Vietnam
The rule of the majority is an essential element of the American political experience, yet the reality of American history demonstrates that ignoring the views of minority voices can create serious ramifications. During the 19660's was a time of many movements, including the anti-war movement. It was the beginning of the hippie generation, the sexual revolution, and the drug culture (Bexte). In August 1964, after the North Vietnamese attacked an American destroyer, Congress gave Lyndon Johnson carte blanch authority to initiate troop movement into Vietnam (Bexte). Many hippies and young people opposed the war (Cherry). It wasn't until Johnson began his massive bombing campaign against North Vietnam in 1965 that the Anti-war movement actually found it's roots and dug in (Bexte). This is when the phrases "make love not war," "flower power," and "drop acid not bombs" came about.
Over 25,000 marcher showed up for the SDS demonstration on April 17th 1965. Many small organizations were set up on campuses also, called "Committee to End the War in Vietnam. This concert brought 500,00 people from all across North America together in a non-violent protest against the war. " During this time drug use also played a big role among the hippies, this may have hurt the anti-imperialist movement. an wanting answers; after all they were the ones dying for our country. Their speeches and their music reflected the anger and hopelessness that Americans felt over the Vietnam War (Bexte). Many musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and celebrities such as Abbie Hoffman began to join in the anti-war cause. involvement in Vietnam took place in New York City (Rise). Not since the Civil War had the country been so divided (Bexte). During the course of the war it became clearer that the U. was at war against the majority of people in Vietnam, as more U. Opposition to Vietnam was intense by the late sixties, and that opposition was closely linked to the radical cultural politics of the sixties-to the rock and soul music, to the hippies and the alleged drug culture, and to the general critiques of "the establishment" (O'Malley). In 1966 and 1967 the resistance against the draft was increasing.
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