest manner as well. So when the harsh realities of the war were being experienced by the reporters, they had nothing else to report but the truth. At first it was the images of U.S. soldiers burning down villages with Zippos that churned the stomachs of the American public.  The war wasn’t going as planned because they U.S. military was accustom to the Guerilla warfare the Vietnamese strived on. So when the Tet Offensive happened in January of 1968, the U.S. public was slapped in the face by the heavy hand of reality. The Tet offensive was a strategy of war that the North Vietnamese presented to the unprepared United States. The North Vietnamese targeted every military base in South Vietnam and even made it to the United Stated embassy stationed there; this is when it hit home. The Tet offensive was “America’s first TV superbattle. The story had drama, suspense and enormous public interest.” But at first this battle was portrayed as a success for the U.S. by all three major news organizations mentioned earlier, and this is when the press started failing the public. It wasn’t until the major cataclysmic event happened that was by all means considered “the shot felt ‘round the world.” A North Vietnamese Commander of a Viet Cong Commando unit was captured by South Vietnamese troops, and executed by a Brigadier general of The South Vietnamese battalion, and this was all captured live on camera. Now war is something that results in a huge number of casualties, so one might ask what the big deal is? Well the fact that prisoner was executed without trial might be it. But when this was actually shown and reported on in every living room in America, it had a drastic shift of the point of view of every American who watched it. “It was the strongest stuff American viewers had even seen.” We were allies with the South Vietnamese and this clearly went against every rule of war in the book, so how did this make us look? This didn’t only disturb the American viewers, but supporters of the war quickly shifted and opposed it. Upon .these changed supporters was Walter Cronkite. Cronkite was not afraid to set the agenda and stand alone when exposing what was really happening in Vietnam, despite of what might happen to President Johnson and his agenda. “Cronkite decided he owed it to the people who watched him every night to find out what, indeed, was going on in Vietnam- it meant shedding his mantle of impartiality and sharing his personal impressions about the most important story of the era.” Cronkite made it clear to the public that the only way out will be by negotiating, and that for the first time in 200 years the U.S. were not clear winners of a war.

Credit to www.infomobile.com for the image.

After this President Johnson realized “if I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost the war” and this is probably why he did not run for reelection next term.  The New York Times wrote: “Cronkite’s reporting changed the balance; it was the first time in American history a war had been declared over an anchorman.” After Cronkite decided to step forward, other news organizations quickly followed his momentum to open the eyes of the American Public. Journalist eventually made it clear that “military action had not been guided not by humanitarian concern but by political benefit. Cronkite stuck to his journalistic principles and shaped the way the Vietnamese war ended all by the power f the pen, the Fourth Estate and his judgment to stay true to the people, which at the end is what exactly his occupation is based on. Well done Mr. Walter Cronkite.

The Brave and the Bold

 After reading Chapter # 7  “Defying the Ku Klux Klan” in Mightier than the Sword by Roger Striatmatter, this is what I have gathered:

When talking about democracy the Fourth Estate can be found at the pinnacle of it. The importance of the press cannot be measured nor can it be praised enough. The vast influence of the press was clearly evident during the episode of the Ku Klux Klan through-out the roaring twenties. The ample views and voices that were heard from the press at the time without a doubt drew heavy influence of the outcome of the fate of the white masked men. Once again the fourth estate strikers with tenacity and a fist full democracy.

Credit to Listverse.com

William Joseph Simmons

The Ku Klux Klan was once again summoned in 1915 by a man called William Joseph Simmons, but it was nothing but a small brotherhood at the time station in Georgia. It wasn’t until the early 1920’s that the Klan started to gain power. The social alteration of the 1920’s was something that was not accepted by all people, some still heavily believed in Americanism. These enraged “traditional” Americans had nowhere to turn so they fell subject to the KKK. “The Klan offered a sense of fraternity, a commitment to self-defined traditional American Values, and a long list of people to blame for the social upheaval – Catholics, Jews, blacks and recent immigrants”, as explained by Streitmatter. The Klan was gaining a lot of power due to their economic status, which was heavily increasing due to the initiation fee of ten dollars. This brilliant idea was brought about by a man named Edward Young Clarke, and he soon started becoming very wealthy. The Klan was spreading throughout the country, so it easily surpassed the one million mark in members. Anyone who stood in their way or matched the criteria of the people they disliked, were merely made an example of them by a tar and fathering, or a burning of a cross on their front yard. The Klan figured that now that they have spread their message across the nation, it was time to infiltrate the U.S. Government. They soon had elected officials in States such as Oregon, Colorado, Indiana, Texas and Alabama to name a few. They lost an election in Memphis, but it was only a minor setback.The extent of their power of the KKK in Alabama was such that almost seceded in passing a set of bills which would heavily cripple the Fourth Estate. These bills were called the “muzzling” and they proposed “broadening state liable laws to an unprecedented degree”. The Klan was well aware that the press was the biggest obstacle and its toughest foe; they had to do all they can to limit its power.

So you think the genius minds and brave souls of the press at the time were really going to let this all happen without any opposition? Of course many papers of the time were remarkably frightened to print or report anything negatively on the Klan, but then stood those who never forgot how to their job. Journalist and papers that were not afraid to set the agenda, and were not afraid to stand tall even if it meant standing alone.  Journalist who “stood up to the various demons in American Society” and “been willing to expose themselves to more than mere name calling.” These are a 3 of the 10 characteristics of news media that has shaped American history as described by Strietmatter further in his book. Even though the Memphis election was only a minor setback, the KKK first witnessed the power of opposing press towards them. On the day of that election the Commercial Appeal of Memphis printed two striking cartoon images that completely shaped the views of the people towards the KKK in the city. It was no surprise that the KKK official was not elected, and it was also no surprise that the Commercial Appeal also won the Pulitzer Prize that for its ““courageous attitude in the publication of cartoons handling of news reference to the Ku Klux Klan.”” In Alabama the “muzzling bills” were threatening the muscle of the press, and you better believed that Fourth Estate had something to say about that. Grover Cleveland Hall was the editor of the Montgomery Adviser and he was the solitary voice of opposition toward the KKK and their violent and illegal actions. So when the “muzzling” bills were introduced, Hall stood firm in making sure that they did not pass by simply crying out and informing the citizens of what exactly was happening. Hall’s antics started influencing journals across the country like the Milwaukee Journal and the New York Times to stand up and speak out against the KKK, once again setting the agenda. Halls words were striking and very clear; “A ruthless machine, drunk with power and maddened by editorial darts and flings, strikes at its foe the press- and hits the friend of man namely: The constitutional safeguard of freedom.” Hall was awarded the 1928 Pulitzer Prize as well that year, for his bravery and recognition of the actions that had to be taken to ensure democracy prevailed in the nation.

The KKK was once again crippled by the press, but because of their own actions. This major event in the History of the U.S. and the Fourth Estate clearly shows the importance of the press in ensuring that democracy prevails over any enemy. Even if the enemy is powerful, their wrong actions are always countered with a punch way more powerful. Evidently the pen is much mightier than the sword.

This is the Pulitzer Prize, which is journalisms highest honor.
Credit to workshopwritter.com

You can’t stop the inevitable from happening

After Reader Chapter 3 “Slowing the momentum for women’s rights” in the Book Mightier than the Sword by Rodger Streitmatter, this is what I have gathered:

Elizabeth Cady Stanton(standing) and Susan B Anthony(seated)

Credit to wimminwiselpts.files.com

“The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations of the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her.”   This is a direct quote taken from Declarations of Sediments, which was brought upon on July 20^th, 1848 at the convention at Seneca Falls. This was the first organized meeting discussing the expansion of women rights in the United States.  were two females whose spark would cause the fire that burned through the thick walls of inferiority. Elizabeth Cady Stanton along with Susan B Anthony were the two most imposing female figures of the time whose agenda was a little too premature for the government and for the fourth estate. Regardless they decided to begin this long battle that they had no idea where it would lead.

All though the two day convention only gathered some 300 people, it caused uproar in the Press. But the agenda was important enough to invoke the involvement of African- American leader Fredrick Douglas, who fought for equality of race, but also for gender as well.

Fredrick Douglass(1852) Most noted as one of the main leaders of African- American
rights movement. He was also involed in the equalities of rights for women
Credit to Scott Horton of Harpers Magazine

The Convention at Seneca Falls and the whole idea of women’s rights movement was nothing but a laughing matter to the fourth estate and the Government. It was unimaginable for society at the time to even consider women having any outside role of the homestead. Journalist reporting on the convention called it “Ridiculous nonsense” and “Reeking Vulgarities”. Saying it was nothing less than a “women’s wrong convention”.  The newspapers around the country were filled with nothing but negative articles that were saturated with insults toward both Susan and Elizabeth, and the whole movement the women intended to start. The women continued pushing the matter but then the civil war broke out which was nothing more than a setback for the movement. But it also served as fuel for the fire because the aftermath of the civil war was the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th amendment, which granted former slaves freedom and the right to partake in voting. The women figured it was their turn, but faced heavy opposition by the rest of the Country, including obviously the press. The women who would participate in such conventions and gathering, or who simply believed those radical ideas were insulted and tarnished. The Fourth Estate argued that it was taking time away from their duties in the house hold which were more important above all. Of course Anthony and Stanton were single females, and for their marital status they were labeled as “hermaphrodites” and women with “personal attractions” to the same gender. The press holds much power and that is why it is referred to as the Fourth Estate.  Its duties are to point out what’s wrong and needs to be fixed in the country. After the civil war the country believed that nothing else needed to be addressed since African Americans were granted the right to vote, and slavery was off the checklist. So what now?

What the rest of the country did not realize is that the women who lead the march got exactly what they wanted from the press. And what could that be you may ask after years of insults and negative articles?  Well it was, PUBLICITY! Even though the press at the time degraded the movement, the essence of journalism took place and slowly but surely aroused the ear of the whole country. As mention in the book Element of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel. Journalism is like cartography in that it informs the reader and gives an overview of what is occurring at the time. The issue of the inequality of women was becoming pretty apparent and obvious to the country and something needed to be done. This is exactly what Stanton and Anthony wanted to strive for and opened the doors for later women to come and build the fire up. This is a clear example of the power that the fourth estate holds and the negative effects it can have if it is used unwisely. But in a way the Fourth Estate was not aware of its own power, because they believed that all the insulting and downplaying would result in a burial of the matter. But it only built a rougher road for the inevitable from happening, by creating the vibe and all the hype. IN order for the Country to promote and ensure democracy, it must act and abide in a democratic way. Eventually the government, the Fourth Estate and the country eventually agreed that women’s rights should be expanded and 1918 the 19^th amendment was passed. This was Seventy Two years after the primary convention of women’s rights at Seneca Falls.

The list of men and women who signed the petition which sparked the movement of women's rights.
Image credit to: homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com