should the U.S. have gotten involved in the Vietnam war?

Question: Should the US have gotten involved in the Vietnam War?

Format: Write the answer from two different perspectives: One answering the question yes; the other answering no. Each answer needs to have sufficient evidence to support the answer. By evidence, you will need to use primary sources; those are sources from the actual time period.

List of Primary Sources: (If you discover other sources, that is great. Just get my approval to make sure they will work.)

This is a site that has several different speeches from different presidents:

http://www.47ipsd.us/47vnwar.htm#lbj68

Dwight D. Eisenhowers Speeches:

http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/domino.html

http://www.vietnamwar.net/Eisenhower-3.htm

John F. Kennedys Speeches:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-135-015.aspx

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AkUGuFgXFC04aBy1bzSbAS6bvZx4?fr=yfp-t-250-s&toggle=1&fp=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&p=jfk%20inaugural%20speech

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=A0LEVzMZCfRUbzMA1B1XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1Njhpbm04BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDVklQNTgyXzEEc2VjA3BpdnM-?p=jfk+s+speeches+about+vietnam+war&fr=sfp&fr2=piv-web&fr=yfp-t-250-s

Lyndon B. Johnsons Speeches:

http://youtu.be/Dx8-ffiYyzA

http://www.lbjlibrary.org/exhibits/the-presidents-address-on-vietnam-before-the-national-legislative-conferenc

http://www.lbjlibrary.org/exhibits/announcing-steps-to-limit-the-war-in-vietnam

http://www.lbjlibrary.org/exhibits/the-president-announcing-his-decision-to-halt-the-bombing-of-north-vietnam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j17cDGMRM1U&feature=player_embedded

Nixons Speeches:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/nixon-vietnam/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sppr7oYzxnk&feature=player_embedded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_OwEAdt3Fo&feature=player_embedded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jXTiz8F6S5E
Writing Assignment Grading Criteria

The main objective for this writing assignment is for you to answer a historical question and explore its implications for future developments in American history. This assignment is worth 100 points. The following is a guideline on grading rubric I will use to asses your papers.

You must observe the format guidelines: Papers should be 5 FULL double-spaced pages with page margins no more than 1.25 and font, Times New Roman, no larger than 12 pt. Any infraction will result in an automatic deduction of 5 points or a half-letter grade.

You can also lose 5 points if you do not meet the requirement for using a reliable outside source. You must use quotation marks properly and footnote your outside source in order to receive the full 5 points.

You must also address all parts of the prompt. Make sure that you fully develop your ideas and focus on communicating your thought process as best you can. The content, organization, and development of your argument are the most important aspects of this assignment. The majority of your grade is going to hinge on your ability to communicate through this paper your interpretation of the historical prompt. 80 points

Punctuation and grammar are important in communicating effectively through writing. 10 points of your grade will be dedicated to this aspect of writing. You can lose a point for each major punctuation or grammar error. In addition you can also be penalized for repeated minor mechanical errors. Mechanical error can result from over-reliance on the Word grammar and spell check. I recommend you print your paper and read a hard copy aloud. You will catch many errors just because they dont sound right when you say them aloud.

Major Mechanical Errors Minor Mechanical Errors

sentence fragment inappropriate passive voice

run-on/fused sentence major comma blunders or omission

faulty subject/verb agreement misspellings

incorrect verb tense incorrect word choice

illogical verb shift clumsy or awkward sentences

word ending errors (s, ed, ing) point of view errors