Worldandnation: Joel Goodrick

World & Nation

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Joel Goodrick

By DONNA WINCHESTER
Published December 7, 2005

JOEL GOODRICK, 24, is a graduate student at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He teaches social studies at Durant High School in Plant City.

I would have to say my introduction to Pearl Harbor came in high school, in American history class. All I really got was the bombing. I remember the speech, "This is a day that will live in infamy."

I knew that Pearl Harbor was what got us into World War II. That was probably the extent of what I got in high school. What happened to the Japanese after Pearl Harbor was downplayed. I didn't find out about the internment camps until college. I was pretty shocked.

I think that for so many people, it was a time of intense nationalism. Just like we say now, "Don't forget 9-11," at that time they were saying, "Don't forget Pearl Harbor."

The subject of Pearl Harbor is something I lead up to with my students. We talk about things that were going on in the world that led up to the whole situation. We look at some of the behind-the-scenes things. Was this something we knew about ahead of time? Were there warning signs?

We look at it objectively. I don't preach to them that everything we did was right. I tell them Pearl Harbor was a rallying cry for the nation to stand up and say, "This is what we need to do to get involved."

One thing I tell them about is the Japanese internment camps. I tell them about the camps not to downgrade America, but to help them understand we've done some things we can't necessarily be proud of. We were focused on one goal, and we weren't totally concerned with the welfare of others.

Before we study Pearl Harbor, we look at 9-11 and what that has meant to our generation. My students were in middle school when 9-11 happened. They remember where they were.

I tell them that a lot of people have forgotten about Pearl Harbor. I tell them Pearl Harbor was something that was the same in many ways as 9-11 for that former generation.