2.15 - In-Class Write

1. By watching the movie Thirteen Days, a person can gain valuable knowledge of the historical event known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. This big occurrence was actually a series of smaller events and decisions that lead up to a paramount situation in which the world was on the brink of nuclear war. By watching the film, a viewer will learn just how close the situation was from turning into a third world war, as well as get an inside view into the level of stress and intense decision-making that the president and his staff were experiencing during those two weeks in 1962. The film focuses on the United States' view of the crisis, and doesn't delve much into what the Soviet Union's experience was like, but it still informs the viewer of the communication between the two sides, the decisions made by both leaders, and why and how they came to resolve the situation.
     Many specific details are shown in the movie, as the film did a very good job about being as historically accurate as possible, but the movie also does a good job of interpreting how the major government officials would have reacted to and handled the situation. One of the major takeaways from the film is how hard of a decision it was for the president, John F. Kennedy, and his advisors to make about what course of action to take to get rid of the missiles. They are shown throughout the movie stressing and arguing over what is the best plan to remove the threat of missiles, which is backed up by historical sources that describe how the White House and Pentagon reacted to the news of the missiles. The president formed the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, known as ExComm, in order to generate solutions to the pressing issue. This group of advisors included people in the president's office, like his brother and the Attorney General Robert Kennedy and his Special Assistant Kenneth O'Donnell, but also chiefs and officers that handle military affairs. Many of the people in his office prefer a more diplomatic approach, while the military hot-heads want to take immediate action and perform and air-strike followed by an invasion. The president eventually decides on an intermediate course of action, a naval quarantine, as it takes physical action while not initiating war when there is still hope for peace. The film shows the duress and anxiety that John F. Kennedy is under while everyone is telling him what the best thing to do is, but also how well he handles the pressure and stress of the situation, and never panics or loses hope.
     Another important takeaway from the movie is the communication between Kennedy and Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev, and between the White House and the Kremlin, all leading up to how crisis is avoided. It shows the letters from Khrushchev and backwater sources like the Russian spy Alexander Feklisov, but also shows how even though there was communication between the two nations, there was still a sense of uncertainty throughout the whole encounter. Neither side knew the other's true intentions, and they were constantly second-guessing what the other side was doing and what decisions they should make. This is shown in the movie on the American side of things, as the White House scrambled to try to verify if the Russian Agent was a legitimate source sent from Khrushchev, and if he could be trusted or not with the news of the possibility of a peace deal. However, even when Khrushchev was the one directly communicating via teletype letters, there was still uncertainty in what he intended to do and how he felt about the situation, shown through a team of officials analyzing his letters and speculating as to what he meant, his tone, and all other sorts of conjectures. A viewer will be able to see and experience the stress and miscommunication during the Cuban Missile Crisis if they watch this film, and can get a better understanding of why the situation was so close to ending in disaster.

2. The film Thirteen Days was a very good representation of the real-life situation that was the Cuban Missile Crisis, but there were still a few things that are important that could not be learned from the film. This could be because of time reasons and the simple fact that the filmmakers cannot include every detail in a two hour movie, or because it could not completely capture some of the more broad aspects of the situation due to its focus on the crisis itself.
     The film did not really show the public view of John F. Kennedy, or how his handling of the crisis affected that public opinion. The movie included some hints about his reputation after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion early in his presidency through the military chiefs attitude and language towards him, but never really showed the general population's thoughts of him. Furthermore, there was nothing at the end of the movie showing how his reputation changed after the crisis was resolved. He obviously has the respect and admiration of some of his close advisors and people in his office, but the broader view of his success is not shown, even though my research says that his image was strengthened and improved both domestically and internationally because of the crisis. I think this would be an interesting addition to the film, to display how his decisions and actions during this event changed public opinion of him to the citizens, as well as other government officials, at the time.
     The other thing that the film did not show was how the Cuban Missile Crisis, its events, and its result globally affected the Cold War society. There was not much detail on what the world relations were like at the time of the crisis, and definitely not anything about how things changed after narrowly escaping nuclear war. I think the film could have shown what steps were taken by the U.S. and U.S.S.R. after the missile crisis was over, such as the installation of the teletype "Hotline" between the White House and Kremlin and the signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Both sides were reflective after the crisis, and realized how devastating and destructive a nuclear war could have been and how close they really were to disaster. In this spirit of improvement, tensions between the two sides lessened a little, and small steps to peace were made. The Hotline was installed to give a direct telephone link between their nations, and hopefully prevent a lack of communication in the case of another similar situation. The sides also took the first steps in agreeing to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, as they realized that the nuclear arms race could potentially be a very destructive ordeal.

3. If the film had an additional 20 minutes, I would suggest that they add on to the end of the film in continuation of the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I think they could show how the crisis truly affected the worldwide society, and not just that it was resolved and everything was over. I think this makes the resolution of the crisis even more impressive, as it shows that it not only temporarily solved disaster, but also led to decreased tensions between the nations in the years following. It not only saved the U.S. from destructive nuclear missiles and the world from a nuclear war in that moment, but also for the future as it set up the possibility for peace and safety. So, if scenes were added that showed the Hotline being installed, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty being signed, or of JFK talking about his hopes for peace between the sides (a little more than the audio part of the speech that they played over the scenes at the end), I think it would give a little more resolution to the movie and to the historical event.

2.14 - Annotated Sources

Thirteen Days (2000) Movie

America's History, 9th Edition, Chapter 24, "Cold War America, 1945-1963," Pages 755, 758, 774-776 Background information for the events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis and other Cold War facts

History.com, "Cuban Missile Crisis" Information about the events that transpired leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis, how the crisis played out, and the aftermath of the crisis in the Cold War world

Office of the Historian, "The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962" Description of how decisions were made throughout Crisis, and what went through the minds of the leaders and advisors of both nations

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, "Cuban Missile Crisis" An overview of the Cuban Missile Crisis, along with many primary sources and other great resources surrounding JFK, the crisis, and the Cold War

Washingtonpost.com, "A Thrilling 'Thirteen Days'" A movie review of Thirteen Days, describing its effectiveness and historical accuracy.

Washingtonpost.com, "'Thirteen Days': Just the Facts?" Another film review by the same writer, describing some different aspects of the movie Thirteen Days.

Entertainment Weekly, "Kevin Costner Talks About 'Thirteen Days'" An interview with a major actor in the film, Kevin Costner, in which he talks about his role in the movie as well as its effectiveness at telling the story

The Guardian, "Thirteen Days: On the Brink of Nuclear War, Hollywood Steps In" A film review discussing both the movie's entertainment aspect as well as its historical accurateness and effectiveness.

2.13 - Menu

White House Lock-In Menu

Drinks:

Coffee would be one drink served at the overnight meeting as it would be an essential beverage for the attendees to stay awake and alert throughout the night while thinking of solutions to the Crisis. Characters in the movie are seen constantly drinking cups of coffee throughout the day and night to help keep them vigilant.

Whiskey would be another drink served at the lock-in, as it would help reduce some of the stress and anxiety that would be running rampant in everyone in the meeting. Kenny O'Donnell, one of the main characters in the movie, is seen pouring and drinking a glass of whiskey to show the level of duress him and all the other government leaders are under.

Snacks:

Candy will be available as a snack at the meeting, because it is a quick way to get some sugar and energy without taking the time to eat a full meal. A bowl of candy is shown in one of the White House offices in the film, as Kenny walks by and takes some on his way to see the president. 

Appetizers:

New England Clam Chowder will be the appetizer of choice, as it was one of John F. Kennedy's favorite meals. One reason he liked this dish is because he was a Massachusetts native, born in Brookline very near Boston. It is also thought that he liked soups like this chowder so much because he wasn't a very big eater, and so small meals of this sort fancied him more than larger, more-filling dishes.

"Nuclear" Hot Wings will be another appetizer served at the lock-in, as its name represents the nuclear missiles that were being constructed in Cuba. Also, the hot and spicy aspect could represent the flaring tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during this time.  

Cheese fondue will be the final appetizer on the menu, as it was a very popular American cuisine during the 1960's. The blending and melting together of the cheeses could also represent the attempts to make peace and strike a deal at the end of the Crisis, liquifying any tension between the United States and Soviet Union.

Main Courses:

Cuban Sandwiches will be served as one of the main courses due to their namesake, Cuba, and the importance of that country in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The sandwiches are also made up of a large variety of ingredients, which could represent the many layers of events and decisions that led up to the brink of nuclear war. 

A Pig Roast will serve as the primary dish for the lock-in because of the failed military invasion of Cuba, known as the Bay of Pigs invasion. The roasted dead pig could serve as a representation of how the mission was a failure, but at the same time the delicious meal that it makes could represent how things worked out in the end and people get to enjoy the outcome (temporary world peace). Also, roasted pig is a very popular dish in Cuba, and is known as Lechon Asado. 

Deserts:

Bird's Milk Cake will be the dessert for the lock-in, as it is a traditional Russian dish known as Ptichye Moloko. A Soviet dessert could also represent the U.S.S.R. agreeing to work with the U.S. to end the Crisis by offering a "sweet" deal with good intentions.

2.12 - Exhibit

Exhibit

One of the photographs taken by a U.S. U-2 reconnaissance plane flying over Cuba, which captured the first view of the Soviet missiles being constructed, will be featured at the lock-in.

The U-2 plane that was shot down over Cuba on October 27, 1962, flown by Major Rudolf Anderson\
 Jr., will be exhibited as a major artifact for the overnight meeting.

The teletype "Hotline" that was set up between Washington D.C. and Moscow after the Cuban Missile Crisis will be brought specially to this lock-in to be previewed by all the guests.

The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Document that was signed by the U.S. and Soviet Union in 1963 after the Cuban Missile Crisis will be transported to the lock-in for an extraordinary viewing opportunity.

A rare, authentic newspaper by the New York Times with headlines about President Kennedy's decision on how to handle the Cuban Missile Crisis will be displayed at the lock-in

Document of President Kennedy's televised address to nation about situation of Cuban Missile Crisis.

The table and furniture that the President's executive committee (ExComm) used for their meetings in the White House has been found and will be brought to the lock-in for viewing.

A ship that was a part of the U.S. naval quarantine around Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis will be brought to the exhibit to be publicly shown for the first time ever.

2.11 - Invitation

My event will be a lock-in, where all guests spend 10 hours in an overnight meeting. It is a lock-in because during the Cuban Missile Crisis, government officials were pressed for time and had to work late nights and early mornings in order to save the world from nuclear disaster. The location is the White House because that is where John F. Kennedy and his advisors primarily worked from during the crisis. The date will be October 27, because that is when the Cuban Missile Crisis was at its peak intensity, and tensions were at their height. The theme of this event will be a stressful, all night adventure where the guests will be simulating the pressure of the crisis in 1962.

John F. Kennedy (Jack) - John F. Kennedy should be invited to the lock-in because he was the president of the United States at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and was the one ultimately making all of the tough decisions throughout the thirteen day ordeal.

Robert Kennedy (Bobby) - Robert Kennedy should be invited because not only was he JFK's brother and one of his closest advisors, but he was also Attorney General at the time and had a crucial discussion with the Soviet Ambassador to the U.S. about making a deal to prevent nuclear war.

Kenneth O'Donnell (Kenny) - Kenneth O'Donnell should be invited because in the movie he was very close to the Kennedy brothers and advised John throughout his presidency, so he would know the dilemma they were facing better than anyone else in the world. I also think it would be interesting to hear him talk to the actor that portrays him in the movie, Kevin Costner, about how accurate the representation of his role in the crisis was.

Nikita Khrushchev - Khrushchev should be on the guest list because no deal could have happened without him, and nuclear war would have broken out, therefore changing the course of history forever. I think it would be interesting for him and Kennedy to talk together in person about the Crisis, and not have to guess each others intentions through indirect communication.

Adlai Stevenson II - Adlai Stevenson should be invited because of his role in showing the world that the Soviets were lying and were, in fact, constructing nuclear missiles in Cuba. He presented evidence at a United Nations meeting that was indisputable and undeniable, not letting Zorin and the other Soviet leaders off the hook.

Alexander Feklisov (Alexander Fomin) - Alexander Feklisov should be invited because of his crucial role as an intermediary who delivered information about a possible deal from the Soviet government to the White House. Without his message that a deal for peace was plausible, hope to avoid nuclear war seemed bleak.

Kevin Costner - Kevin Costner should be invited because he played the role of Kenny O'Donnell in the movie, the character through which the story was primarily told. I think it would be good for him to be able to have a discussion with the character he is playing about how the crisis really felt like, as well as get to meet the real John and Bobby Kennedy, two people he was close to in the film.

Roger Donaldson - Roger Donaldson should be at the event because he directed the movie and had to decide what parts of the crisis to include and not include, as well as where to stretch the situation's historical accuracy for the sake of telling the story and still making it entertaining. I think it would be good for him to get first hand accounts of what this major historical event was really like, and their opinions on his interpretation.

2.10 - Debating the War in Vietnam

American soldier and group of Vietnamese villagers

This article included a collection of six primary source excerpts, three from U.S. presidents of the time that were justifying the war in Vietnam, and three from groups that were critical of the war. The presidents believed that it was America's duty to get involved in Vietnam to help the civilians there and to prevent Communist ideas and groups from spreading and gaining traction. Groups that were opposed to the war believed that it was not the U.S.'s business to get involved, and that they were only impeding on the peace, freedom, and self-sufficiency of Vietnam, as well as getting thousands of young American men killed in a fight that was not worth their deaths.

2.9 - Mass Incarceration

Inmates on their beds

Prisoners in the Alabama Department of Corrections

Pie Chart of Where and for What Crimes Prisoners are Incarcerated

     Mass Incarceration is a very prevalent issue in the United States, and much of that has to do with lingering racism and a flawed criminal justice system that fails to do its job. One of the problems that our society faces in this regard, is that we don't adequately acknowledge and reflect on our nation's history of slavery, segregation, lynching, and other outright acts of racism. We sweep the facts and memories out of sight and out of mind, and try to act like nothing happened in the first place. While this might seem like an innocent act of trying to forget the horrible things that happened, it is altogether disrespectful to black people, both past and present, to not acknowledge what they suffered and still have to experience. Further more, the legacy of this mistreatment has carried forward into today's world, and although slavery and segregation have ended, blacks are still being abused by the racist tendencies of the criminal justice system.

     The modern criminal justice system presents its racial bias in many ways. The facts are irrefutable that blacks in America are treated poorly with respect to justice and criminality, and are unfairly accused, arrested, sentenced, and much more. African Americans make up only 13% of the total U.S. population, but represent 28% of the arrests, 40% of the jail and prison population, and 42% of the death row members. They are arrested 2.5 times more prevalently than whites are, and are only have as likely to make bail. They are 87% more likely to be incarcerated before their trial, are more likely to be sentenced to prison instead of probation after their trial, and are often charged with harsher sentences than white offenders. Obviously most of these arrests and convictions are appropriate and reasonable, but there are also many cases in which this racial bias has caused them to be unfairly accused and punished. This is the fault of the justice system, police officers, and people in society in general, because the whole mindset surrounding skin color and criminality is something that needs to change.

     Studies have shown that whites unknowingly associate black people with criminality. This causes unfair treatment and prejudice in white communities, and it has leaked over to the police and judicial departments in some cases. Police officers are more likely to stop, search, and act with violence against black people than their white counterparts, which has lead to huge debates in our world today surrounding topics like police brutality. Though black youths make up only 15% of all children in the U.S., they contribute to 35% of all juvenile arrests. They are more likely to experience school suspension, expulsion, and arrest, which further adds to the high rates of childhood incarceration in places like juvenile detention centers. Out of the total 2.3 million incarcerated people in the U.S. today, 46,000 of those are being held in Youth Detention Centers. Many times these youth are placed in these centers because of offenses they have committed that aren't even real crimes. This could mean they simply violated their probation terms, or committed status offenses such as running away from home or skipping school. However, youth detention is not the worst case scenario for these children. One out of ten confined youths are held in adult jails or prisons, but even the juvenile facilities are horrible and similar in nature to the state jails or prisons. 

     Although many people believe that major prisons are the primary issue when discussing criminal justice, they would actually be surprised to learn that local jails play as large or larger of a role in mass incarceration. There are around 600,000 people that are sentenced to prison each year, but 10.6 million jail visits per year. That number is mind-boggling, and although local jails go unrecognized for their role in incarceration, they actually hugely contribute to the issue. The thing is, most of the people housed in these jails have not been convicted, but are rather waiting on their trial and being kept there in the meantime. Most of them are too poor to make or pay bail, largely due to the expense and price of bail in many cases. The median bail amount for felonies is $10,000, which is approximately 8 months of income for the average detainee. This is why so many people are stuck in jail with no alternative, simply waiting for their trial to take place. 

     In addition to the blame placed on police officers for their arrests and judges for their sentencing, prosecutors also play a large role in mass incarceration. In the 20th and early 21st centuries, aspiring politicians would become prosecutors in order to reach positions of political power. While doing this, they would be hard towards criminals in regards to incarceration, as they believed it would help them in their political endeavors, and they were correct. This attitude that became known as "tough on crime" would help them be successful in their attempts for election and re-election, therefore giving them even more incentive to harshly punish defendants they faced. This shaped the criminal justice system into what it is today, and has been a big reason why incarceration rates have increased over 500% in the last 40 years. 

     Restrictions on the power that the criminal justice system has, in all its parts from the judges to the prosecutors to the police department, is necessary if improvement is going to be seen from this rampant issue of mass incarceration. However, that is not the only area that needs to be reformed. I believe that both the white and black communities in our society need to be better in their thoughts and actions. White communities need to be educated on what is going on and why there is so much imprisonment, especially of blacks in America. They need to understand what is causing these issues, and fix the outlook and racial prejudices that they have. Black communities need to come up with ideas for the reform of the typical home life and behavior of their children being raised. They need to figure out solutions for how to prevent violence and criminality in their communities, especially with regards to their youth. If everyone in our society works to better understand and find solutions for this problem that is mass incarceration, then I think that we can slowly improve the situation over time and better ourselves as a nation.

Sources:

EJI Legacy Museum: Mass Incarceration: This source is where I found information on continued racial bias in our nation, as well as the EJI's beliefs on the subject.

ALCU: Mass Incarceration: This source is where I found some background information and statistics on mass incarceration. 

Prison Policy Initiative: Mass Incarceration: This source is where I found lots of statistics and information surrounding common beliefs and myths about the issues of mass incarceration, as well as some graphs with data about the topic.

The New York Times: How Tough-on-Crime Prosecutors Contribute to Mass Incarceration: This source is where I found information on how prosecutors have contributed to mass incarceration and how they have shaped the criminal justice system.

The Sentencing Project: Report on Racial Disparities: This source is where I found background information and racial statistics associated with criminality.

Center for American Progress: Mass Incarceration: This source is where I found information on mass incarceration, especially with regard to women and children.