I thought that Thurs. we discussed a topic that none of us can really answer. Like Turner said, that is why it is still relevent today. I know that I was very disturbed be the movie that we watched about the innocent people killed in Vietnam. Relating to the Holocaust and then also to the genocide that is occuring in Africa right now. I feel that although it is a sick thing to watch and comprehend, not one of us can really know what we would do unless we were actually put in that position. So many factors influence our actions that we can not predict our reaction. It is scary to think about for me.

I completely agree, as I too was very disturbed by the violent actions that we as humans can resort to. I also agree with Terri about the fact that none of us really know what or how we might act or react in a given circumstance until we are faced with it firsthand. Although, I do believe that one of the wonderful things about education is the fact that when we are presented with the harsh realities that are strikingly human, we are given the opportunity to dive into our own psyche and hopefully discover a persoanl level of disgust at these types of atrocities. I truly believe that education about these types of things is what empowers us as human beings to make a difference, to reach out and help others, and to live our lives with a certain level of compassion, strength, and even forgiveness. All I can say is that I was really moved by what we discussed and watched and I put a lot of thought outside of the class this weekend into thinking about it. I finally had to conclude that education is where the power and compassion are found, in order to make a positive difference in the world...any other thoughts?

I defintiely agree that both the video about the Milgram Experiement and the Vietnam Veterans really makes one think. It is a terrifying thought that each of us might react in the same way if put in these positions, but I beleive it was enlightening to think about that because being aware that you could react in such a way is the first step to challenging that aspect of yourself.

Learning how others felt about doing what they did in Vietnam can help us better understand those around us who have faught in wars and why they are all so reluctant to talk about it.

Last semester I created a 10-day lesson plan as a project about World War II and for one of the days I intereviewed my grandfather about his experiences in the war so that I could write a summary of what he would tell my class. (He was to be a special guest one day of the lesson.) In this discussion with him I learned so much about how he felt and what he went through during this time in his life. He spoke of things that he had not ever talked about before. My grandfather is one of the most kind people I know and I cannot imagine him ever doing the things he must have had to do in the war. World War II was very differnt from Vietnam in many ways. People were much more supportive of the troops then and there was not talk of killing civilians, but the main similarity is that the troops, as my grandfather says, were "brainwashed" to the point where they knew, just as the man in the video said, it was them or the enemy and they did not want to be killed, so they faught and did whatever they had to.

Although these two videos were difficult to watch, I believe that they were beneficial in that they allowed us to learn about ourselves and ponder things few of us had ever thought of before.

I felt like an important part of the discussion was that those in the Milgram experiment showed they were happy to have taken part sometime afterwards. It showed these people just how readily they would go against what they knew to be right under the orders of someone else. If we recognize this as a human tendency, we will more readily fight the urge of the status quo if ever put in such a terrible and terrifying situation.

From The Milgram:

When I think about how much easier it is to follow instructions, I try to follow instructions to the last letter but wind up struggling with exact precision or interpretation; similarly if I try not to follow instructions I usually wind up back where I started, thinking, "Yeah, it's better if I do what I'm told. Or at least try to. . . Thought there are quite a few exceptions."

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: It's a difficult decision making process whether you choose to follow orders, or do something other than what your told.

From Charlie Company:
Some things in our mind are quite difficult to erase, I'm sure, other things are more easily misplaced or temporarily unrecallable. Between all the memory tools out there, mnemonics, hypnosis, study guides, associations, etc. there's a place where the most controversial, the most gruesome, the most extreme of situations can stick with a person- all too vividly. Any clue why that is? I'd say the people following orders looking back on their life are wondering why they didn't exercise more control or imagine a legitimate reason or justification for their actions - retrospectively they probably have only made positive differences in their lives (and lives of others) since they'd realized what had actually happened.

so why must so much darkness and evil befall our history before our present can emerge vibrant and perfect for all citizens?!
(I'm not sure if my world peace attitude is being communicated here)

I'll probably try to start a conversation about memory later;