Your brilliant and beloved cousin, Walt, has invented a time machine that will enable him to travel to the past. Walt grew up in LA. He is 17, white, and from an upper middle-class family that is not affiliated with any religion. “The sixties” and politics have always fascinated Walt, but he doesn’t know much about either. When his mother tells him she has heard that you have just finished a course focused on the period, Walt seeks advice from you, his favorite, older cousin. He helpfully brings with him timelines for 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1971. (See links for timelines at end of first prompt, and be sure to study these links before you come to the final). Walt knows he wants to touch down in 1968, 1969, 1970 or 1971, and the time machine will allow him to pick his month and year. He asks you WHEN he should land. (Walt may or may not take your advice, but he wants to hear WHY you have chosen the month and year you have selected). He ALSO asks you a number of questions about WHAT he should do and WHY he should do it when he lands, and you need to answer ALL of them for him to make informed decisions!
• If he lands in 1968,
Should he demonstrate in support of Chicano students protesting unequal conditions in the East LA schools? (White students did not do so in 1968, but Walt comes from the multicultural future!)
Should he work for the Kennedy, McCarthy, Humphrey, Wallace or Nixon campaigns?
Should he join those demonstrating outside the Democratic National Convention?
• If he lands in 1969,
Should he join the Weathermen/Weather Underground?
Should he participate in the largest anti-war demonstration ever in Washington on November 15, 1969?
Should he try to get into Judge Hoffman’s courtroom to watch the Chicago 8 trial?
• If he lands in 1970,
Should he attend fundraisers for the Black Panthers? (such fundraisings did occur: see Sam Tanenhaus, “Remembering those Radical Chic Evenings,” http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/remembering-those-radical-chic-evenings/)
Should he burn down Isla Vista’s Bank of America?
Should he demonstrate against the Kent State shootings and Cambodia “incursion”?
• If he lands in 1971,
Should he join “the Plumbers?”
Should he try to get a job on Kissinger’s staff?
Should he call himself a feminist?
Walt will only reach a decision after you give him a talk that answers all his questions and, in the process of doing that, explains the relevant accomplishments of ALL the many different organizations, movements and individuals he is considering. Write the talk. Don’t think of trying to talk with Walt without having watched ALL the clips and done all the reading first and thinking about how you would briefly sum up the period between 1968 and 1972. That summing up should go into the talk, along with your answers to all of Walt’s questions. Feel free to inject your own politics in the talk as well. Walt values your opinion and will listen to you and take you seriously, whether, for example, you tell him that the Weather Underground is engaged in the noblest of causes or domestic terrorism. You can certainly tell Walt not to join any of these groups/individuals/movements, but recall that Walt loves politics, and he is a joiner. He’s also not afraid of going to prison for a worthy cause. There is no right answer to this essay!
Walt’s Timelines
http://the1968exhibit.org/1968-timeline/desktop
http://www.fsmitha.com/time/1968.htm
http://www.fsmitha.com/time/1969.htm
http://www.fsmitha.com/time/1970.htm
http://www.fsmitha.com/time/1971.htm
