CDL: The GI Bill Transforms Higher Education

On June 22, 1944 just days after the D day invasion
President Roosevelt signed a new law that would change the lives of many
American soldiers. The new law was called the Servicemen’s Readjustment act
also known as the GI bill. The bill provide unemployment insurance, veteran
loans for homes and business, and payment for higher education this part of the
bill was used the most though congress did not think that such a large
percentage of soldiers would take advantage of education in 1947 49 percent of
the student population was veterans and 1,164,000 veterans were currently
enrolled in college. Eight million veterans took advantage of the GI bill and a
third of the veterans used the bill to attend college. Many of the veterans became
doctors, scientist, engineers, teachers, and accountants. In the end the government
also benefited from the GI bill because it kept the veterans from flooding the
job market and the country received eight dollars back in income taxes on ever
veteran that took advantage of the free education.

1.What might have happened to all the veterans if the GI bill did not exist?  Would you have taken advantage of the bill if you were a veteran?

2.Why did the government miscalculate how many veterans would use the GI bill for higher education? Did the government think that the veterans were incapable of educating themselves?

Fascism: Adolf Hitler and National Socialism

January 1933 Adolf Hitler was voted into power under the German
government. Over the course of 2 months Hitler had sized the dictatorial power
and outlawed all political opposition. The Nazis killed and imprisoned over
100,000 Communist, union members, and many other groups in just the first few
months since Hitler was given power in the German government. During this time
Hitler formed a one party government and made his military officers swear an
oath that they would give unconditional obedience to the Leader of the German
Reich and people, Adolf Hitler. Spies were created so that if any German
citizen was acting against Hitler’s ruling the spies would punish them. Hitler
expected ever citizen in Germany to salute him and shout “Heil Hitler”. He made
people live in fear knowing that if he was to raise his hand at the Nazi’s that
deaths would be his lot. The Jewish society even though it only made up 1
percent of the German population was a huge target for Hitler and his Nazis he
thought they polluted the purity of Aryan blood he also thought gypsies,
homosexuals, chronically ill, and the mentally or physical disable had this
same problem. The Jews and undesirables were thrown into centration camps,
stole from them which the Nazis profited from this cruel and heart less act.
Though Hitler was able to change the unemployment rate from 11 million to 1
million in 7 years he was a cruel and evil person. Within twelve years Hitler
murdered tens of thousands of innocent people and left Germany in smoldering
ruins.

1.     Why would the German citizens allow such a cruel person to rule
their lives and country? How would you react if you were in this situation?

2.     What good did the German citizens and military officers see in
Hitler?

 

 

Inaugural Address: Franklin D. Roosevelt

1.    What
is the author arguing?

President Roosevelt did not have it
easy when running for president. He was running for elections right after the
great depression. President Roosevelt was able to provide good things for American
citizens that were stuck in poverty he one said “To these unfortunate citizens
aid must be extended by governments, not as a matter of charity but as a matter
of social duty…[No one should go] unfed, unclothes, or unsheltered.” With Roosevelt
wanted to help the poor he set up and aid relief called TERA which he was given
the respect of the needy people of New York and called the attention of
politics all of the nation. Roosevelt came into office when America needed it
the most with unemployment being at 25% and people starving and homeless he was
able to grasp the votes of Americans not only by his inaugural speech but
because of his great actions to help those most in need.

2.    How
does the author appeal to logos, pathos, and ethos with their argument?

Franklin Roosevelt addressed logos
when dealing with employment he knew that Americans were struggling with
finding employment and found ideas to make jobs for the American people such as
having them work on the building of rail roads he knew he had to create jobs
that they were not going to forum themselves after having such a financial hit
on the nation. FDR used pathos when finding a way to explain to the struggling
Americans that it was possible and that it would not end their worlds that it
was just a bump in the road and that the egger workers would again find work
again. Ethos was addressed by telling the American citizens that they needed a
new light and person in the office that could understand what changes needed to
be made for the nation all though Roosevelt could not relate to the poor people
of America because he grew up with a golden spoon in his mouth he was still
able to show the people that he cared for their wellbeing and was going to work
very hard to turn the economy around.

3.    What
is the historical significance/relevance of this document?

The historical significance of this
document is that America continues to have the same issues that it had when
President Roosevelt was in office. Since 9/11 America has continued down a path
of destruction from the housing market going into major financial issues and
people losing their homes, the unemployment rate is high, stock market has been
down, economy troubles, gas been overpriced. I think that some Americans are
starting to wonder if we will ever been able to make it out of this and in a
lot of ways it’s another depression. I have 4 family members that have been out
of work for over 2 years and even though I feel blessed to have a job I have
not received a much needed raise in 3 years, every American is struggling even
the ones employed. President Obama was elected into office promising a lot of
the same things as Roosevelt did but it has left the American people wondering
when the change is really going to come. Roosevelt made changes slowly but
Obama has tried to make it a fast change and the nation is going to need time
to correct this badly effected economy.

4.    Do
you find the author’s argument convincing? Why or why not?

The article was convincing
Roosevelt was caring to the poor people of America even though he could have focused
on the rich people because they were of the same class as he was but he did
not. I feel that Roosevelt found it empowering to know that he could provide
relief aids and help the poor as much as possible. He thought of jobs makes me
wonder why our current President has not thought of ways to improve out unemployment
rates by creating jobs for Americans instead we tend to ship all of the jobs we
could have overseas. To me Roosevelt was a good president he had great
compassion for all American people and did what he could to make everyone’s
lives better.