Our Reactions to "The Iris Still Blooms"

 

After watching the movie "The Iris Still Blooms," Ms. White made us write our reactions without saying a word. Here are our first drafts!

David's

I think it is very sad that thousands of people were moved for a national park that could probably exist if it were built around the homes of the people who lived there. And I don't like the biased stereotypes Miriam Sizer and the Hollow something book gave to the mountain people. I also think that "Shenandoah--The Gift" is a good name because it was not donations that made up the park's land. Besides, the people who were moved probably didn't think it was much of a gift, so it must have been sort of an insult to the people who had to move.
But I agree with the person from the park--they couldn’t' be part of the park if they wanted a free, normal life. So I stand by my theory of shrinking the park by allowing them to keep most of their land while the park was made around it.

Monika's

I feel sorry for the people who lost their homes. I think it's sad that families had to have their houses burned down so a national park could be built for Virginia and tourists to enjoy. I feel it was right and wrong to burn people's houses down for a national park.
It is good because Virginians and tourists can see natural "wonders" of Virginia. It's bad because people had to have their houses get burned down so the tourists and Virginians could come see what those people lived in all their lives.
The name of the movie "The Iris Still Blooms" is called that, I think because people can still remember where they lived and what was there, even if a parking lot or road is there now. People leave behind marks that only their relatives can recognize without meaning to.

Travis’

This movie was very moving. I am shocked to learn what really happened. It is quite amazing that the government would do something like that. It is a very nice park, but hundreds of people gave up the land that had been in their family for generations.
It is however neat that Iris, planted by the mountain folk are still there today. It is very sad that folks can go back to where their houses used to be and find absolutely no sign at all.

Leah’s

The Iris Still Blooms is from when the people moved out of the Shenandoah National Park range. They planted flowers. ,Iris.
I am really choked up about it. It’s sad and depressing . Now I know it is a sad story.

Amber's

The Government is mean and for a show, that if they did keep the people there for a show, that would sort of be like using them and telling them what to do. Like come to the garden at 12:15…etc. Why couldn’t they build the park somewhere else? Why don’t they build a wildlife center near the cities because!
1)Cost about the same.
2)Not far away.
3)wouldn’t push people out of homes.
And if it was because of the New Deal, then how come the idea was out before the New Deal? Why do we have Eminent Domain? It is for the people (they live there) not the Government. It’s not like a toy you don’t share then snatch and destroy. I admit it was a good idea, but it wasn’t good to the people getting kicked out of their homes. To the government it’s park money, but to the people it’s cruel. It was their land but now it is just the Nation’s land, and that is pretty cheap because if the government gave the people $1 and acre and they only had 2 $1000 acres they probably wouldn’t be able to buy another house and would end up homeless.

Sarah's

Now that I’ve watched the video, I think that what they did was horrible. They didn’t "move" a few people, they moved bunches. They hurt some people so much they go back trying to find the remains of their home. President Hoover liked Shenandoah but so did the tons of people who lived there. It also shocked me that I’ve never heard anything about it, and I’ve lived in Virginia for seven years. Newspapers wrote stereotypes about the mountain people. Does where you live determine if you’re worse than other people? I sure don’t think so. I admit it wouldn’t be better for the people if they lived in the National Park. They could hunt or spread their property. It would be like living in a cage. But if everyone wanted to experience nature, why do we have cities? That land belonged to someone. They owned it. It was their right to keep it. If the government is "by why did it destroy the people for the people" their homes? If mountain folk really were stupid, they would have given up their homes without a fight.

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