1950’s politics were a very influential time in the development of American policies today. Joe was directly affected by the Korean War. After returning from the Pacific he was still considered on reserve in the Navy and was requested to fight in Korea. He was so determined he would fight that after completing his first physical he actually had a going away party. To his displeasure, he ended up failing his second physical with a cyst on his spine. In retrospect, if Joe hadn’t have failed that second physical, he may have not dated Jan resulting in the Basile family being nonexistent.
Political events such as the Little Rock Nine were an eye opener to the Basile household and the country abroad. Such segregation as different colored bathrooms, water fountains, and other public facilities was considered ridiculous and certainly not practiced in the North. Joe and Jan can recall hearing such things on the news and sitting in disbelief and awe that something like this could be happening in their country. The civil rights movement quickly grew by the 1960’s, but before the segregation was exposed, the remainder of the country was blind to it.
The rise of the Cold War shook a bit of fear into the hearts of the American people, including the Basiles, during the 1950’s. Yet again the media is responsible for revealing horrors such as the nuclear testing in New Mexico and Arizona. Joe and Jan and even their older children Michael and Peggy recall blackouts and dug and cover drills. Although these drills are precautionary, it brought the nuclear war home which stirred a fear shared by all Americans.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Although there is some good information in here, there is no need to separate out the stories of politics and other stories of family life. In other words, try to integrate the materials throughout.
Also, if this is a post that is about building contexts, don't forget to label it as such.
Post a Comment