Us Governmental Distrust in the 60's and 70's
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PLAN OF INVESTIGATION:
During the early years of Vietnam War the public support was high. The "fight against communist" was grounds for many public rallies to encourage and support the effort. Despite the high approval rating the US government still released crucial propaganda that displayed communist as the evil of the world. It wasn't until Nixon invaded Cambodia that many protests occurred, mostly by democratic college students that led to the US government censoring American media. During hostile times in the Vietnam War the US government fell to censoring the media in order to lower the amount of opposing riots against the government. During an age of independent journalism, however, the government was not showing the same war footage as these journalist, which led to hostile riots such as Kent State Massacre. Towards the end of the American involvement with Vietnam the trust in the government was truly damaged by the censorship, 1960's-1970's activism, and presidential scandals.
SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE: The US' involvement into Vietnam started after North Vietnam was aided by communist countries Russia and China. The North Vietnam (with help from Vietcong) began a massive "recovery" of the rest of Vietnam with hopes of "reuniting" Vietnam. The US was in fear of another communist power forming, but instead of directly attacking Vietnam the US government began to aid South Vietnam. President Johnson, newly inaugurated after President Kennedy's assassination, was torn between sending more and more aid to South Vietnam, which would
- 2 - result in an increase in US casualties, or pull out the troops and be the only president in US history to lose a war. The American Casualty number slowly increased as the war progressed and more and more soldiers were being sent over as aid to the South Vietnam army. Towards the end of the 1960's and the beginning of the 1970's protest became more and more frequent. Many college students and faculty joined
PLAN OF INVESTIGATION:
During the early years of Vietnam War the public support was high. The "fight against communist" was grounds for many public rallies to encourage and support the effort. Despite the high approval rating the US government still released crucial propaganda that displayed communist as the evil of the world. It wasn't until Nixon invaded Cambodia that many protests occurred, mostly by democratic college students that led to the US government censoring American media. During hostile times in the Vietnam War the US government fell to censoring the media in order to lower the amount of opposing riots against the government. During an age of independent journalism, however, the government was not showing the same war footage as these journalist, which led to hostile riots such as Kent State Massacre. Towards the end of the American involvement with Vietnam the trust in the government was truly damaged by the censorship, 1960's-1970's activism, and presidential scandals.
SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE: The US' involvement into Vietnam started after North Vietnam was aided by communist countries Russia and China. The North Vietnam (with help from Vietcong) began a massive "recovery" of the rest of Vietnam with hopes of "reuniting" Vietnam. The US was in fear of another communist power forming, but instead of directly attacking Vietnam the US government began to aid South Vietnam. President Johnson, newly inaugurated after President Kennedy's assassination, was torn between sending more and more aid to South Vietnam, which would
- 2 - result in an increase in US casualties, or pull out the troops and be the only president in US history to lose a war. The American Casualty number slowly increased as the war progressed and more and more soldiers were being sent over as aid to the South Vietnam army. Towards the end of the 1960's and the beginning of the 1970's protest became more and more frequent. Many college students and faculty joined
Bibliography: • Peter Jennings Todd Brewster. _The Century: For Young People_. New York, New York: Random House Inc., 1999. • Cynthia Rose. _American Decades: Primary Sources 1960-1979_. Cynthia Rose. : Thomson Gale, December 2003. • Hallin, Daniel C., The Uncensored War: The Media and Vietnam. Los Angles: California University of California Press, 1986. • William A. Gordon. _Four Dead in Ohio: Was There a Conspiracy at Kent_. : North Ridge Books, March 1st, 1995. • Hugo L. Black Warren Burger. "http://laws.findlaw.com/us/403/713.html." New York Times v. US June 30th, 1971. • Bonier, David E. Steven M. Champlain and Timothy S. Kolly, The Vietnam Veteran: A History of Neglect. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1984. • "The Kent State Aftermath: Campus Ferment." Newsweek (June 15th, 1970): 96.