Speaking Out in Vietnam

Speaking Out in Vietnam

Author: Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2019-06-15

Total Pages: 243

ISBN-13: 1501736396

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Since 1990 public political criticism has evolved into a prominent feature of Vietnam's political landscape. So argues Benedict Kerkvliet in his analysis of Communist Party–ruled Vietnam. Speaking Out in Vietnam assesses the rise and diversity of these public displays of disagreement, showing that it has morphed from family whispers to large-scale use of electronic media. In discussing how such criticism has become widespread over the last three decades, Kerkvliet focuses on four clusters of critics: factory workers demanding better wages and living standards; villagers demonstrating and petitioning against corruption and land confiscations; citizens opposing China's encroachment into Vietnam and criticizing China-Vietnam relations; and dissidents objecting to the party-state regime and pressing for democratization. He finds that public political criticism ranges from lambasting corrupt authorities to condemning repression of bloggers to protesting about working conditions. Speaking Out in Vietnam shows that although we may think that the party-state represses public criticism, in fact Vietnamese authorities often tolerate and respond positively to such public and open protests.


Book Synopsis Speaking Out in Vietnam by : Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet

Download or read book Speaking Out in Vietnam written by Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2019-06-15 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 1990 public political criticism has evolved into a prominent feature of Vietnam's political landscape. So argues Benedict Kerkvliet in his analysis of Communist Party–ruled Vietnam. Speaking Out in Vietnam assesses the rise and diversity of these public displays of disagreement, showing that it has morphed from family whispers to large-scale use of electronic media. In discussing how such criticism has become widespread over the last three decades, Kerkvliet focuses on four clusters of critics: factory workers demanding better wages and living standards; villagers demonstrating and petitioning against corruption and land confiscations; citizens opposing China's encroachment into Vietnam and criticizing China-Vietnam relations; and dissidents objecting to the party-state regime and pressing for democratization. He finds that public political criticism ranges from lambasting corrupt authorities to condemning repression of bloggers to protesting about working conditions. Speaking Out in Vietnam shows that although we may think that the party-state represses public criticism, in fact Vietnamese authorities often tolerate and respond positively to such public and open protests.

Speaking Out in Vietnam

Speaking Out in Vietnam

Author: Benedict J. Kerkvliet

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9789814843843

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"Investigates how public political criticism has evolved into a prominent feature of Vietnam's political landscape since the mid 1990s and how state authorities have dealt with it with a combination of responsiveness, toleration, and repression"--


Book Synopsis Speaking Out in Vietnam by : Benedict J. Kerkvliet

Download or read book Speaking Out in Vietnam written by Benedict J. Kerkvliet and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Investigates how public political criticism has evolved into a prominent feature of Vietnam's political landscape since the mid 1990s and how state authorities have dealt with it with a combination of responsiveness, toleration, and repression"--

Speaking Out in Vietnam

Speaking Out in Vietnam

Author: Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2019-06-15

Total Pages: 168

ISBN-13: 150173640X

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Since 1990 public political criticism has evolved into a prominent feature of Vietnam's political landscape. So argues Benedict Kerkvliet in his analysis of Communist Party–ruled Vietnam. Speaking Out in Vietnam assesses the rise and diversity of these public displays of disagreement, showing that it has morphed from family whispers to large-scale use of electronic media. In discussing how such criticism has become widespread over the last three decades, Kerkvliet focuses on four clusters of critics: factory workers demanding better wages and living standards; villagers demonstrating and petitioning against corruption and land confiscations; citizens opposing China's encroachment into Vietnam and criticizing China-Vietnam relations; and dissidents objecting to the party-state regime and pressing for democratization. He finds that public political criticism ranges from lambasting corrupt authorities to condemning repression of bloggers to protesting about working conditions. Speaking Out in Vietnam shows that although we may think that the party-state represses public criticism, in fact Vietnamese authorities often tolerate and respond positively to such public and open protests.


Book Synopsis Speaking Out in Vietnam by : Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet

Download or read book Speaking Out in Vietnam written by Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2019-06-15 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 1990 public political criticism has evolved into a prominent feature of Vietnam's political landscape. So argues Benedict Kerkvliet in his analysis of Communist Party–ruled Vietnam. Speaking Out in Vietnam assesses the rise and diversity of these public displays of disagreement, showing that it has morphed from family whispers to large-scale use of electronic media. In discussing how such criticism has become widespread over the last three decades, Kerkvliet focuses on four clusters of critics: factory workers demanding better wages and living standards; villagers demonstrating and petitioning against corruption and land confiscations; citizens opposing China's encroachment into Vietnam and criticizing China-Vietnam relations; and dissidents objecting to the party-state regime and pressing for democratization. He finds that public political criticism ranges from lambasting corrupt authorities to condemning repression of bloggers to protesting about working conditions. Speaking Out in Vietnam shows that although we may think that the party-state represses public criticism, in fact Vietnamese authorities often tolerate and respond positively to such public and open protests.

Waging Peace in Vietnam

Waging Peace in Vietnam

Author: Ron Carver

Publisher: New Village Press

Published: 2019-09-10

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1613321074

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How American Soldiers Opposed and Resisted the War in Vietnam While mainstream narratives of the Vietnam War all but marginalize anti-war activity of soldiers, opposition and resistance from within the three branches of the military made a real difference to the course of America’s engagement in Vietnam. By 1968, every major peace march in the United States was led by active duty GIs and Vietnam War veterans. By 1970, thousands of active duty soldiers and marines were marching in protest in US cities. Hundreds of soldiers and marines in Vietnam were refusing to fight; tens of thousands were deserting to Canada, France and Sweden. Eventually the US Armed Forces were no longer able to sustain large-scale offensive operations and ceased to be effective. Yet this history is largely unknown and has been glossed over in much of the written and visual remembrances produced in recent years. Waging Peace in Vietnam shows how the GI movement unfolded, from the numerous anti-war coffee houses springing up outside military bases, to the hundreds of GI newspapers giving an independent voice to active soldiers, to the stockade revolts and the strikes and near-mutinies on naval vessels and in the air force. The book presents first-hand accounts, oral histories, and a wealth of underground newspapers, posters, flyers, and photographs documenting the actions of GIs and veterans who took part in the resistance. In addition, the book features fourteen original essays by leading scholars and activists. Notable contributors include Vietnam War scholar and author, Christian Appy, and Mme Nguyen Thi Binh, who played a major role in the Paris Peace Accord. The book originates from the exhibition Waging Peace, which has been shown in Vietnam and the University of Notre Dame, and will be touring the eastern United States in conjunction with book launches in Boston, Amherst, and New York.


Book Synopsis Waging Peace in Vietnam by : Ron Carver

Download or read book Waging Peace in Vietnam written by Ron Carver and published by New Village Press. This book was released on 2019-09-10 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How American Soldiers Opposed and Resisted the War in Vietnam While mainstream narratives of the Vietnam War all but marginalize anti-war activity of soldiers, opposition and resistance from within the three branches of the military made a real difference to the course of America’s engagement in Vietnam. By 1968, every major peace march in the United States was led by active duty GIs and Vietnam War veterans. By 1970, thousands of active duty soldiers and marines were marching in protest in US cities. Hundreds of soldiers and marines in Vietnam were refusing to fight; tens of thousands were deserting to Canada, France and Sweden. Eventually the US Armed Forces were no longer able to sustain large-scale offensive operations and ceased to be effective. Yet this history is largely unknown and has been glossed over in much of the written and visual remembrances produced in recent years. Waging Peace in Vietnam shows how the GI movement unfolded, from the numerous anti-war coffee houses springing up outside military bases, to the hundreds of GI newspapers giving an independent voice to active soldiers, to the stockade revolts and the strikes and near-mutinies on naval vessels and in the air force. The book presents first-hand accounts, oral histories, and a wealth of underground newspapers, posters, flyers, and photographs documenting the actions of GIs and veterans who took part in the resistance. In addition, the book features fourteen original essays by leading scholars and activists. Notable contributors include Vietnam War scholar and author, Christian Appy, and Mme Nguyen Thi Binh, who played a major role in the Paris Peace Accord. The book originates from the exhibition Waging Peace, which has been shown in Vietnam and the University of Notre Dame, and will be touring the eastern United States in conjunction with book launches in Boston, Amherst, and New York.

Getting Out of Saigon

Getting Out of Saigon

Author: Ralph White

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2024-04-09

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1982195185

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A “captivating” (The Washington Post) true story of “courage, resolve, and determination” (Christian Science Monitor), author Ralph White’s successful effort to save nearly the entire staff of the Saigon branch of Chase Manhattan bank and their families before the city fell to the North Vietnamese Army. In April 1975, Ralph White was asked by his boss to transfer from the Bangkok branch of the Chase Manhattan Bank to the Saigon Branch. He was tasked with closing the branch if and when it appeared that Saigon would fall to the North Vietnamese army and ensure the safety of the senior Vietnamese employees. But when he arrived, he realized the situation in Saigon was far more perilous than he had imagined. The senior staff members there urged him to evacuate the entire staff of the branch and their families, which was far more than he was authorized to do. Quickly he realized that no one would be safe when the city fell, and it was no longer a question of whether to evacuate but how. Getting Out of Saigon is an “edge-of-your-seat” (Oprah Daily) story of a city on the eve of destruction and the colorful characters who respond differently to impending doom. It’s a remarkable account of one man’s quest to save innocent lives not because he was ordered but because it was the right thing to do.


Book Synopsis Getting Out of Saigon by : Ralph White

Download or read book Getting Out of Saigon written by Ralph White and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2024-04-09 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A “captivating” (The Washington Post) true story of “courage, resolve, and determination” (Christian Science Monitor), author Ralph White’s successful effort to save nearly the entire staff of the Saigon branch of Chase Manhattan bank and their families before the city fell to the North Vietnamese Army. In April 1975, Ralph White was asked by his boss to transfer from the Bangkok branch of the Chase Manhattan Bank to the Saigon Branch. He was tasked with closing the branch if and when it appeared that Saigon would fall to the North Vietnamese army and ensure the safety of the senior Vietnamese employees. But when he arrived, he realized the situation in Saigon was far more perilous than he had imagined. The senior staff members there urged him to evacuate the entire staff of the branch and their families, which was far more than he was authorized to do. Quickly he realized that no one would be safe when the city fell, and it was no longer a question of whether to evacuate but how. Getting Out of Saigon is an “edge-of-your-seat” (Oprah Daily) story of a city on the eve of destruction and the colorful characters who respond differently to impending doom. It’s a remarkable account of one man’s quest to save innocent lives not because he was ordered but because it was the right thing to do.

Hue 1968

Hue 1968

Author: Mark Bowden

Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press

Published: 2017-06-06

Total Pages: 676

ISBN-13: 0802189245

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The author of Black Hawk Down vividly recounts a pivotal Vietnam War battle in this New York Times bestseller: “An extraordinary feat of journalism”. —Karl Marlantes, Wall Street Journal In Hue 1968, Mark Bowden presents a detailed, day-by-day reconstruction of the most critical battle of the Tet Offensive. In the early hours of January 31, 1968, the North Vietnamese launched attacks across South Vietnam. The lynchpin of this campaign was the capture of Hue, Vietnam’s intellectual and cultural capital. 10,000 troops descended from hidden camps and surged across the city, taking everything but two small military outposts. American commanders refused to believe the size and scope of the siege, ordering small companies of marines against thousands of entrenched enemy troops. After several futile and deadly days, Lieutenant Colonel Ernie Cheatham would finally come up with a strategy to retake the city block by block, in some of the most intense urban combat since World War II. With unprecedented access to war archives in the United States and Vietnam and interviews with participants from both sides, Bowden narrates each stage of this crucial battle through multiple viewpoints. Played out over 24 days and ultimately costing 10,000 lives, the Battle of Hue was by far the bloodiest of the entire war. When it ended, the American debate was never again about winning, only about how to leave. A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist in History Winner of the 2018 Marine Corps Heritage Foundation Greene Award for a distinguished work of nonfiction


Book Synopsis Hue 1968 by : Mark Bowden

Download or read book Hue 1968 written by Mark Bowden and published by Atlantic Monthly Press. This book was released on 2017-06-06 with total page 676 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of Black Hawk Down vividly recounts a pivotal Vietnam War battle in this New York Times bestseller: “An extraordinary feat of journalism”. —Karl Marlantes, Wall Street Journal In Hue 1968, Mark Bowden presents a detailed, day-by-day reconstruction of the most critical battle of the Tet Offensive. In the early hours of January 31, 1968, the North Vietnamese launched attacks across South Vietnam. The lynchpin of this campaign was the capture of Hue, Vietnam’s intellectual and cultural capital. 10,000 troops descended from hidden camps and surged across the city, taking everything but two small military outposts. American commanders refused to believe the size and scope of the siege, ordering small companies of marines against thousands of entrenched enemy troops. After several futile and deadly days, Lieutenant Colonel Ernie Cheatham would finally come up with a strategy to retake the city block by block, in some of the most intense urban combat since World War II. With unprecedented access to war archives in the United States and Vietnam and interviews with participants from both sides, Bowden narrates each stage of this crucial battle through multiple viewpoints. Played out over 24 days and ultimately costing 10,000 lives, the Battle of Hue was by far the bloodiest of the entire war. When it ended, the American debate was never again about winning, only about how to leave. A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist in History Winner of the 2018 Marine Corps Heritage Foundation Greene Award for a distinguished work of nonfiction

The Power of Everyday Politics

The Power of Everyday Politics

Author: Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2018-07-05

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1501722018

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Ordinary people's everyday political behavior can have a huge impact on national policy: that is the central conclusion of this book on Vietnam. In telling the story of collectivized agriculture in that country, Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet uncovers a history of local resistance to national policy and gives a voice to the villagers who effected change. Not through open opposition but through their everyday political behavior, villagers individually and in small, unorganized groups undermined collective farming and frustrated authorities' efforts to correct the problems.The Power of Everyday Politics is an authoritative account, based on extensive research in Vietnam's National Archives and in the Red River Delta countryside, of the formation of collective farms in northern Vietnam in the late 1950s, their enlargement during wartime in the 1960s and 1970s, and their collapse in the 1980s. As Kerkvliet shows, the Vietnamese government eventually terminated the system, but not for ideological reasons. Rather, collectivization had become hopelessly compromised and was ultimately destroyed largely by the activities of villagers. Decollectivization began locally among villagers themselves; national policy merely followed. The power of everyday politics is not unique to Vietnam, Kerkvliet asserts. He advances a theory explaining how everyday activities that do not conform to the behavior required by authorities may carry considerable political weight.


Book Synopsis The Power of Everyday Politics by : Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet

Download or read book The Power of Everyday Politics written by Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2018-07-05 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ordinary people's everyday political behavior can have a huge impact on national policy: that is the central conclusion of this book on Vietnam. In telling the story of collectivized agriculture in that country, Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet uncovers a history of local resistance to national policy and gives a voice to the villagers who effected change. Not through open opposition but through their everyday political behavior, villagers individually and in small, unorganized groups undermined collective farming and frustrated authorities' efforts to correct the problems.The Power of Everyday Politics is an authoritative account, based on extensive research in Vietnam's National Archives and in the Red River Delta countryside, of the formation of collective farms in northern Vietnam in the late 1950s, their enlargement during wartime in the 1960s and 1970s, and their collapse in the 1980s. As Kerkvliet shows, the Vietnamese government eventually terminated the system, but not for ideological reasons. Rather, collectivization had become hopelessly compromised and was ultimately destroyed largely by the activities of villagers. Decollectivization began locally among villagers themselves; national policy merely followed. The power of everyday politics is not unique to Vietnam, Kerkvliet asserts. He advances a theory explaining how everyday activities that do not conform to the behavior required by authorities may carry considerable political weight.

A Time to Break Silence

A Time to Break Silence

Author: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Publisher: Beacon Press

Published: 2013-11-05

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 0807033065

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The first collection of King’s essential writings for high school students and young people A Time to Break Silence presents Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most important writings and speeches—carefully selected by teachers across a variety of disciplines—in an accessible and user-friendly volume. Now, for the first time, teachers and students will be able to access Dr. King's writings not only electronically but in stand-alone book form. Arranged thematically in five parts, the collection includes nineteen selections and is introduced by award-winning author Walter Dean Myers. Included are some of Dr. King’s most well-known and frequently taught classic works, including “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream,” as well as lesser-known pieces such as “The Sword that Heals” and “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” that speak to issues young people face today.


Book Synopsis A Time to Break Silence by : Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Download or read book A Time to Break Silence written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2013-11-05 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first collection of King’s essential writings for high school students and young people A Time to Break Silence presents Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most important writings and speeches—carefully selected by teachers across a variety of disciplines—in an accessible and user-friendly volume. Now, for the first time, teachers and students will be able to access Dr. King's writings not only electronically but in stand-alone book form. Arranged thematically in five parts, the collection includes nineteen selections and is introduced by award-winning author Walter Dean Myers. Included are some of Dr. King’s most well-known and frequently taught classic works, including “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream,” as well as lesser-known pieces such as “The Sword that Heals” and “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” that speak to issues young people face today.

A Story of Việt Nam

A Story of Việt Nam

Author: Truong Buu Lâm

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781432750206

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As a specialist of Southeast Asian History, I am often asked to introduce a book that would relate the history of Vietnam, from its beginnings to the present. As often, I am embarrassed to answer that there is no such book written in English. In effect, although we have many publications that deal competently with particular periods or systematically with different topics of its past, a comprehensive history of Vietnam is still lacking. That is the reason I am happy and humbled to introduce here A Story of Vietnam. A Story of Vietnam treats evenly all the periods and also gives equal importance to the culture and the arts as to the political or military events of Vietnam's past. I call it a story and not a history, because I do not want my book to be the usual conventional textbook, overburdened with interminable academic, historical and bibliographic references. While not a conventional textbook, A Story of Vietnam can, nonetheless, provide a substantial reading material to students interested in Asia. To the hyphenated Vietnamese, it can serve as a convenient reference tool to the historical allusions, cultural insinuations, mythical hints, literary suggestions, ethnic idiosyncrasies they encounter every day at home. This book may also be sought after by the people who know so much already about Vietnam as a War but who still would like to know more about Vietnam as a culture. I have narrated my story with the greatest impartiality I am capable of. I have no theory that needs to be proven nor do I have any assumption to be verified. But I do come to history with emotion, even with passion. Sometimes, my sympathies surged to the surface or my distastes became apparent, though at no time, have I consciously distorted the facts or altered the documents in order to validate my feelings. The ten chapters of this book are naturally of unequal length. They adhere strictly to the chronological order, meaning that Chapter One deals, among others, with the legendary origins of the Vietnamese people and the last chapter, Chapter Ten, recounts the social traumas, the economic hardships, and the political isolation the country experienced after reunification in 1975 to the remarkable recovery effected since 1986 and culminating in October of 2007 when Vietnam was elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations. Truong Buu Lam is a retired professor of History from the University of Hawaii.


Book Synopsis A Story of Việt Nam by : Truong Buu Lâm

Download or read book A Story of Việt Nam written by Truong Buu Lâm and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a specialist of Southeast Asian History, I am often asked to introduce a book that would relate the history of Vietnam, from its beginnings to the present. As often, I am embarrassed to answer that there is no such book written in English. In effect, although we have many publications that deal competently with particular periods or systematically with different topics of its past, a comprehensive history of Vietnam is still lacking. That is the reason I am happy and humbled to introduce here A Story of Vietnam. A Story of Vietnam treats evenly all the periods and also gives equal importance to the culture and the arts as to the political or military events of Vietnam's past. I call it a story and not a history, because I do not want my book to be the usual conventional textbook, overburdened with interminable academic, historical and bibliographic references. While not a conventional textbook, A Story of Vietnam can, nonetheless, provide a substantial reading material to students interested in Asia. To the hyphenated Vietnamese, it can serve as a convenient reference tool to the historical allusions, cultural insinuations, mythical hints, literary suggestions, ethnic idiosyncrasies they encounter every day at home. This book may also be sought after by the people who know so much already about Vietnam as a War but who still would like to know more about Vietnam as a culture. I have narrated my story with the greatest impartiality I am capable of. I have no theory that needs to be proven nor do I have any assumption to be verified. But I do come to history with emotion, even with passion. Sometimes, my sympathies surged to the surface or my distastes became apparent, though at no time, have I consciously distorted the facts or altered the documents in order to validate my feelings. The ten chapters of this book are naturally of unequal length. They adhere strictly to the chronological order, meaning that Chapter One deals, among others, with the legendary origins of the Vietnamese people and the last chapter, Chapter Ten, recounts the social traumas, the economic hardships, and the political isolation the country experienced after reunification in 1975 to the remarkable recovery effected since 1986 and culminating in October of 2007 when Vietnam was elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations. Truong Buu Lam is a retired professor of History from the University of Hawaii.

Speaking up for America

Speaking up for America

Author: Vaughn Davis Bornet

Publisher: iUniverse

Published: 2011-01-21

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 9781450277976

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Haven’t read anything positive about the United States of America lately? Can hardly remember exactly why we fought all those wars or what that is worthwhile came out of them? The author of this book of 12 speeches and several essays was the invited speaker in those difficult Sixties and Seventies on Independence Day, Naturalization Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day at gatherings in Southern Oregon. There he spoke from the heart (and his years of historical training) to the matter of our wars and their reasons for being waged. Large audiences and small alike stood or sat while Vaughn Davis Bornet delivered short orations that speak directly to sensitive matters. In the Country and around the World at the time there grew to be muttering and questioning; many “tuned out” or “dropped out” as the drug culture and draft resistance moved in on the spirit that had won World War II and earlier World War I. The Rogue River Valley is a place of small towns; the locale is just north of California, in the mountains, but Ashland, Medford, and the smaller places are in valleys where old values continue to be honored in ceremonies that honor our service personnel year after year. This book, whose prose is in most cases forty years old, returns readers to an older time. It does so without apology, for the author admits from the very beginning to being “patriotic.” His essay/speeches are, in a word no longer in general use, patriotics. The author’s publications and bio appear on pages 150 -153. Since most of the words in this book were created to be spoken aloud, why not read a few paragraphs or pages to a friend or relative?


Book Synopsis Speaking up for America by : Vaughn Davis Bornet

Download or read book Speaking up for America written by Vaughn Davis Bornet and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2011-01-21 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Haven’t read anything positive about the United States of America lately? Can hardly remember exactly why we fought all those wars or what that is worthwhile came out of them? The author of this book of 12 speeches and several essays was the invited speaker in those difficult Sixties and Seventies on Independence Day, Naturalization Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day at gatherings in Southern Oregon. There he spoke from the heart (and his years of historical training) to the matter of our wars and their reasons for being waged. Large audiences and small alike stood or sat while Vaughn Davis Bornet delivered short orations that speak directly to sensitive matters. In the Country and around the World at the time there grew to be muttering and questioning; many “tuned out” or “dropped out” as the drug culture and draft resistance moved in on the spirit that had won World War II and earlier World War I. The Rogue River Valley is a place of small towns; the locale is just north of California, in the mountains, but Ashland, Medford, and the smaller places are in valleys where old values continue to be honored in ceremonies that honor our service personnel year after year. This book, whose prose is in most cases forty years old, returns readers to an older time. It does so without apology, for the author admits from the very beginning to being “patriotic.” His essay/speeches are, in a word no longer in general use, patriotics. The author’s publications and bio appear on pages 150 -153. Since most of the words in this book were created to be spoken aloud, why not read a few paragraphs or pages to a friend or relative?