Final Post

I would like you, Mr. Kramer, to read my posts "Looking Past the Pain" and "Multiple Angles." I felt like I could relate to those speaking in "Looking Past the Pain" since they were so close to my age. Although I've never been forced to endure something as traumatic as war, I was able to relate to the aspect that they were just children. I frequently worry about growing up and being expected to live on my own. These children did not go through the smooth transition that most children are privileged enough to have these days. Instead, they went straight to war and faced indescribable horrors that no one should have to witness, especially people as young as those discussed. In these posts, I was able to reflect how terrible I felt for these young soldiers put in such dreadful positions, as well as show how honorable it was for them to continue to look at the positives of this situation that most would consider miserable.
In my "Multiple Angles" post, I looked at two stories that proved my preconceptions wrong. They ended up being so different from what I expected them to be like, so I really enjoyed reading the stories. The people interviewed seemed to have opinions about the racial struggles of the time that were different from those that we usually read about in class. We often learn about blacks who are relentless in their fight for equality, and whites who either condone this perseverance, or those who absolutely despite blacks. However, the two people I read about did not fit either of these descriptions. I enjoyed reading and writing about something that varied so greatly from what I originally expected, as well as gain insight on opinions that were very different from those I am used to reading about.

Multiple Angles

I chose to read about Joseph Lattimore, an African American, and Diane Romano, a white mother of six. I thought it would be interesting to read about this time period from such vastly different viewpoints. Both stories were very different from what I was expecting. I believed that Lattimore would have been speaking about the vitality of treating everyone equally and fighting for one's rights. However, although he did emphasize how much he yearned for equality like most blacks from the time, he also seemed to accept the fact that the world would never truly be equal. He said, "Being black in America is like being forced to wear ill-fitting shoes. Some people adjust to it. It's always uncomfortable on your foot, but you've got to wear it because it's the only shoe you've got. You don't necessarily like it. Some people can bear the uncomfort more than others. Some people can block it from their mind, some can't" (454). Lattimore thought that it was implied that a black American would always be treated with injustice. There was only so much an African American could do to oppose this because it would never completely turn around. He seemed very different from many of the black advocates we generally read about in school who preach about never giving up and forever standing strong against opposition. Although he hoped that there would one day be equality, he chose to believe that this was so unlikely that it was not worth getting one's hopes up. He still thought that it was possible to enjoy life despite some of its misfortunes, and move past the pain that everyday entailed.
Romano's story was also extremely different than what I first thought it would be like. I was expecting to read the story of either a white supremacist or a black advocate. However, Romano lay in the middle of the two. As her children grew up, she tried to enforce good morals and values, as well as teach them to treat everyone equally. However, when their peers' influence had a stronger effect than her teachings, she did not do much in an attempt to change their thinking. Romano never hated blacks, but she made many generalizations based on her career. She had several black friends who she considered to be good people in every aspect. She also knew many African Americans who she had little respect for. Because of what she had observed in the workplace, she believed that the majority of blacks were lazy and had poor work ethics. Romano stated, "Most people have mixed feelings about the advance of blacks. Most have the impression that blacks are getting ahead because of the need for tokenism. You've got to fill a slot, we've got to have a black person. Nobody gives the black person credit for being a competent, intelligent worker" (465). Romano thought that work had turned into a battle for who could be the most politically correct. She no longer believed that one acquired a job based on how skillful they were in the field, but instead, what made their company look as if they granted everyone equal opportunities. It made her frustrated that companies were being run into the ground because those running them were not qualified enough to do so. Romano was very opinionated, but at the same time, extremely confused by her own thoughts. She was not exactly sure how to make sense of all that she felt regarding African Americans. At the end of the day, she saw no particularly good reason to discriminate against blacks, and she thought that the best candidate for a job deserved to obtain the position.

Making a Difference in the Workplace

No matter what occupation an individual holds, their position makes a difference. Highly ranked executives are often thought to be the people with the most responsibility and most important roles. However, every working person holds some sort of authority and impacts others with their job. The people mentioned in this section of the Studs Terkel Reader worked in a variety of fields, some of which were not very highly thought of. Regardless, the individuals with these jobs took their work very seriously and realized that their role was significant in some way. For instance, Dolores Dante, a waitress, worked in the same restaurant for twenty-three years, and seemed to know all of the ins and outs of the business. It was interesting to hear all of the strategies she kept in mind in order to please her customers. For example, she always changed the ways in which she offered products to customers. Instead of just saying "Would you like a cocktail?", she would say "What's exciting at the bar that I can offer?". It was fascinating to read about her perception of the stereotype that all waitresses have broken homes. Dante discussed that people become waitresses because their homes are broken and they need money; their homes aren't broken because they are waitresses. Best of all, Dante wasn't ashamed of her occupation; she seemed rather proud of all that she had been through. She said, "When somebody says to me, 'You're great, how come you're just a waitress?' Just a waitress. I'd say, 'Why don't you think you deserve to be served by me?' It's implying that he's not worthy, not that I'm not worthy. It makes me irate. I don't feel lowly at all. I myself feel sure. I don't want to change the job. I love it" (331). Dante lived with an admirable assurance that her life was relevant to others, and she continued to work to make a difference in others' days.

Eric Nesterenko had a bit of a Cinderella experience with his job. He started playing hockey after his dad provided him with a pair of skates and he played at the rink across the street without any other gear. He said, "I played the game for my own sake, not for him. He wasn't even really around to watch. I was playing for the joy of it with my own peers. Very few adults around. We organized everything" (346). Nesterenko played hockey for exactly the right reasons: he had fun doing so and it made him happy - that is what one should dream to receive from a career. Nesterenko went on to say, "It can't just be a job. It's not worth playing just for the money. It's a way of life" (349). One should be passionate about their job, like these individuals. So much of our lives are dedicated to work, so it is imperative that this work is enjoyable and fulfilling.

An Honest View

Tom Kearney lived during a difficult time, when there were was little money and few resources available to Americans. People were often desperate, and it was job to control angry mobs at times. Although he didn't realize the implications of his job at times, he has realistic and insightful views when he looks back at his life. He didn't seem passionate about his job, but he accepted it. He said, "Some had to be police, you know? The sacrificed anything. They just knew that so-and- so in the family would be" (263). He felt like it was his responsibility to protect citizens, whether he wanted to or not. Kearney did not recognize how much his job and decisions impacted others. He wrote, "I recall the hunger marches. . . I had a job at Madison and Canal, and they were marching, trying to get into the Downtown area, from the west to the east. The police charged them. Whether they were right or wrong. I didn't know then. I was too much concerned with my own self. 'Cause things were rather brutal and you expected that, you know" (264). Times were tough for everyone, and individuals couldn't help but to consider themselves first. Although Kearney had false perceptions in some areas, he had realistic views in others. For instance, being a policeman was one occupation that could really allow someone to express their views on race. At this time, a police officer had the power to arrest someone for illegitimate reasons if they wanted to do so because of someone's race. However, Kearney saw right past race. When asked about his views on colored people, he stated, "He also understand that his family is gonna have to live with whites and if he doesn't live with the whites he can't understand them either. The colored man says: 'Well, you don't know us.' Naturally we don't. They don't know the white either'" (267). Even though this is a sad truth, it is very true. Both sides of the racial barrier were not knowledgable about the other. They had false perceptions of those different from them, and it was important that both admitted to being biased and uninformed, rather than only laying blame on one another.
Kid Pharaoh was a very bitter, opinionated man who looked at the world differently than most. He said, "I never graduated high school, and I missed absolutely nothing. You learn nothing in school, nothing. The truth of the matter is you learn it on the outside. A guy goes to school. What does he want to be? A doctor? A lawyer? These are the two biggest thieves in our society. One steals legitimate, the other kills legitimate" (253). Most would consider occupations like doctor or lawyer to be admirable and impressive. However, Kid Pharaoh considered these workers to be the real thieves in society, not men like himself. These were the people who were taking citizens money left and right. He also took money from others, but at least he admitted to it. Kid Pharaoh believed that it was okay to go against society and make mistakes, as long as one admitted to it.

Denying Reality

Throughout WWII, Americans were given a false perception of all that was taking place overseas. However, once soldiers returned to the homefront, citizens were still denied from the truth. It was easier to ignore the realities of war rather than consider all of the injustices that had taken place. Not only did regular citizens who had not taken part in the war not think about all the had occurred, but the soldiers themselves chose to forget many of their experiences when they returned home. Betty Basye Hutchinson said, "My husband had been in the South PAcific. You could never get the father of my four children to talk about the war. It was like we put blinders on the past. When we won, we believed it. It was the end. That's the way we lived in suburbia, raising our children, not telling them about war. I don't think it was just me. It was everybody. You wouldn't fill your children full of these horror stories, would you?" (217). I found it ironic that mothers were trying to shelter their kids from the horrors of war when even they did not know the majority of the graphic details. The soldiers were the only people who had the horrific images of the war engrained in their minds, and they made an effort to keep it that way.

As Americans, we often fail to consider the hardships that other cultures were forced to endure during the war. We only think about the war from our point of view instead of considering the the pain that others suffered as well. For instance, the Japanese community was persecuted beyond belief by Americans. Peter Ota spoke about the fact that the punished Japanese usually did not make an effort to stand up for their rights. This was a change from what we usually learn about persecuted groups from different eras. For instance, African Americans were notorious for standing up for their rights in myriad ways, relentlessly working to gain equal rights to whites. The Japanese, on the other hand, accepted their fate and just did their best to survive. Ota stated, "If you think of all those forty years of silence, I think this stems from another Japanese characteristic: when shame is put on you, you try to hide it. We were put into camp, we became victims, it was our fault. We hide it" (209). The Japanese were brought up to make the most out of what they were given, and never complain about what they did not have. Looking back, I wish that these poor people had done all they could to fight back in order to prevent some of the injustices that they suffered - they are extremely honorable for having endured all that they did with such determination and valor.

Ignorance Is Bliss...Or Is It?

Peggy Terry wrote about her lack of knowledge about the Holocaust. As far as she knew, the Nazis made up a very small portion of Germany, and the Japanese were Americans' main enemy. Terry said, "We didn't know about concentration camps. I don't think anybody I knew did. With the Japanese , that was a whole different thing. We were just ready to wipe them out. They sure as heck didn't look like us. They were yellow little creatures that smiled when they bombed our boys" (193). Americans based their judgements about Germans and Japanese on appearances and one previous event. Germans looked more similar to Americans than Japanese did, and citizens of the U.S. liked the familiarity. Americans also assumed that because a fraction of the Japanese had planned the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all the country's citizens were evil. This was not the case, when in fact, the majority of Japan's citizens just wanted Americans' approval. Terry went on to say, "It's all the movies we saw, the Germans were always tall and handsome. There'd be one meanie, a little sort dumpy bad Nazi. But the main characters were good-lookin' and they looked like us. The Japanese were all evil. If you can go half your life and not recognize how you're being manipulated, that is sad and kinda scary" (193). Americans were brainwashed into hating the Japanese above all else. Because this hatred was pounded into their heads, they failed to recognize the injustice that was taking place in other parts of the world.
Americans on the homefront were ignorant about who exactly was fighting in the war. They believed the men were macho and heroic, and enjoyed being in their current situation. However, the soldiers were young, inexperienced men who were scared out of their minds. E.B. Sledge said, "There was nothing macho about the war at all. We were a bunch of scared kids who had to do a job. People tell me don't act like an ex-marine. How is an ex-marine supposed to act? They have some Hollywood stereotype in mind. No, I don't look like John Wayne. We were in it to get it over with, so we could go back home and do what we wanted to do with our lives" (196, 197). The soldiers were anxious to serve their duty and return home - it didn't matter that they might be considered "glorious" by fighting, they just wanted to get back to their loved ones. Although protecting their country was a priority, young men rightfully considered being with their families for many years to come to be more vital.

Looking Past the Pain

Although soldiers fighting in World War II were put through countless traumatic experiences, they somehow managed to come out of the war feeling grateful for having encountered all that they did. Robert Rasmus wrote, "In a short period of time, I had the most tremendous experiences of all of life: of fear, of jubilance, of misery, of hope, of comradeship, and of endless excitement, the treatrics of it. I honesly 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). When I think about World War II, I feel terrible for all of the people who were forced to fight and risk their lives. Many of the soldiers were not even in support of the war, yet they were losing their lives for its cause. I assumed most of the soldiers came out of the war feeling bitter and resentful. However, these passages made me realize that many of the soldiers were pleased to have endured such rare and eventful experiences. Even though many of the situations were extremely painful, they felt as though these moments had made them stronger people. This is admirable that these young men were able to see the positive side of such an unfavorable situation.
These passages also discussed how the war was being fought by boys - they were too young to be considered men when they went into combat. Rasmus said, "In September of '39 when the Germans invaded Poland, I was fourteen years old. I remember my mother saying, 'Bob you'll be in it.' I was hoping she'd be right. At that age, you look forward to the glamour and have no idea of the horrors" (177). Instances like these proved that the boys serving in the military were way too young to be put in such positions. They entered the war with the false idea that it would be exciting and honorable - they failed to consider all of the heartaches and difficulties that went hand-in-hand with fighting in a war. It was strange to think that this would have been like the boys in my grade going off to war - I consider them to still be kids, like myself - not men capable of killing and suffering such horrendous conditions. These boys were very brave to fight like they did, but I hope that the United States will never have to resort to sending such immature men and women off to battle again.