Vietnam and Spitting
Interesting piece here about the stories of Vietnam vets coming home and being spit upon. My interest in this piece is sociological however the topic of Vietnam usually stirs up some high emotion and various types of debate.
From the article: “Remembering the war in Vietnam through the images of betrayal is dangerous because it rekindles the hope that wars like it, in countries where we are not welcomed, can be won. It disparages the reputation of those who opposed that war and intimidates a new generation of activists now finding the courage to resist Vietnam-type ventures in the 21st century.
Today, on the 30th anniversary of the end of the war in Vietnam, new stories of spat-upon veterans appear faster than they can be challenged. Debunking them one by one is unlikely to slow their proliferation but, by contesting them where and when we can, we engage the historical record in a way that helps all of us remember that, in the end, soldiers and veterans joined with civilians to stop a war that should have never been fought.”
Jerry Lembcke is an associate professor of sociology at Holy Cross College, is the author of ''The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam."
Here is a book review concerning the above mentioned book.
The collective behavior of people in these situations is the part that interests me. The actual merits or lack of merit of the Vietnam war are for others to dissect and debate.
Now, for some entertainment.
From the article: “Remembering the war in Vietnam through the images of betrayal is dangerous because it rekindles the hope that wars like it, in countries where we are not welcomed, can be won. It disparages the reputation of those who opposed that war and intimidates a new generation of activists now finding the courage to resist Vietnam-type ventures in the 21st century.
Today, on the 30th anniversary of the end of the war in Vietnam, new stories of spat-upon veterans appear faster than they can be challenged. Debunking them one by one is unlikely to slow their proliferation but, by contesting them where and when we can, we engage the historical record in a way that helps all of us remember that, in the end, soldiers and veterans joined with civilians to stop a war that should have never been fought.”
Jerry Lembcke is an associate professor of sociology at Holy Cross College, is the author of ''The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam."
Here is a book review concerning the above mentioned book.
The collective behavior of people in these situations is the part that interests me. The actual merits or lack of merit of the Vietnam war are for others to dissect and debate.
Now, for some entertainment.
posted by Redjalapeno at Thursday, June 02, 2005
1 Opinions:
RJ, This spitting meme is, as described, a never ending species of crab grass. And, like crab grass and cockroaches, it is not exterminatable. But, you know, we thought we had exterminated the perps of this idiocy in the 70's. Unfortunately, they just went underground, or back in their holes in the wall to re-emerge first as Reagan and then as Bush II. You are right, one has to sit back and see the bigger picture. Its still not very pretty, but maybe there is hope. Cockroaches and crab grass never win forever (though they both survive a nuclear blast).
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