Kelly+H.+-+VWD+-+SP12

Did the United States win or lose the Vietnam War?
Date: January 1976 Location: White House

As you conduct your research and locate information about your individual or group, be sure you are able to do the following:
 * Describe the criticisms of American society the individual or group made __**and**__ what goals they hoped to achieve.
 * Explain the methods the person or group used to share their message. Be sure to provide examples.
 * Discuss the intent to which the goals and methods used by the individual or group were practical in this time period.
 * __Evaluate__ the successes the individual or group had in promoting their position.
 * Works Cited/Referenced
 * All of this information should be posted to your wiki. (20 points)


 * JOAN BAEZ**

Joan Baez is a folk singer who started her career off singing for friends and family in the late 1950s and then signed with Vanguard in the 1960s. From here, she shot to stardom, creating over 30 albums and has sung for over 50 years.

__Criticisms:__

- For most, Joan Baez is a great singer who published many albums they liked. A minor criticism from the US citizens was that she was potentially just another hippie singer who was out to save the world. However, this was not widely broadcast because the people who thought this were the "Silent Majority," who thought the war was a great idea, but never said anything to support their beliefs.This led many Americans to revere Joan, not find her flaws. - One big criticism was from the US Army, later on, when she was not allowed to go on a tour of army bases for "unknown reasons." Although these reasons are supposedly unknown, many thought it was because Baez was so against the war that they did not wish for her to go overseas and "pollute the minds" of the soldiers and make them think that what they are fighting for is actually a sham.

__Goals:__

- Joan wished to protest the war in a non-violent way, like protest and write/perform music based around this idea. This way, she could educate and entertain Americans at the same time, as well as do what she loves, which is to sing folk music. - She also aimed to inform all Americans of her anti-war beliefs, which she broadcasted all over America via her records and multiple appearances at protests and performances.

__Methods she used to share her message:__

- Baez mainly used songs to share her message to the world. She collaborated with other anit-war advocates, like Bob Dylan, to make anti-war themed songs and albums. This method of communication allowed her to publish over 30 albums in the span of more than 50 years, reaching a large audience and creating awareness at the same time. In fact, while under the management of Vanguard from 1960-1971, 13 of the 14 albums she produced were on the top 100 of Billboard's mainstream pop chart. - She also participated in all sorts of riots and protests. It wasn't a surprise for her to be thrown in jail at these kind of rallies. Baez was arrested twice for blokcing the entrance to an armed forces center in California and spent a month in jail for it. - She also toured several foreign countries during the war, which goes hand and hand with the first point because she sang there. One country she visited was the Czechoslovakia, where she met the future presdient, who came to respect her views. She revisited Czech several times, instilling her points in the people. __Why these goals were practical in this time period:__

- Protests are common occurrences in controversial matters, like the Vietnam War and women's rights. Her goal for peaceful protest is not a far stretch because these kinds of things take place for all other kinds of matters, so Vietnam protests are reasonable. - Considering her popularity and far-global stretch, it is not very hard for her to inform and Americans, or even citizens of foreign countries, of her beliefs on the war. Bob Dylan and Joan wrote many songs about the war to inform people through powerful, catchy ways. __The successes she had in promoting this position:__ - A large success was her platform for her ideas. Writing songs and churning out so many albums really got her name out there and made her into the controversial, anti-violence advocate she is known for. Her deep lyrics, like "Blessed are the blood relations/Of the young ones who have died,/Who had not the time or patience/To carry on this earthly ride." These kind of deep lyrics were found in virtually all of Joan's songs and were all about what it feel like to be a soldier, family member of a soldier, or to be mourning a soldier. This helped bring out the emotional side of the protests. - Another success was her travels to other countries. This sounds off, but Baez influenced the future Czech president in terms of the Velvet Revolution, where the Czechs overthrew the Communist Soviets. She was able to make these kind of connections about just one topic to inform and inspire other nations. __Evaluate these successes:__ Baez's successes were larger than many of the other people in this debate for the sole reason that she was a wildly popular singer, who produced songs/albums faster than you can say "lickety-split." These songs were all laced with deep lyrics bashing the war and bearing sympathy to the families of soldiers and the soldiers themselves. People definitely responded to these meaningful lyrics, took them in stride, and shot Joan and several other popular folk singers, like Bob Dylan, up to the top and gave them a significant "political podium" to articulate their views from. This all came together in a manner that allowed Baez to take every facet of communication with the civilians, such as TV and radio, to share her anti-war views in a very persuasive manner.

__Works Cited__

"Joan Baez - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2012. [].

Schifferes, Steve. "BBC NEWS | Americas | Vietnam: The music of protest." //BBC News - Home//. N.p., 1 May 2005. Web. 2 May 2012. [].

"The Joan Baez Web Pages." //The Joan Baez Web Pages//. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2012. [].

Wiltz, Teresa. "Joan Baez Unwelcome At Concert For Troops." //Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis//. N.p., 2 May 2007. Web. 2 May 2012. .