Significant Events, Organizations, or Legislation of the Progressive Era That Impacted Social Welfare

Significant events, Organizations, or Legislation of the Progressive Era that impacted Social Welfare:

The Progressive Era was one of those times in history that as the title implies, was a overall good time for those in America. Now although there were certain policies that were implemented on certain groups that were not favored by them, one must still consider its cumulative progression.

Veterans gained a lot of respect when the Veterans Bureau was established giving them numerous benefits, hospitals, etc. Women gained ground when women's suffrage passed. It seemed like there were other various social policies and organizations that were put into place that benefited many. Organizations like the International Workers of the World (IWW) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) helped to at least get a foundation built that we could begin a better the struggle for equality and fair treatment of all. Later there were those organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) that started a basis for how the citizens of this country should want to strive to look like in the future.

Some of those that might complain would be immigrants, namely those that were from Asia. There were numerous discrimination against minorities including Africans, but it seemed like Orientals were the ones that legislation tried to either prevent or control the most compared to any of the other races at that time in history.

Lynching in America

Lynching has always been the outward expression of those that are unable to convey frustration in any other manner than violence. And we all know that violence is the hand puppet of the ignorant. From the beginning of time there has been mobs and lynching. Ironically neither ever had or will accomplish the very thing they form because of and act in the name of, justice. When you read stories of those that lynched it is almost as if there is one mind in the mob. Just one tiny brain that has it's very small purpose. And as people gather to that cause they share that mind, because obviously they have chosen not to think for themselves, but rather the idea of the mob to govern their thoughts and actions.

Using strength in numbers to achieve something important such as protests, sit downs, unions, etc. is one thing, but to deliberately take laws and lives into your own hands is another. Our country has a great amount of history dealing with mobs. Regardless of who's the one on the receiving end, whether it be Africans, Orientals, Vagabonds, Mormons, etc. the result is the same those that do it (the lynching) are no better than those that they are attacking. Whether or not someone is guilty we have laws that must be followed. I do not always agree with the punishment (I often feel it is way to weak), nevertheless I must accept. Those that were involved in a lynching often time commit greater crimes of atrocity than those that they are saying are horrible people. When individual are lynched justice is never satisfied. Taking their lives without proper laws is not right, but more so in the manner they do it. A quick execution hardly ever the case. Torture, beatings, and humiliation are the results and motivation for the actions of a mob. Where is the compassion for the one who was first harm? Where is the reason for such actions? When such violent and malicious actions are taking place there is no room for honorable justice. You (as part of the mob) the accuser have become no better than the accused. Any hope for doing what is believed as the right thing long left when blood thirsty revenge. In short those that lynched never realized that there was reason for laws and vengeance never has or never will be justice.

The Treatment of Asians

From as early as 1907 with Gentlemen's Agreement limiting Japanese immigration, those of Asian descent had are very hard time in the early 20th century. Only 6 years later did the Alien Land Law make it illegal for Japanese to own land. With policies like these in place, it made it all too easy for Americans to go along with the idea of internment of Japanese Americans during World War 2.

The idea that the country would gather up all those of Japanese descent in put them in an upscale concentration camp is for lack of better words pretty remarkable. Now not in a positive way, but an amazing surreal idea that we as a country was okay with this and for the most part went along with it. Japanese were no the only ones. German Americans and Italian Americans were given the same treatment. That makes me even more speechless. How many people were left to work in America? Three nationalities were pretty much decommissioned either by being detained or racism led to people not highering or buying from them.

After taking so many history classes and viewing what we humans will and have done to each other for no or very little reason at all, I guess I just got desensitized to what insipid things we come up with. The Japanese were treated as war criminals for something they did not do. And without laws like those placed during the Geneva Conventions, there was nothing to protect their basic human rights. It is absolutely ridiculous the hardships that they endured and more importantly the losses that they had. Rather it be lives, property, or even self respect, the Japanese Americans were a victim to a weak and panicky country. Although there is no excuse for it, it is in the past and