(Ethical Judgement) In what ways does Sally Kohn’s TED Talk apply to the Holocaust? In what ways can it be applied to the increase of hate crimes reported during Covid-19? Is there a dangerous element of hate in our society today? If so, where does it exist and how do we remedy it? If not, why isn’t it dangerous?

After watching Sally Kohn’s TED Talk, I was able to find connections between the Holocaust and her speech. The first connection I made was when she talked about the scale and on one side it was the thought of one group was better than another group. This relates to the Nazis because the Nazis thought that they were better than everyone else. I also found the connection relatable to the Nazis when Kohn was talking about the kid Vickey and how everyone used to bully her, even the teacher and that relates to the Nazis because they believed that the things Hitler was doing was right. I have noticed that on the news people have been leaving hate messages on Chinese statues because people hate on China for COVID-19. I believe that there is a dangerous element of hate in our society today. I don’t think that there is a lot of hate in Canada but In the US the same issue of being racist towards black people has occurred again. I think that its not as bad in Canada because Canada is a very multicultural place which is great because we grow up in schools together and therefore we accept each other and treat everyone as equals.

(Continuity & Change) How did Canada’s role in WWII battles change over time? Explain with reference to the sequence of battles Canada participated in.

After reading the textbook, Canadas role in early WW2 was similar to WW1. Their job was to send supplies to common wealth countries. But Canada’s role changed when the bombing of pearl harbour happened. Canada had sent two battalions to reinforce the British commonwealth forces in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, Canadian soldiers were inexperienced and were no match for the skilled Japanese soldiers. Canadians contributed to the war effort on all fronts. Over the course of the war, Canada expanded its navy and air force to help reinforce the Allies. Desperately short of equipment and personnel, Canada embarked on a massive building and training program so that by the end of the war, the RCN had grown to 400 vessels and more than 100 000 sailors. Canada also helped turn the tide. The RCN is credited with providing about half the escorts across the Atlantic. Canada built small warships called corvettes which escorted tonnes of cargo across the ocean. 14,000 Canadians soldiers landed at Juno beach to help at the battle of D-Day. They were successful and fought there way inland by about 9 kilometres. Canada had a huge part in WW2 with aiding Britain and other commonwealth countries with supplies while also training hundreds of thousands of soldiers to fight in the front lines.

(Cause & Consequence) Using examples from Lesson #1, what conditions seem to bring rise to dictatorships?

The conditions that bring rise to dictatorships seems to be mostly coming from the citizens trying to solve the economic problems. Benito Mussolini in Italy, Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union and Adolf Hitler in Germany rose to power essentially because their countries had in some way been made unhappy by the outcome of that war. They ended up want more power which was a big problem. It wasn’t just because of the outcome of WW1 and the economy but it was also viewed politically. Mussolini thought that Italy was better than everyone and Italy became more Fascist.

(Ethical Judgement) Reflection:

• Watch Canada’s Apology to Japanese Canadians
• Was the 1988 apology for interning Japanese Canadians necessary? Is the redress of $20,000 to survivors adequate? Explain why or why not.
• If Canada apologized for the treatment of Japanese Canadians in WWII, what other identifiable groups does Canada owe an apology to and why?

It was during the second World War when thousands of Japanese citizens were forced into interment camps. I definitely think the apology was necessary because they have been waiting ever since. The ones who survived were given $20,000. $20,000 dollars will not make up for the millions that were lost or that an apology will be enough but they will prove that Japanese Canadians were good Canadians all along. I think that $20,000 is adequate because when they were forced into these camps their belongings were sold and taken away from them so this money could definitely help them. Canada also owes an apology to Jewish people because Canada’s discriminatory immigration policies denied entry to those seeking refuge, particularly Jews.

(Perspective/Evidence) Read over the Letters to Bennett. Which was your favourite letter to Bennett and why?

After reading all the letters my favourite one had to be Maurice Stanley. I enjoyed this letter the most because it was written by a young boy who was trying to make life easier for him and his dog. He put effort into the letter he wrote, only knowing a small amount of vocabulary because he is only in grade 3.

(Continuity and change) Could the causes of the Great Depression happen today? Are we in any of those situations that were happening in the Roaring 20s?

The Great Depression is a significant historical event that happened in the past. The Great Depression was caused by a stock market crash in the 1920’s. When some investors started selling their stocks in order to cash in on high profits, others rushed to sell also. As a result, stock prices fell. On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the New York Stock Exchange collapsed, followed by the Toronto and Montréal Stock Exchanges. I think the causes of the Great Depression could happen again because of the recent issue of COVID-19. Many stores have shutdown and even small businesses. Many people have been impacted by this pandemic financially. Lots of people have lost their job due to this issue and even companies have not been able to run because of safety reasons. The pandemic is the only thing I believe that could cause a Great Depression. The only other reason I can think of is if another war were to happen.

(Significance) Summarize what happened with Canada and the Chanak Crisis, Halibut Treaty, King-Byng Crisis, and the Statute of Westminster? Explain how much autonomy was gained by each?

The Chanak Crisis marked the first time that Canada did not automatically support Britain in a war. British occupation troops were threatened by nationalist Turks at a Turkish port. If Turkey were to regain control of this port, they would have clear access to Europe through the Black Sea. Canada gained autonomy because they didn’t ask Britain for help. Canada negotiated a treaty with the United States to protect halibut along the coasts of British Columbia and Alaska. When Britain tried to pressure King into letting their representative sign the treaty, King insisted that it was a matter between Canada and the U.S. He threatened to set up an independent Canadian representative in Washington, and Britain backed down. This was the first treaty negotiated and signed independently by the Canadian government. In 1926, Mackenzie King publicly challenged Britain over the role of the governor general. Since the King-Byng crisis, no Governor General has acted against the wishes of an elected prime minister. This event made Canada gain a great amount of autonomy because they were finally independent.

(Continuity & Change) Look up some of the buildings being constructed in 1929, what do they look like today? Is there a construction boom today as well?

A great deal of building went on in Vancouver in 1929. The construction of the Marine building was a 25-storey beauty that would open in 1930. The Marine building today looks  exactly the same as it did in 1930. The only difference I can see is the photo taken in 1930 was in black and white. Another city landmark, the Royal Bank building at the northeast corner of Hastings and Granville. It is a 16-storey tower which began construction in 1929 and completed in 1931. Again, the building today looks the same at least on the outside. Vancouver Island continues construction boom. Total spending on residential construction rose 45 per cent across the Island to $698.2 million while non-residential increased 23 per cent to $108.6 million. So yes I would say there is a big construction boom.

Significance) Was there any point to the Winnipeg General Strike?

The Winnipeg General Strike proved to be a turning point in labor relations. The soldiers returning from war had few jobs available which made it hard for them to survive off their work. Between 15 May and 25 June 1919, more than 30,000 workers left their jobs. Even essential workers had left their job including firefighters and policemen. The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was the largest strike in Canadian history. It raised awareness for workers everywhere about the flaws in working situations. It did not immediately succeed in empowering workers and improving job conditions. But the strike did help unite the working class in Canada.

What similarities exist between the Spanish Flu and Covid-19 pandemics?

During the winter of 1918 to 1919, a deadly influenza virus called Spanish Flu spread across Europe, killing millions. Many soldiers coming back from war carried the virus to North America. It took about 2 years to cure people of the flu. Right now, we are dealing with a similar issue which is COVID – 19. During the Spanish flu, school and public areas would be closed to prevent the spread and people were required to wear breathing masks in public. This would be a similarity because right now to prevent the spread of COVID – 19 schools have been shutdown and public areas have been closed. Both the Spanish Flu and Covid-19 are highly infectious and can be easily spread through the air by sneezing or coughing. Unfortunately there was no cure for the Spanish flu.