Dissent During The Vietnam War

Dissent from the American Public: “Give Peace a Chance” A large number of Americans opposed the Vietnam War. This was evidenced by things like a second march on Washington, D.C. in 1969, which drew 500,000 participants. However, the everyday American did not support the publicized leaders of the protest movement. The clean-cut university students that originally led the protest groups had been replaced by “hippies”: outgoing, outspoken, loud protesters who had a very specific culture that included promiscuity, long hair, and casual drug use. These new leaders also treated returning veterans very poorly. They spat on, jeered at, and taunted soldiers that were coming home. Another part of this culture was protest music. Artists like Bob Dylan,
In 1965, 61% of Americans voted that sending troops into Vietnam was not a mistake. By 1968, that number had dropped to 35%. President Nixon saw the decline in public support and in a famous address in 1969, appealed to the “silent majority” of the nation that he believed still supported him and the Vietnam War. However, this did not do much good. By 1971, support for the war had fallen to 28%. As with many wars, backing was high at the beginning. Citizens wish to support the country and to be patriotic. However, as the fighting continued and the war became publicized and aired on television, support waned. The Vietnam War is often recognized as the first to be aired nationwide. The ability to view the violence led to a massive decline in public
On May 4, 1970, a group of 2,000 students was protesting troops moving into Cambodia. The protesters began to act destructively and set fire to the campus ROTC building. National Guard members saw this as a threat, and opened fire on the students. There was no official call to fire or indication to shoot given. Four people were killed and nine more wounded. Only two of the four that passed were actively involved in the protests; the other two were walking to class and happened to pass by the gathering. A Pulitzer Prize winning photo was taken of one of the victims, and it led to a realization within America. It displayed the gravity of the situation, and forced citizens to confront