Carter's Speech Questions

What the real threat to America is, according to Carter, and is that threat still with us today?
According to Carter the threat to America isn't one of the things that you would think of first such as inflation, recession or energy shortages. Although there is a problem with using too much energy it is not the type of problem he is reffering to. The problem in America is that people don't have the morals that they once did and have lost confidence in our country and our country's future. We need to restore American values. This problem is still here today. In his speech Carter says "We've always had faith that the days of our children would be better that our own." He also says that people are losing that faith. That is still true today. People do not have the same confidence in America that they had many years ago.


Summarize what Carter is saying about American society, and analyze America today against his critique.
Carter is talking about the changes in American society. He is saying that people don't have the same morals and ambition as they once had. He says that people used to be proud of hard work and strong families but now people care more about the things that they own than they things that they do. People are becomming less respectful of things such as government and schools, 2/3 of American people do not vote and the productivity of American workers is dropping. America today is still changing in the ways that Carter talked about in his speech. There are less people who care about hard work and people are becomming more and more materalistic.




How do the plans differ, and how are they alike? How do their plans reveal what they think the problem really is?
Both Carter and Obama are trying to stop the dependence that America has on foreign oil. They both think that America is too dependent on oil from other countries and that we need to get fuel from our own country instead. Carter wanted to cut dependence on foregin oil in half and use other types of fuels such as coal, sun, oil shale, and plant products. Carter believed that by fixing the energy crisis we could also fix the spiritual and moral problem within America. Obama wants to fix the energy crisis while also creating more jobs in America.

1970's Video Questions

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS CHANGING IN AMERICA, FROM ARCHIE'S POINT-OF-VIEW?
America is changing in a lot of ways for Archie. The thing that this video clip focuses the most is the role of blacks in society. Archie is used to thinking of black people as being less important than whites and being different. He isn't used to them being equals and it is a hard thing for him to accept.
When he grew up things were different than they are when he is older. When he was younger his opinions about black people would have been what most people thought but now the things he says are considered as racist. It's strange for him to be around the changes. He is trying to see things as other people do now but he is so used to other ways of thinking it is difficult for him.

IN WHAT WAYS ARE YOUNG PEOPLE (HIS DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW IN THE CLIP) AND MINORITIES CHANGING SOCIETY FOR ARCHIE?
Young people and minorities are becomming more outspoken. The daughter and son and law can speak their minds and can say things that years ago they wouldn't have been able to say. The minorities such as african American people, are also becomming more outspoken. They have the freedom to do what they want now just like everyone else. They are becomming more accepted in society.

Air Traffic Controller's Strike