FREE ESSAY ON REPORTS OF WW2

REPORTS OF WW2

Persuasive Paper
The assigned reading was for the most part the telling of soldiers stories, whether they
told of the stories they'd had or the story they were currently taking part in. As a
whole they weren't looking to sway my opinion in any particular direction regarding the
war, just describe the situation. The first piece of writing that I found persuasive came
from I. F. Stone, a writer for The Nation who was stationed behind a desk in Washington
instead of behind a bunker at the time of the war. I mention the fact that he was a desk
jockey because it was something I took personally when reading of the heroics of the
reporter writing from the front lines. I said to myself the first time reading through
his report Why should I listen to this coward, he is trying to tell us that we are doing
enough? What a hypocrite. He needs to get off his rear, get a gun and into G.I. gear..
However after reading the piece and seeing how it moved me, I saw how important a role a
reporter could play back home. Stone's article A plea to admit Jewish refugees was the
only writing that looked at the war from the broader sense of things. Most war time
reporters concentrated more on what was happening in the platoons, the men's feelings and
keeping moral high. This was an essential role that reporters filled, not only for the
soldiers but for the folks back in the States. I know that if I was in that particular
situation that I wouldn't be worrying about the Jewish refugees so much as I would be
trying to avoid the bullets whizzing over head. It's important to concentrate on one
thing at a time. However since Stone could look at the war as more of a political battle
than a battle of day to day survival, it made him curious about what exactly are our
objectives were and are we properly utilizing our resources. Through his researching he
found that the only support that we were really giving was militarily, and other than
that we entered the war rather half-heartedly.
The most persuasive part of the article in my eyes was how he made it seem as though we
were the bad guy, it was our pathetic attempt or rather apathetic part in this war that
is most disgraceful. Stone states, The essence of tragedy is not the doing of evil by
evil men but the doing of evil by good men, pointing the accusing finger at America. His
point being, here we are with all this potential to be the Big Brother to the world an
yet we do the bare minimum. Stone even points out, probably out of desperation to get his
point across that even Franco, the horrible dictator of Spain, opened his borders to
refugees. Franco, whose own country could be consumed next by the horrible appetite of
the ever expanding empire. Franco, who we look down on as a cruel military leader, shows
compassion. Yet still we sit in our safe house across the ocean, content in our
minimalist effort and ask others to open their borders as we turn refugees away. How can
we even ask that of other countries when we ourselves refuse to take these people in,
what ever happened to leading by example? What ever happened to , Give me your tired,
your poor? We turned these people back to die. The sheer audacity of our president to not
get more involved purely because it is too risky a move in an election year. What good is
being elected going to do when you remain so passive to the plight of others whom you
were put in that position to help?
 A plea for Jewish refugees was by far the most persuasive piece of writing in the
readings thus far. It was different than the others in that it didn't make you feel sad
for the situation the soldiers were in, but it mad you mad that our power was being so
grossly under used. It makes you wonder, what would be of greater benefit to the
predicament? We could send more soldiers over there to die in order to prevent to
eradication of the Jewish race. Or keep some soldiers over here and not only keeping them
alive and well but to help the Jewish refugees directly by giving them food and shelter,
rather than the round about way of sending thousands off to die. Stone helped me see the
war in a whole new light and hopefully his article did the same for the American public.