Final Reflection

Ever since I could understand things, I always knew I adored dogs. It started from my friends having dogs to Clifford the Big Red Dog to Scooby-Doo. My family has never had a pet of any sort but my sisters and I have been wanting a dog for quite awhile. But I didn’t start to understand that dogs did more than just playing fetch and being cute. When I joined social media platforms, I started following news pages and pages dedicated to adorable puppies. Through this, I became aware of the service and military dogs and, thus, decided to research more it. From this project, I learned just how priceless and significant the duty that service and military dogs do for us.

Through looking at how the use of service and war dogs developed throughout history, I aimed to discover just how significant these dogs are to people and how their work has changed the role of dogs in the world. For service dogs, I covered the rather short history of its development through the organizations that train and provide service dogs to people with disabilities. I also discussed the definition of service dogs and the types of work they do for people. For war dogs, there was an extensive history on its usage in the wars that United States participated in. I discussed the major wars (WWI, WWII, Korean, Vietnam), although dogs have been used by the United States for many years in different occasions (although some were not documented). As I have learned in the classroom, I chose these specific wars because of its importance to U.S. history but also for its impact in the development of warfare as well as the severity of it. Through this, I was able to see the importance of war dogs as well as the increased usage of it. Also, through this time period, the United States had been developing in many ways, specifically technologically especially in warfare. In fact, starting with the Civil War half a century earlier, modern warfare developed.

In learning about World War I, the Progressive Era, the Great Depression, and more, I researched the impact of these major events in correlation with the use of service and military dogs. In regards to service dogs, any type of war has always resulted in lives taken away and those injured. Service dogs have been used to care for people with disabilities. I have learned that modern warfare has a massive impact on the home front, so it wasn’t just soldiers in need of service dogs. Moving on, during this time, technology was still developing and, thus, accidents occurred where many got injured, especially in car accidents. Cars had been popularized by Ford Motors, thus, the average consumer had cars. Another factor for turning to service dogs was the lack of means to receive medical attention or other devices to help with disabilities. Especially during the Great Depression, many people suffered from poverty, but this also led to an increase in physical and mental disabilities. The first official center was The Seeing Eye, founded by Dorothy Eustis. But over time, service dogs expanded to help people with other disabilities than blindness. Additionally, the growth of therapy dogs began as the Great Depression and the two World Wars caused severe trauma for some people. Protection to service dogs as an important entity was given through the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). In regards to war dogs, their usage increased since World War I. As warfare became more severe, having war dogs would give the military an extreme advantage over the enemies (even though most countries use war dogs as well). The skills acquired by dogs through training has saved countless lives throughout their use. They continue to be an asset to the military and their usage continues to grow. In fact, several bills have been passed by the government to honor as well as give rights to war dogs, such as getting adopted upon retirement.

As the United States developed, dogs stayed by our side, helping us in many different ways. Whether these dogs receive the awards and attention they deserve, as long as we are grateful of their service to us, it is sufficient for now. Each and everyday, dogs, all dogs, provide mankind with all they can give, and to that, I dedicate this project to the dogs who serve others.

 

Update!

From reading my reviewer’s comment on my plans for presenting my project, I have come to the conclusion that making a board is tedious and useless. Instead, I will create a website on Weebly which is actually easier. So Weebly is quite neat; it’s my first time using it. I have high hopes for my website but I just need to finish putting together the posts that will be on the website. There’s so many parts to putting together a website and I want my site to be aesthetically pleasing but first, info.

I have changed my question to focus on the history of service/war dogs and how the usage of service and war dogs have helped people. My thesis hasn’t changed much because it does answer the refined question. Throughout my website, I am trying to explain and argue that service and war dogs have a positive and great impact on the lives of people. Not only do they perform specific tasks but they also provide their owner(s) company. And I mean, who doesn’t love dogs!?!

I’m still working on finding more primary sources but I think I have solved this issue partially as I have opened up my research. Through my recent research, I found many great sources that provide me new paths to take to further my project. For example, I found great news sources that talk about service/war dogs and they provide pictures (primary sources) as well as links to other sites that provide even more information! Additionally, I found some great pieces that will help with the “timeline” on my site. Since the the use of war dogs, organizations such as CIA K9 Corps have been created to use dogs for other purposes. This demonstrates that, not only do war dogs and service dogs have a significant role in the lives of their handlers/owners, the use and importance of trained dogs is increasing.

Not only will I be providing information that supports my thesis, but I will provide as much additional information as long as I have time for it. I want my website to be more than just a project. I want people to be aware of service and war dogs and how meaningful they are to us even if we don’t have one ourselves. And no, this won’t detract from my project.

An interesting (and quite sad!) fact is that war dogs used to euthanized or abandoned after retirement instead of being honored. It wasn’t until November 2000 when President Clinton passed “Robby’s Law” that allowed the dog’s handler and family to have first dibs at adopting the retired dog. Now there are organizations that take in these retired dogs and put them up for adoption to loving families.

HoA: Storytelling

I have not definitively decided what format I will do but I narrowed it down to creating a website (probably on Weebly) or a project board. Either way, the same information will be used only that the project board requires tedious work with cutting and pasting the information on the board. Plus, I will have to make an aesthetically pleasing board that will ultimately require a lot of time. If I don’t have enough time, I’ll probably just resort to creating a website. Additionally, I will be making a short little video, showing my meetings with service and war dogs. It will just be showing tours of the organization, the dogs, what they’re doing for others, and maybe their training. Hopefully, when I visit these local organizations, I can sit down with the organizers and get a short interview with them. I’ll probably ask them what they know about the history of service/war dogs and how it has changed/developed to the present.

HoA: Snags/Obstacles

One of my major obstacles is that it is quite difficult to obtain information on service and war dogs online. It takes intense research to analyze the sites I find and then decide whether it is useful or not. Since this is a history project, I need to obtain a significant amount of information and resources. I find it difficult to find primary sources, besides images, that is easily accessible to me. I might need to go to the library or something to get more sources and information. Most of my sources are from individuals and organizations discussing either service or war dogs but they’re not primary.

Additionally, I need to pinpoint all the events into some sort of timeline because I’d like to include that on my project board. This will be part of the history portion of the project. The problem is that it is difficult to articulate the history mainly because it is not a definitive history. I mean that these histories do not have a set date (like the start date of World War I). Furthermore, it is not like there was a specific day that the United States gained its first service dog (war dogs may be a bit easier to “define”).

From the sources I have obtained and from the sources I will obtain, I need to sift through all of them and extract the important information that I will include in my project. This will be time-consuming. I’ve already started it but lately I have been focused on obtaining sources.

Originally, I was thinking about doing a project board but I might reconsider it mainly because it is time consuming in the fact that it requires a lot of effort to make it visually appealing. Although this may make me sound lazy, I have about two weeks to complete this project. I think I can do a board and a video but if I do not have enough time, I’ll create a website or something.

Lastly, about the video, I need to first contact local organizations that specialize in service or war dogs. Service dogs would be more common from where I live. I plan to contact them as soon as possible. Then, if they agree to it, I need to find time as well as schedule a visit to see the organization, the dogs, trainers, etc. and hopefully (!), I can sit down with the people and I get an interview. At these visits, if I am permitted, I hope to film the dogs and the facility, etc. so I can make a simple and short film of dogs in action!!

HoA: Best Source

As I am looking into the comparison of therapy dogs and war dogs (MWD), I have divided my time researching both types of service dogs. First, I started researching military dogs.

My best source so far has been from the website: www.uswardogs.org. It is the official website for the United States War Dogs Association. It is such a good find for my project because I gained a ton of information from an accredited source that specifies in my subtopic (MWD). Additionally, the website contains a lot of information about U.S. war dogs in all wars starting with World War I which will become useful when I describe the history. The information goes in depth which is great because I’ll get more out of it.

I think it’s a wonderful idea that the U.S. has an organization that’s dedicated to these dogs. While I was skimming through the site, I became interested in the dogs themselves because there’s a ton of pictures.

I will definitely use the historical information about American MWDs. This might be presented in the form of a timeline with explanations of key events. Also, there is information about the types of war dogs, how they’re trained, etc. that I will include in my project as well. The best part of the site is the pictures of the dogs throughout time; they’re really cute. These will be used as pictures on my project board.

History of Anything (HoA) Project: Service Dogs

For my History of Anything Project, I chose service dogs in the United States as my topic.

    I have a few goals for this project. First, I do want to learn more about service dogs and how they help people. Furthermore, I’d like to have an interesting display for my project, whatever that may be. I also hope to get a chance to visit local organizations that work with service dogs and meet a few dogs myself- that’ll probably be the highlight of my project.

    I have always had a passion and love for dogs. Sadly, I do not have a dog of my own, but my interest is kept alive through videos and pictures of dogs on my social media as well as my friends’ dogs. Recently, I have been captivated by the news of the limited availability of service dogs for veterans with disabilities such as the common PTSD. I learned that many veterans commit suicide each day and that if they had a service dog, their suicides could have been prevented.

    The tough part of doing this topic is that there is not a lot of information on this topic, specifically online. I will definitely need to do some deeper research and maybe visit the library. My topic is definitely different and is not necessarily the most researched topic in the world, thus, I face some obstacles with finding the history of service dogs. However, I do have more recent information on service dogs nowadays.

    As for my plans, I need to narrow down my topic a bit so I know precisely what information I need to gather. I will probably outline my project to have main questions/topics to cover. From there, I will gather all the information necessary. I most likely will be doing a project board so I’ll need to get all the materials. Additionally, I need to start researching local organizations that train and/or provide service dogs and get in touch with them because I hope to compile a video of my visit(s) and the information I learn. If I can do art, which I really can’t, I might add some type of interesting aspect to my project board so it won’t just be a project board that I am presenting. Lastly, since we are submitting our project digitally, I need to take pictures of the end product(s) as well as write a short intro/blurb (since the rest of the information will be in the pictures of the board).

 

Modern Turning Point in US History

Of the 21st Century, 2008 contained several significant events. The United States experienced the Great Recession that was the gravest financial upset since the Great Depression in the 1930s. Unemployment rose above ten percent, the highest level since the early 1980s. The nation saw the shedding of 700,000 jobs a month. Furthermore, people succumbed to anxiety and fear as many Americans lost jobs and homes. Although the United States endured the Great Recession, it also experienced a milestone with the election of the first African American president of the United States, Barack Obama.

Although 2008 saw several key events, 2001 was a turning point in United States history. Beginning with the terrorist attacks on American soil on September 11, 2001, Americans saw a change in government policy and individual psyche. Following the attacks, the nation was overwhelmed with fear of future attacks as well as indignation towards the attackers. The US government began focusing on enforcing antiterrorism through counterinsurgency tactics like training of police forces, infiltration of suspected organizations, and innovative intelligence gathering. Furthermore, the US sought to protect the nation’s borders with the newly created Department of Homeland Security.

The attacks in 2001 instigated a war with Iraq the next year. Bush claimed Iraq, as well as Iran and North Korea, were a threat to American security. In October 2002, Congress authorized the president to employ armed force to defend against Iraqi threats to America’s national security and to enforce the United Nations resolutions regarding Iraq. Iraq continued to defy the United Nations weapons inspections.  

Overall, 2001 was a turning point in US history because it altered the government’s policies to focus on security within the nation as well as abroad, it exposed the nation to the reality of danger, and it influenced the United States’ war on terrorism.

1980s

 

Personally, I do not agree on much of the conservative beliefs and policies brought up in the 1980s. My disagreements mostly stem from those who do not agree with abortion, gay rights, feminism, etc. Additionally, I do not agree with Reagan’s policy of decreasing the spending on welfare programs because I think that many people benefit from them.

I think Reagan, like any president, had his successes and failures. He tripled the national debt due his increased defense spending. His system of supply-side economics saw a recession known as the “Reagan recession” in its first years. Additionally, he cut spending on welfare programs that supported food stamps, school lunches, Social Security, etc. In his second term, the Iran-Contra affair casted a dark shadow over Reagan’s position in foreign policy. Despite his faults, Reagan, along with President Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which banned missiles from Europe. This led to a growing and better US-Soviet relationship, which helped influence the end of the Cold War.

The issue of abortion was broadened with the election of conservative President Ronald Reagan. The birth of the evangelical, conservative Christian coalition known as the religious right opposed abortion. The Moral Majority was created in 1979 which was led by Reverend Jerry Falwell. Falwell preached against many ideas which included abortion. The issue of abortion reached the Supreme Court in 1989. In Webster v. Reproductive health Services, the Court compromised the decisions of 1973 case of Roe v. Wade (which prohibited states from making laws that interfere with a woman’s right to abortion) when it approved the Missouri law that imposed restrictions on abortion. This galvanized the 1992 case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, in which the Court ruled that states could restrict access to abortion as long as it did not place an “undue burden” on the woman. Ever since this, abortion has been a contested issue.

Reagan was not responsible for ending the Cold War but his actions certainly influenced it in his second term. In his first term, Reagan used much of the nation’s budget on defense spending in the hopes of threatening the Soviets. For instance, in 1983, Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) to create orbiting battle stations in space. By the end of 1983, all arms-control negotiations with the Soviets were broken off. However, in his second term, the new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, announced two policies, Glasnost (which introduced free speech and a measure of political liberty) and Perestroika (which was intended to revive Soviet economy by adopting several free-market practices). These policies required the Soviet Union to decrease the size of the military. Gorbachev announced the Soviets’ goal of eliminating intermediate-range nuclear forces. Both Gorbachev and Reagan signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, banning missiles from Europe. This was a major step towards ending the Cold War.  

Life was good for those who did not have to suffer from Reagan’s economic system and its debt. Due to supply-side economics, the income gaps increased throughout the nation. The poor got poorer and the rich got richer. The “yuppies” (young, urban professionals) experienced the good life with conspicuous consumption. Additionally, those who depended on government welfare programs faced the loss of much of the programs’ benefits such as food stamps and school lunches for children.

Civil Rights Movement: Past and Present

The Civil Rights Movements peaked in the 1950s and 1960s. These political movements sought equality under the law. Issues brought up in the Civil Rights Movements of the mid-century still linger today.

Part of the Civil Rights Movements of the mid-century focused on gender and race equality. Although women were granted suffrage with the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, their status was not instantly equal to those of men. Inequality and discrimination continued, especially in the workplace and in homes. People began to protest certain institutions and ideals that they believed subjugated a woman’s status. For instance, a woman’s role in the house was debated over. Most women’s “jobs” were centered around the household. They were housewives who cooked and cleaned all day for their families. Some argued that women were meant for this while others believed that women should have the opportunity to seek real jobs outside of the house. Furthermore, women were culturally represented as inferior specimens vying for male approval. In the article No More Miss America (1968), it argues for the ban of the Miss America pageant where women are judged solely on their appearance and not their character. Similarly to this day, representation of women in media is debated over. Arguments include the use of photoshop in images, the uniform image of women, the oversexualization of women, etc. Throughout this movement, activists hoped to create more equal opportunities and treatment for women to succeed in society. Feminist movements strived for goals such as equal pay, the right to own property, and to receive education. Throughout the 21st Century, many organizations have been created for the purpose of fighting for gender equality such as the formation of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women, which was formed in 2010.

The main goal of the Civil Rights Movements was racial equality, especially for African Americans. The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was one of the pivotal events in this movement. It declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, which overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896 which allowed for this segregation. The movement was led by Martin Luther King Jr. who gave speeches, organized protests, and led marches. King popularized the nonviolent protest. Many people of all ages began to create or join organizations to support the rights of African Americans. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was dedicated to direct action such as demonstrations and sit-ins. People gained confidence in their ability to create political change and pride in their accomplishments. One of the major achievements was the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Despite these achievements, racism still exists to this day. However, like the activists in the Civil Rights Movement, people continue to fight for fair treatment of minorities. For example, with the rise of police brutality incidents in the past year, protests have taken place to stop the violence as well as the discrimination against minorities, specifically African Americans, by law enforcement. Additionally, with roots of nativism, many believe that certain people should not be allowed to immigrate to the United States due to beliefs that they are dangerous, obscene, connected to violence,  and will contribute to the decline of society in all aspects. However, with all these issues on the rise, people to this day continue to fight for what they believe in to create the change they hope for the world.

I think that the Civil Rights Movements have not ended. I believe that there is more to improve and change. People are still fighting for equality among all races and even genders. Although we do not declare it Civil Rights movement, we continue the work of past Civil Rights movements since we have not quite reached the potential we could achieve.