POLITICAL PROTESTS CONCERNING THE VIETNAM WAR
Protests Through Music The Vietnam War caused many people to stand up against the thought of war and take to many different mediums to express their discontent with the situation. Much of the music of the time clearly shows the outrage of the masses as they protested against the war. Some examples of this protest can be found in the songs 'For What It's Worth' by Buffalo Springfield, 'Paint It Black' by The Rolling Stones, 'Fortunate Son' by CCR, 'All You Need Is Love' by The Beatles, and 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' by The Byrds.
The songs were the epitome of the era of peace, love, and happiness. The songs give messagages of not engaging in the act of war, but instead loving on your fellow man, and changing the world through kindness. These songs and songs of the era had a profound effect on the way society looked at the war. Many people were singled out and called "Doves" for being supporters of the anti-war movement. The "hippie" lifestyle took over many different areas of the US. There were many different music festivals that showcased artists that openly disagreed with the war. In conclution, music played a big part in changing the US. War veterans of WWII were glorified, but veterans of Vietnam were not easily welcomed. This war was a pivitol part of making Americans really think about foriegn involvement in Asia, and the fight against Communism. |
How The People Responded to The War The United States throughout, responded as a whole with the different protests that happened in Washington, D.C.: October 15, 1969 Moratorium to end the war in Vietnam, National Mobilization Committee to end the war in Vietnam, Rev. Carl Mclntire rallied against the war in Washington along with 50,000 other people, and Operation Dewey Canyon III; just to name a few.
The protests that happened in Washington were all causes/ effects to stop the war. President Nixon wanted the soldiers to stay in Cambodia and didn't want to bring them back home. So, the people began to protest this cause, by making signs, rallying, and making a name on why this war is so wrong. However, some of the protests/ protesters became very violent; people began to get killed, as in the Kent State shooting. The protests increased when the draft was increased. In February 1965, it had only been 3,000 drafts per month, but in October, it increased to 30,000 a month. Due to the sudden increase, the protests then became more violent. International coverage of the protests showed that as the years moved on the protests got larger and more vocal. In March 1966, 50,000 anti-war protesters took part in a rally in one of America’s most famous cities – New York. With a population that ran into millions, it could be argued that they represented a very small minority of the city. In 1967, 100,000 took part in a protest rally in Washington DC. In 1971, 300,000 took part in an anti-war demonstration in the same city. Violence due to the draft increased as the months went by. |